A Haunting in Venice 2023

Probably the best Branagh Poirot movie so far, mostly by virtue of not having the ugly, plastic sheen of the previous 2 movies. This one captures the old school filmmaking style Branagh is going for pretty authentically, and the visuals are easily the best thing about this movie. With that being said, the final result is still nothing to write home about. While the characters and acting are generally ok, the dialogue and mystery are once again unexciting and lack a distinct artistic flair. Add to that a sluggish pace and poorly executed touches of horror (really unnecessary if you’re not willing to lean into that influence in a creative way), and you have a movie that is overall pretty forgettable and dull.

4.5/10

Lovely to look at but lacks a certain something compared with the first two movies. Kenneth is fabulous ofcourse and saved the film from sinking … like Venice. Hopefully, number four will be better. 6/10

"Scary stories make life less scary."

Haven't watched Murder on the Orient Express yet and thought Death on the Nile was boring but I really enjoyed A Haunting in Venice.

It's very slow but kept me glued to the screen the whole time. Good story and mystery but the characters are what drives this, they're interesting. The interview format got a bit repetitive at some point but it works for the most part and it elevates Hercule Poirot as a character every time. I didn't predict the culprit but the clues were definitely there! A criticism; I'll be vague but the mystery solver felt a bit overpowered and the problem solving unearned.

The supernatural and horror twist is what really elevated the experience for me, we even got a few jumpscares and it's spooky. The palazzo set is perfection and the dark, rainy, stormy atmosphere is always a great choice. The imagery is absolutely stunning, amazing lighting, stylish camerawork and great cast.

Worth watching in a theater but at the same time I would save this for the Halloween season—i'd consider it a Halloween movie. I had no expectations going in but overall this was a good murder mystery!

I don't know if it's nostalgia or something else, but for me, no one else embodies Poirot like David Suchet. Kenneth Branagh just doesn't fit the role.

I don't know why I keep bothering with these. Cheesy dialogue and flat performances, more cringy fake accents though Branagh's still the worst—almost sounding Turkish at times while he mispronounces actual French words as well as his character's name. And what is up with the boy who acts like a middle-aged woman? That's not a thing.

Same writing formula of shoehorning a trail of breadcrumbs to be called back in the final reveal, but they're so dull you don't even care, and the entire end monologue might as well be replaced by a "yeah that's the killer" for how magical and confirmation-bias-ridden the path to deduction is.

The scenery and occasionally spooky atmosphere were cool though and kept me in it, but it was a challenge.

Im not a fan of period pieces, nor ghost stories, but i am a fan of mysteries. This film went by quicker than expected, and the mystery kept me hooked throughout. I never guessed who it was nor how things were done. It was overall a good movie. I will say, Tina Fey took me out of it a bit. Its hard to take her seriously in a role period, let alone a period role. Nevertheless, a good movie and an even better mystery.

Although I'm a big fan of whodunits, I thought Kenneth Branagh's first two Poirot films were only okay. He definitely brings a lot of passion to the role, and the cast was impressive each time, but somehow the previous films seemed a bit old-fashioned. There was rarely any real suspense, and "Death on the Nile" wasn't exactly a visual treat either. Fortunately, this is a bit different with "A Haunting in Venice." The third Branagh/Poirot installment does a lot better than its predecessors. Already, the setting in Venice is great, plus there is a light, creepy atmosphere that suits the film very well. Furthermore, the case is much more engaging as a mystery this time around. Although I would still say that "A Haunting in Venice" is also a bit stale and the cast is no longer quite as prominent. But overall, it is still clearly the highlight of the trilogy for me.

Out of Kenneth Branagh's Poirot films, this is the best one because instead of showing off the star-studded cast, the story feels more personal, limited to one place, covered with darkness and shadows, hidden with secrets, and a haunting past.

They are not great movies, but Kenneth Branagh's charming portrayal of the French Hercule Poirot and his prominent Mustache make these watchable. I don't mind if they decide to make more of these movies. They are getting better with each entry.

Some great shots and camera angles, which I can tell had a lot of thought and purpose behind them. So yeah, this is the best one.

