It seems that a lot of thrillers I’ve seen lately involve protagonists in retirement who somehow get cajoled into action once more due to an unforeseen circumstance. Kenneth Branagh’s third installment of Agatha Christie’s adaptation is set in post-WWII Venice where Belgian detective Hercule Poirot (Branagh donning his giant curly mustache once more) spends his days in retirement. He has a bodyguard of sorts, Vitale (Riccardo Scamarcio), an ex-cop who shields him from fans/desperate clients seeking his help to solve a case.

One day, his novelist friend Ariadne Oliver (Tina Fey) pays him a visit and cajoles Poirot, who doesn’t believe in the paranormal, to attend a séance on Halloween. The session is performed by world-famous clairvoyant Joyce Reynolds (Michelle Yeoh) at a supposedly haunted palazzo owned by opera singer Rowena Drake (a slinky Kelly Reilly) who’s hoping Reynolds can talk to her dead daughter Alicia. I was worried this might be too frightening for me, but thankfully this one is still more of a detective mystery than a horror film despite some ghostly elements.

Unlike Murder On the Orient Express and Death on the Nile follow Christie’s novels closely, this one is more ‘inspired’ by her novel Hallowe’en Party, with the screenplay written by Michael Green. The setting is moved from an English village to Venice, but it’s also an ensemble piece, comprised of those with a personal connection to Alicia: Drake’s housekeeper Olga (Camille Cottin), Alice’s doctor who’s suffering from PTSD (Jamie Dornan) with his ‘I can talk to dead people’ son Leopold (Jude Hill), and Alice’s jilted ex-fiancé Maxime (Kyle Allen). While the séance session seems convincing at first, Poirot quickly sees through the ruse. He believes that supernatural phenomena are nothing but diversion used by people with something to hide, and once one guest after another is found dead in a gruesome manner, Poirot is convinced everyone is suspect.

As we’re less than two months away from Halloween, the movie’s been promoted like a horror movie but it’s still very much a murder mystery. It’s definitely far more atmospheric and immersive than the previous film with stunning visuals shot on location. Glad Branagh sets this one on location, no more stodgy green screen and CGI like he did with Death on the Nile.

Production designer John Paul Kelly does an admirable job crafting an opulently spooky look with gorgeous Venetian architecture. The shadow puppet scene with a bunch of kids before the séance is pretty darn creepy. Collaborating with DP Haris Zambarloukos once again, he effectively plays with shadows and creative camera work, including Branagh’s favorite Dutch angles. The Floating City already has an aura of eerie mystery in and of itself, but filming it at night during a violent storm makes the jump scares extra hair-raising. The ominous score by Oscar-winner Hildur Guðnadóttir perfectly complements the story, the Icelandic composer is no stranger to creating moody, suspenseful pieces.

While Poirot is often unruffled when he’s sleuthing, it’s refreshing to see him get quite riled up here. He’s out of his element and plagued with strange voices and visions, something he’s never experienced before. “For once in your life, admit that you’re up against something bigger than you…” Oliver exclaims in frustration against Poirot’s staunch skepticism. Branagh shows a more forlorn and vulnerable side of Poirot, but his sleuthing dexterity and deductive reasoning skills are bar none. I have to admit that things get pretty predictable towards the end, which lessens the impact of the frantically-edited big reveal.

Branagh always coaxes wonderful performances from his cast. I love Camille Cottin (whom you might notice from the French series Call My Agent!) playing against type as a caring housekeeper, while Kyle Allen’s fiery performance as the jilted lover is quite impressive. Newly minted Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh gives an indelibly chilling turn despite her brief appearance, I especially enjoy her repartee with Branagh after the séance. Jamie Dornan and Jude Hill are reunited as father/son once again after Belfast. Dornan is quite convincing as a tortured soul while 13-year-old Hill has proven to be quite a versatile actor. On the flip side, Fey is basically playing the same types of playful, snarky characters she always does, but seeing her opposite Branagh is amusing.

While I enjoy Branagh’s portrayal of Poirot, I think David Suchet in the ITV series is more compelling in the role. That said, one can’t refute Branagh’s deep love for the character and it’s even more evident in this film. Three times the charm, as this is definitely the strongest of Branagh’s Christie trilogy. I find A Haunting in Venice the most suspenseful and engaging, but I’m not exactly clamoring to see more of Branagh’s Poirot whodunit adventures in the future.

Have you seen A Haunting in Venice? Well, what did you think? 

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