Not since the Fantastic Beasts series has a movie been plagued with as many controversies! From leading man Armie Hammer’s fall from grace to Letitia Wright’s exploits, this movie got off to a rough start due to all the issues dogging it.
Based on the fabulous Agatha Christie novel “Death on the Nile,” this is yet another version of the seminal novel. However, I would recommend checking out the fabulous 1978 version starring the legendary Peter Ustinov as Poirot or even the BBC version with David Suchet donning the moustache. Unfortunately, my film review is not a pleasant one of this newer offering.
This film is set after Murder on the Orient Express and once again Kenneth Branagh stars as the famed Hercule Poirot. With an array of stars in lead roles like Gal Gadot playing the victim of the actual death on the Nile and Annette Benning in a key role, you would think this film would be much more entertaining.
While the film takes some artistic liberties in terms of characters, and plies us with unnecessary Poirot backstory which never existed in the novels, the main plot remains intact. However, Armie who plays the male lead, Simon, barely has screen time (due to controversy I assume) but it hurts the film. Gal looks stunning but has the same vague accent as she always does and is just in the film to up the glamour quotient. The sets are overdone and the Egypt presented looks and feels unreal.
Kenneth Branagh does a decent job as Poirot and serves double duty as the film’s director. Emma Mackey who plays Jacqueline is good in her role, and adds some vitality to the film. Jennifer Saunders and Dawn French add some light to the film, but other than that the film plods along to an unexciting conclusion that feels unsatisfying. As a movie reviewer, I would warn people to just stay away.
*CUT TO THE CHASE*
- Pros: True to the novel’s plot|| The Death on the Nile cast boasts star power with names like Annette Bening, Gal Gadot & Armie Hammer
- Cons: Acting is sub-par|| Sets are unrealistic|| Editing is too choppy|| Too many plot threads
- Stream or Skip: Skip. If you insist on watching it find it here
My Movie Review: 2/5
If you like Murder Mysteries, check these out instead:
Or the classic
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