The third installment of this Hercule Poirot Collection (Kenneth Branagh), which began in 2017, uses the story that the famous Agatha Christie devised in her book Hallowe'en Party, and undoubtedly does justice to the author's style. Christie's stories are interesting and somewhat entertaining, without seeming masterful to me. The film is just that: interesting and entertaining, without becoming a mystery masterpiece. The photography by Haris Zambarloukos is quite good, always accompanied by excellent lighting in each scene. The color palette is great. The union of the three things makes each scene attractive. The performances of the entire cast are very good, so the film becomes something worth seeing on the big screen.

Hmm... what to say. It's better than the last one. Definitely better. But it still feels off. It's just not the Poirot that Agatha Christie created.
But at least it's watchable, and the mystery was okay. Overall I just did not like the character of the author, she was just annoying. Trying to convince Poirot multiple times that ghosts are real after being caught faking them was just stupid. Also the use of so many wide-angle shots felt really out of place. Maybe it was the setting, and it would work better with a modern one.

Easily the best KB poirot films. Correct run time, nice cast and a easy watch

I quite enjoyed Kenneth Brannagh‘s third outing as Hercule Poirrot. The story was interesting enough and had some nasty jump scares. The cast was great as it was in the previous films but what impressed me most was definitely the cinematography in this film. Via the hauntingly beautiful shots Venice appeared almost completely different as it is usually shown in most films. Overall very enjoyable film especially for fall season.

It's silly fun, but in a good way.

Third time's the charm! After two lackluster movies, Kenneth Branagh finally gets it. Despite continously trying to make Poirot belive in the supernatural, and the dumbed down ending, somehow, this one seemed to be better acted (best Poirot by Mr. Branagh) and scripted than the previous ones. Cinematography was also quite chilly and lovely, above previous endeavours. Tina Fey was an unexpected but welcomed and pleasant surprise.

I had lost my hopes on these movies, but now I'm definitely curious to see if things continue to improve in future ones (should there be more of them).

The action is slow, the plot doesn't stick together, and due to the lack of any clues, we will only learn the solution when our protagonist reveals them.

This is another stellar installation in the Branagh “Agatha Christie-verse”! Like its predecessors, “Venice” tells one of Christie’s tales (“Halloween Party” in this case) with a killer cast and sharp style. In a twist away from the former two movies, this film fancies itself a haunted house story, and it succeeds terrifically in tone and atmosphere despite a lack of true terror, which doesn’t even feel necessary here. As we get closer to spooky season (or for those of us in Orlando already celebrating), this is a great one to add to your watch list!

Like a cozy chair, sometimes its rocking but sometimes it's too easy.

I settled into first act of this stylized stereotype and was ready to enjoy the evening but then the story dragged like a recliner across shag carpet and I nearly dozed off.

Worth watching overall, especially for fans of whodunits, despite the usual butchering of Poirot by Branagh who can’t even do a decent French accent. Fey is also terrible reciting her lines like a 5th grader rather than speaking them in a natural way. The rest of the actors do well.

The sets are good and quite lovely for the most part except for being overdone at times.

The plot is thick and unravels nicely which accounts for the decent grade.

I’m curious to see how much they deviated from Christie’s plot on which this is supposedly loosely based.

If Branagh had not so mercilessly slaughtered Orient Express and Nile I would have probably tolerated and liked this one better…

Beautiful cinematography and great acting. I just found the conclusion unsatisfying. Not sure why.

I was kind of hoping that the bird was going to snitch.

I don’t believe this is Poirot. Or Ariadne Oliver.

So... here we are then... The last of the Branagh's Poirot so far, and a story

neither Wifey nor I know very well. I've read Hallowe'en Party (the book the film is based on), but that was quite a while ago, and I couldn't remember much apart from the general setting before sitting down to watch A Haunting in Venice.

This film suffers from the same ailments as the first two. While the film is utterly beautiful with its almost gothic looks, there are some very jarring camera movements and cuts that ruins a bit of the experience. There's also the fact that Branagh's Poirot is NOT the Poirot both Wifey and I know from the books and the series and films that came before it. It's so distracting that I can't seem to enjoy the story very much...

I'm sure Branagh had a vision when he started out adapting these stories, but to me... Branagh's version has almost none of the charm of the books or the beloved tv-series left. Sad really...

