Review | Death On The Nile - Future of the Force

“This is a gripping adaptation of Death on the Nile. Kenneth Branagh is simply perfect as Hercule Poirot and he is once again surrounded by a great cast.”

Kenneth Branagh returns as Hercule Poirot for Death on the Nile. I loved his adaptation of Murder on the Orient Express so I was very much looking forward to that one. Unfortunately, due to COVID, it was delayed several times. Though, we can finally all see it in cinemas! So was it worth all the wait?

STORY

Kenneth Branagh as Hercule Poirot in 20th Century Studios’ DEATH ON THE NILE, a mystery-thriller directed by Kenneth Branagh based on Agatha Christie’s 1937 novel. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2020 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

By now, we all know the classic story of Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile. Indeed, it’s the third adaptation (there was one movie in 1978 and an episode of a Hercule Poirot series in 2004). And since it’s an adaptation, it’s not a copy-paste. There are some changes. And I think that’s what makes a good adaptation – when the director honors the story but can tell his own vision of it. It’s exactly what Kenneth Branagh does.

Death on the Nile is a gripping mystery thriller. As usual with Hercule Poirot stories, there are a lot of suspects and each one has very good motives to commit the crime. What’s so good about this one is that the murders keep happening as the tension rises. There is a pretty good death toll by the end of the movie. Even when you know how it ends, it’s still exciting to see it playing out, especially when you have Kenneth Branagh as Hercule Poirot.

CAST

Gal Gadot as Linnet Ridgeway Doyle and Rose Leslie as Louise in 20th Century Studios’ DEATH ON THE NILE. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2022 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

Kenneth Branagh is without any doubt the best Hercule Poirot we got. He is just so perfect for this role. So it was a real joy seeing him play the character again. Just like for the first movie, Branagh has round up a great cast with him including Gal Gadot. I was happy to see Jennifer Saunders in a more serious role. I’m so used to seeing her as Edina in Absolutely Fabulous.

VISUALS

Just like Murder on the Orient Express, Death on the Nile was shot in studios. So it uses a lot of CG but they also built real sets. There are a few shots where you can tell they’re filming in front of a green screen. Though, for the most part, the visual effects look pretty amazing! Kenneth Branagh is a talented director and he picks the right teams to create his movies.

SOUNDTRACK

Gal Gadot as Linnet Ridgeway Doyle in 20th Century Studios’ DEATH ON THE NILE. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2022 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

Patrick Doyle has composed the score for this movie. He has worked a few times with Branagh. He did a good job helping create the tense atmosphere of the movie.

VERDICT

This is a gripping adaptation of Death on the Nile. Kenneth Branagh is simply perfect as Hercule Poirot and he is once again surrounded by a great cast.