For a while there it seemed as if Kenneth Branagh’s Agatha Christie adaptation Death on the Nile, the follow-up to 2017’s Murder on the Orient Express, had died before Hercule Poirot could solve the case, with long COVID-induced delays and the much-discussed Armie Hammer incident clouding any chance of the film’s release. Years later the film has finally hit screens and was worth the wait. Branagh’s second attempt at bringing Christie’s work to the big screen oozes confidence, deftly handling a bigger budget and location to thrilling effect; a worthy adaptation that will find even the most seasoned Christie fans completely enraptured with this timeless case of murder.
On an idyllic vacation through Egypt following his successful cracking of the Orient Express case, detective Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) finds himself once again embroiled in the problems of the wealthy after running into old friend Bouc (Tom Bateman) and becoming swept up in the wedding party of heiress Linnet Ridgeway (Gal Gadot) and her new husband Simon Doyle (Hammer). All seems well as the couple decide to take their wedding party on a cruise down the Nile in an attempt to avoid Simon’s deranged ex Jacqueline (Emma Mackey) but soon enough things descend into anarchy when a body is found, leaving Poirot to use his expert detective skills to solve the case before the killer amongst them can strike again.
Branagh’s first outing as Poirot was a surprisingly humorous and charming effort, and having established the character and all his unusual quirks Branagh now feels comfortable deconstructing the mythical detective. There’s some serious emotional weight given to his backstory – as well as a bittersweet little origin story for his infamous moustache – that further compounds the baggage Poirot carries with him, hiding under the idiosyncrasies and pomposity as the self-proclaimed “world’s greatest detective” (suck it Batman). That makes the moments when characterss like Letitia Wright’s prickly Rosalie challenge Poirot all the more intriguing, hitting nerves that force Poirot to re-evaluate his actions and how he views himself in order to crack the case.
In fact Branagh does such a good job here establishing the character that it frankly serves as a better introduction than Orient Express, honing in on Poirot and taking the time to have him go toe to toe against a range of personalities and experiences where the the previous film rushed you through its many twists and turns. Even that film’s big moral-compass challenging conclusion would be better served if Nile had come before, re-contextualizing the impact of that big twist after following Poirot through all this emotional growth.
With all that growth comes a more methodical pacing, which some may find too slow compared to its predecessor. Nevertheless it does feel as if Poirot is taking his time to drink in these people, sizing them up as intellectual opponents even before any foul-play arises. Branagh gives you enough time to spend with each key player – Russel Brand’s jilted former lover of Linnet, Rose Leslie’s jealous maid and Sophie Okonedo’s blues singer amongst them – establishing each as a viable murderer and keeping you guessing through a series of clever red-herrings and deliberate staging to ensure no one is ever completely in the clear. All the big name stars are clearly relishing their chance to ham it up as these distinctive, volatile personalities floating down the Nile – butting heads about financial status and legal troubles – in a way that feels far more natural than the unreasonably and instantly hostile interactions between passengers on the Orient Express.
Death on the Nile is a giant leap forward for Branagh’s interpretation of Agatha Christie’s famously moustachioed detective; a better paced, better acted murder mystery that keeps you guessing and smiling on the way to its riveting, surprisingly emotional conclusion. Branagh is Poirot through and through at this point and isn’t afraid to poke holes in his otherwise infallible image, making for some insightful developments that push beyond the usual trappings of the genre. With an unfortunately low opening weekend at the box office, here’s hoping there are more deaths for Poirot to investigate going forward rather than this being the death of the franchise.
Death on the Nile stars Kenneth Branagh, Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer, Annette Bening, Tom Bateman, Letitia Wright, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, Rose Leslie, Emma Mackey, Sophie Okonedo, Susannah Fielding, Ali Fazal & Russell Brand – In cinemas now.