The more atmospheric approach, coupled with a renewed focus on cases rather than the character of Poirot, manages to make the film slightly more bearable than its predecessor. However, the case still comes out as somewhat dull. Once again, easy clues are scattered at the beginning in service of the protagonist’s sudden illumination at the end, making the parade of interrogations in the middle a time-wasting effort aimed at diverting the viewer's suspicions. There is never a moment when we truly find ourselves investigating alongside Poirot, nor wondering at the irrationality of the events unfolding on stage.

The movie is a bit blend, not to say boring. A typical who dunnit movie in a historic setting. Visual effects were good, atmosphere creation was interesting, but the characters i found less compelling. Dialogs were uninspired and the Harry Potter kid with his near katatonic behavior was distracting and even annoying.
And sorry to say but I'm getting tired from Michelle Yeoh in basically everything. She's a little bit too productive.
Overall the movie is entertaining enough, but it's all just mediocre at best.

On the plus side, no bullshit woke crap. No gay or trans promotion or misplaced discrimination of white people.

It’s watchable but I just don’t find it Agatha Christie suspenseful enough. I think if it were David Suchet in the lead, it would have been so much better… David Suchet epitomised the role of Poirot. That said, Jamie Dornan with a moustache was worth the watch in itself :wink:

Another case of external over internal beauty.

Another well directed and beautiful entry into this series. Some moments lag a little, but overall the pacing was satisfactory. Good performances overall. Slightly below Nile for me; however, a respectable 6.8.

My favorite movie in the series! The first one was so dumb that all of them took turns stabbing and didn't leave any evidence. And I didn't even bother with the second. This one was more believable imo. And the horror elements were a nice touch.

Not better or worse than the first two. The cast is not as good this time, but the story is slightly better. I enjoyed all of the movies, but I do hope that they don’t make another one. Please, let’s call it quits now, before they get bad.

They must had to record the outside scenes so early in order to avoid the tourists.

[Disney+] The third part of a Hercule Poirot who is now retired from the investigation is transformed into a gothic horror story that doesn't take full advantage of the setting of a mysterious Venice. More interested in using shots that distort reality and with a soundtrack by Hildur Guðnadóttir who doesn't seem to know which path to take, it works in some moments of terrifying breath but fails in the resolution of the mystery and in the development of some characters. Although it is much more absorbing than the previous films.

Rated a Connor 5, normal 6.7

Poirot is at it again! Interesting movie. The acting was great. Agatha Christie created some great stories.

I do have some questions that’ll never get answered. but overall, I did enjoy it.

Branagh please.... stop this already....

Disappointing - only marginally better than Death In Venice.

I love mistery and detective movies; even more if it is a Sherlock Holmes type of detective. But something that has happened with Agatha Christie saga is that they all seem dull, plain and the revelation is not exciting. I don't know if this is something from the books (haven't read them) or is the approach the movies took; but they just don't click with me. This one, being a "terror" theme one, seemed interesting in the trailer; but the movie itself left me watching the clock more times that I would have wanted to. No more than a 5 for me

Apple is everywhere!

Who says detective stories can't be connected to horror? Well, fortunately this can be executed well. If you think that Poirot will prove everything about the supernatural things that happened at the crime scene, you are very wrong. It is true that some things will be revealed later, but not everything so that the essence of horror can be felt, even if a little.

And well, as we all know, plot twists are the strength of detective stories. And it's true, the plot twist that is presented will really leave your mouth agape at the end of the film.

And as usual, it ended in typical Poirot fashion.

Definitely better than the second movie, in my opinion. Hoping for another one, Kenneth Branagh captures Poirot's essence very well.

Unpopular opinion perhaps. I very much enjoy Branagh's Poirot films. They sort of harken back to films of yore in more ways than one.

I really did enjoy this one.

I liked the technical aspects far more than the plot. Branagh did an amazing job behind the director's chair. And so did the cinematographer. Nile looked so artificial while this reminded me of Don't Look Now.
The horror elements were a nice addition.
Maybe I'll revisit it in a few years and change my mind about the story.

