A Haunting in Venice

I stupidly gave it a chance again and it didn't work out, for the third time. Hercule Poirot for me is probably the most boring and least interesting detective of them all (for example comparing him to Sherlock it's 100 and 1). Again it is filmed and presented in a way that could have entertained my grandmother and grandfather, but for me, and I believe the younger generation. the film is hard to digest. This time the cast wasn't worth much either, which reflects the actors lack of interest in acting in this one. The whole film is very slow with no hint of suspense or atmosphere (no, I didn't see any horror elements here), the fact that it lacks momentum and drive is one thing, but the fact that I didn't enjoy the dialogues, story and characters is another. I didn’t guess the killer, but the final denouement did nothing for me, the final explanation is supposed to deliver a proper build-up (like in Saw), but it never happens. I really don't enjoy this style of detective stories without murders, where the whole movie is spent listening to people bored by Branagh. Delete, forget, honor. 4/10. (11/05/2023)

Kenneth Branagh has conceived the third installment of his Poirot series in a completely different way than the first two, with a horror, schizophrenic atmosphere that flirts with the mystery genre and leaves the hero initially floundering and unsure. Haris Zambarloukos's camera alternates between unconventional angles of waterlogged rooms and views of a drizzly Venice in an amazing way, perfectly emphasizing that uncertainty. The sound design is amazing and really stands out in Dolby Atmos. The plot, for me, is unorthodox and the denouement is unexpected. This concept suited me very well and I'm looking forward to the sequel. (09/14/2023)

Kenneth Branagh continues with the same, generic whodunit that is a carbon copy of the previous one. Only instead of the sunny Nile Delta with its often overly digital Pyramids, we have mysterious Venice, specifically a gothic house full of strange sounds and untold secrets. Not a single moment is remarkable, not a single shot or sequence of events unpredictable. At least it is briskly told and with a few wannabe horror moments and a decent production design, and it also has a decent (meaning short) running time. (02/15/2024)

"After death there's..." - "Nothing." Poirot is pulled from his Venetian idleness and gardening to use his rationality, supported by unfortunate life experiences, to put an end to the supernatural. However, there is no "irresistible case" here. To achieve that, the damp walls would need to lose some of their theatrically infused mannerisms and ineffective scares, and be aired out with a stronger atmosphere of whodunit uncertainty. Then, perhaps, the characters wouldn’t be so dull and lifeless. For the Belgian with remnants of glue and rhododendron pollen under his nose, it nonetheless brought an interesting realization: that the little gray cells can crack a case even when under the influence. Or was it because of that...? (11/13/2023)

For the third time, I ventured into the world of Hercule Poirot through Kenneth Branagh’s portrayal (his French-accented English is, once again, impeccable), hoping to finally find the atmosphere I’ve been longing for. And this time, it truly delivered. A Haunting in Venice shines with its fresh cast and replaces the lavishness of previous installments with a more intimate setting that suits the detective perfectly. The stunning shots of the house interiors never get old, and Venice’s empty streets are always captivating. The stormy weather adds a mandatory layer of suspense. Perhaps it also helps that this story isn't as familiar. For me, it was fantastic — mysterious, almost horror-like, and capped off with a perfect twist that left me leaving the theater utterly satisfied. (09/14/2023)