A Reel Review: DEATH ON THE NILE

Hot on the heels of his Oscar nominations for BELFAST, actor and director Kenneth Branagh wastes no time getting back to work…starting 2022 with his second adaptation of famed mystery writer Agatha Christie novels. This time heading down-river with DEATH ON THE NILE. 

 

While on holiday in Egypt, famous detective Hercule Poirot (Branagh), is invited to the extended wedding party celebration of Linnet (Gal Gadot), and Simon (Armie Hammer). While on a cruise down the River Nile, one of the party members is found murdered, springing Poirot into action. 

 

Directed by Branagh and based on the 1937 novel of the same name, DEATH ON THE NILE is a complex ride with a top-heavy focus on characters. The entire wedding party is a suspect, including Poirot’s old friend Bouc (Tom Bateman), his mother Euphemia (Annette Benning), Linnet’s maid (Rose Leslie), a jazz singer and her manager (Sophie Okonedo and Letitia Wright), Linnet’s former fiancé (Russell Brand), Simon’s former fiancée (Emma Mackey), and a handful of others. 

 

NILE lives up to its name in death happening on the cruise, but it is in no hurry to get there. The first body (and yes, more than one), is found nearly at the halfway mark, as the first half is busy getting characters into the right places. Once Poirot starts working, the film picks up its pace, as he conducts interviews with everyone which reveal secrets and backstory…leaving us on a constant guessing game as everyone seems to have had motive and opportunity. 

 

Branagh does his best to keep the pacing going despite a dialogue-heavy film. Moments of action are handled well, and the many surprises are well-timed. NILE is a great-looking movie, despite some environments looking horribly artificial. The un-conventional structure may have audiences shifting in their seats while things start to get going, and an extended prologue showing Poirot’s time in WWI is effective, but eats up a lot of time. The costumes and period music of 1937 are excellent. 

 

Acting is all over the place. Kenneth Branagh, working in front of and behind the camera, reprises his role of Poirot nicely although his thick French accent is hard to understand in places. Gal Gadot is magnificent as always, and Emma Mackey a show-stealing. Russell Brand steps into a dramatic role very well and is a surprise. Armie Hammer and Annette Benning’s attempt at accents is cringeworthy. 

 

DEATH ON THE NILE has plenty of surprises in the unraveling of the mystery, most of which can’t be seen coming…even though one part of it is hinted at early and quite bluntly. Like a river, this film has many twists, turns, hazards, and beauty. It does get us to the end, but it’s a choppy ride. 

 

BOTTOM LINE: Rent it