Definitely much better than Death in the Nile but still not as good as the book but what movie is

A enjoyable movie, but not without it's flaws. Tina Fey as Ariadne Oliver must be the biggest miscasting I've seen in a long while. Her line delivery is painfully bad and she stands out like a sore thumb amidst an otherwise well put together ansemble of actors. I did like the art direction, setting and music. For the moment I'm going with a 7/10 for this one, but I'm leaning towards a 6. It's a simple and fun movie that doesn't overcomplicate things.

I was expecting more, but I found this far less suspensful and overall pretty boring compared to the previous films. What a disappointment

I feel like I am being a bit generous with a 7/10. Kind of boring and characters weren’t great. Accents seemed too fake. I give it a 7 for the sole fact that it started with a plot and saw it through. No political/social agendas were displayed. I wouldn’t say it was worth the watch but if you are bored then sure watch it.

Quite mediocre. It couldn't hold the audience's attention. The plot felt threadbare. The actors too felt disinterested.

It’s not the voice of the dead daughter that’s sounding. It’s the director calling to the ghost of Agatha to save his garbage storytelling.

❝All the criminals were someone's old friends❞..

Kenneth Branagh as Hercule Poirot has been imprinted in my mind after watching him giddying up with the whodunits in such an overwhelming manner and the old school screenplay always works for me in case of thriller movies.Of course,the credit mainly goes to Agatha Christie for such clever writing but the actors did their parts effortlessly as well.

:heart:x6
I think this might be the last of Branagh's Poirot movies that I'll watch. I keep expecting more, better, but am disappointed instead. Although, I do believe this was the best of the 3 Poirot movies he's made.

How I rate:
1-3 :heart: = seriously! don't waste your time
4-6 :heart: = you may or may not enjoy this
7-8 :heart: = I expect you will like this too
9-10 :heart: = movies and TV shows I really love!

Best Poirot movie from the new movies :popcorn: I had an excellent time

I'm not sure why the lower scores? no bimbo with no acting skills but boy fans in droves means many of them would be extremely disappointed.

on the other hand, if you're looking for a classic flashback, this is magnificent. the entire cast, directing, and settings were perfect. the cinematography reminiscent of Citizen Kane or other 1930s,40s, 50s movies that used camera angles to elicit the audience response.

I only give it a 9 because I feel like the clues weren't all shown like in a Christie book so you can figure it out before Poirot if you're paying attention. I may watch again to see if they were all there throughout. but a minor detail since I have a feeling if I do they will be there and I just missed them.

the best Branagh Poirot film yet

I'm not sure if I didn't like the movie or didn't like the cast. I was so looking forward to this having loved the previous two, but it was disappointing. Everything was lacking.

Pretty good, you should check it out

Maybe Branagh should've stopped at the 2nd one.

Good for the setting and the characters, the rest is fine, no more.

My least favorite of the Poirot movies. Felt very slow at the beginning and Poirot's story line didn't seem in step with the involuntary nature of his desire to put the world in order. Still enjoyed it, but I don't think I'd consider it an A Tier movie.

6.5/10

This is easily one of the best of the three in the series. If the first two movies were more stylized in terms of making, this is the most rooted whodunit. This also means the film is more dialog heavy than other two and I still felt so engaging till the end. Though the book itself is slightly underwhelming when compared to other Poirot's stories the film did its best to stick to the source. The picturization and music is well fused into the film.
This series is very interesting and underrated. I am looking forward for more movies in this series.

I liked the story, and the ambience and vines of this one, very different from the past movies, and the photography was very interesting very well done to set the mystery/terror tone from the very beginning.

There should be more franchises doing brave stuff to change genres from time to time to keep it fresh!

Liked it a lot, and just in time for the Spooky Season!

It's the typical who done it with a bit of a mystical/scary twist. For the first 30 minutes or so it was pretty slow. Once it kicks off it picks up a bit but never really gets going. The story was good but I feel they gave away too much with the build up. I had the murder picked out maybe halfway through the movie. I was correct but the why wasn't revieled until the last 10 minutes or so of the film. Overall it was watchable but I don't think I'll ever watch it again.

I so hope this is worth the anticipation! I am such a True lover of Agatha Christie, even more so for her brilliant detective Hercule Poirot. It's always difficult seeing anyone portray Mr. Poirot aside from the magnificent David Suchet ...I am always thrilled for an opportunity to view Ms.Christie's work on the screen.