Directed by:
Kenneth BranaghScreenplay:
Michael GreenCinematography:
Haris ZambarloukosComposer:
Hildur GuðnadóttirCast:
Kenneth Branagh, Tina Fey, Camille Cottin, Kelly Reilly, Jamie Dornan, Kyle Allen, Jude Hill, Riccardo Scamarcio, Emma Laird, Ali Khan, Michelle Yeoh (more)VOD (4)
Plots(1)
A Haunting in Venice is set in eerie, post-World War II Venice on All Hallows’ Eve and is a terrifying mystery featuring the return of the celebrated sleuth, Hercule Poirot. Now retired and living in self-imposed exile in the world’s most glamorous city, Poirot reluctantly attends a séance at a decaying, haunted palazzo. When one of the guests is murdered, the detective is thrust into a sinister world of shadows and secrets. (Walt Disney Nordic Fin.)
(more)Videos (5)
Reviews (12)
Kenneth Branagh's first Poirot installment, which isn't an adaptation of a well-known novel, tested the strength of his era for the first time. While Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile sparked various debates because these cases always had multiple versions, "Hallowe'en Party" never belonged among notoriously famous novels. So far, there have only been two television adaptations - Hallowe'en Party (2010) and Meurtre à la kermesse (2014). The concept of a Halloween horror in the confined space of a Venetian palace is exquisite. Likewise, Poirot's interaction with the famous Ariadne Oliver is excellent. It's a great affair that practically instantly becomes an autumn classic. If Branagh continues with this, it would be ideal to choose another lesser-known case. However, it's potentially unfortunate to shift the entire thing into the post-war world (this film is set in 1947), thus closing off the opportunity to further develop Poirot's real interwar world.
()
I think this is Branagh's best Poirot (so far?). The bet on a lesser-known case paid off, putting him in Venice was a great idea. And the best thing is the way Branagh the director enjoys the cramped setting of the old dank house falling apart, how strangely unsettling the shots from different angles are, how beautifully suspenseful and at times pure horror. The unravelling of the mystery may come as no surprise to those unfamiliar with the subject source material, but again, that's not really the point. It's about what the case leads Poirot himself to do and that, in turn, is absolutely brilliantly written and acted.
()
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.
()
"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...?
()
Admittedly made for less money, but by a huge margin the best Poirot by Kenneth Branagh. Intimate, elegant, understated, atmospheric. Where the Orient Express and the Nile are overwrought and digital of, the beautiful mysterious residence in Venice makes do with playful camera angles, and without any CGI gimmicks. The horror overlay a nice bonus, oddly enough it holds up throughout the film, it wasn't just a trailer attraction.
()
Gallery (37)
Photo © 2023 20th Century Studios
![A Haunting in Venice - Photos](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w663/files/images/film/photos/167/460/167460718_wiwu3g.jpg)
Ads