A Haunting in Venice is a 2023 American murder mystery drama film based around Agatha Christie’s fictional detective Hercule Poirot. The movie is a follow-up to Murder on the Orient Express (2017) and Death on the Nile (2022).
Directed and co-produced by Kenneth Branagh (Death on the Nile; Murder on the Orient Express; Artemis Fowl; Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit; Macbeth; Tho; Sleuth; As You Like It; Love’s Labour’s Lost; Hamlet; Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein) from a screenplay by Michael Green (Logan) based on Agatha Christie’s Hallowe’en Party. Also produced by Judy Hofflund, Ridley Scott and Simon Kinberg.
The 20th Century Studios-Kinberg Genre-Scott Free Productions-TSG Entertainment-The Mark Gordon Company co-production stars Kenneth Branagh, Kyle Allen, Camille Cottin, Jamie Dornan, Tina Fey, Jude Hill, Ali Khan, Riccardo Scamarcio, Kelly Reilly, Emma Laird and Michelle Yeo.
Plot:
Post-World War II Venice on All Hallows’ Eve: celebrated sleuth Hercule Poirot is 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…
Release:
A Haunting in Venice will be released theatrically by 20th Century Studios on September 15, 2023. Blu-ray and DVD releases follow on November 28, 2023.
Reviews:
“A Haunting in Venice is the strongest of Branagh’s Poirot films, and where Death on the Nile stumbled particularly because of its cursed cast, this film shows that the Agatha Christie giant hasn’t lost his impact. Kenneth Branagh’s lovingly crafted outing as Poirot is near perfect behind the camera but perfect in front of it. Branagh embodies the moustachioed detective in a way that pulls you in and makes you ask for more.” 8 out of 10, But Why Tho?
“The thrills are there, the jump scares, the intrigue, but whereas modern mysteries like the Knives Out films or See How They Run (2022) (each one owing a great debt to Christie) possess elements that make repeat viewings just as delightful if not moreso, the dourness of Venice may preclude audiences from investing additional time. That said, A Haunting in Venice lives up to the title so well that those looking for some gentler horror may have found something to rotate in during spooky season.” 4 out of 5, Elements of Madness
“The cinematography and editing play a strong hand in its success, taking great advantage of the set and sound for shocking moments. With Branagh’s Poirot battling the ghosts that lurk behind every corridor, A Haunting in Venice proves to be a better Halloween story than anticipated. Just be prepared to struggle a bit with understanding what’s being said at times.” Nightmarish Conjurings
” …any attempts that A Haunting in Venice makes at connecting post-war trauma to Halloween and the ability to commune with the dead are non-committal, and the script doesn’t do enough to communicate why any of that matters. Mention is made of the belief that the veil between the earthly plane and the spiritual world is thin around Halloween. And because the film is nowhere close to being as evocative as that, it may leave you wishing for Poirot’s next case to be more enticing both in anticipation and actuality.” 2 out of 4, Slant
“Haunting is not nearly as scary (or as otherworldly) as its trailers would suggest, perhaps because this series has a reputation for attracting older viewers. Because I am horror-averse and 83 years old at heart, it’s good news for me there’s only one true horror scene and the spooks elsewhere stay minor, but that may be a disappointment to the demographics the advertising is searching for. ” Zekefilm
For several YouTube reviews, teasers, trailer and more movie info click the page 2 link below
