Director Kenneth Branagh is a man of simple pleasures. He enjoys classic literature, Dutch angles, and the fanciest of mustaches. Do these interests translate into good movies? Eh, not always. The Oscar winning director behind Belfast, Thor, and that terrible Artemis Fowl movie is certainly hit or miss for me. While I admire his love for the Shakespearean, his work doesn’t always come out to be a complete package, often lacking an interesting artistic vision while criminally under directing every actor not named Kenneth Branagh. This has been no more apparent than in his recent adaptations of Agatha Christie classics. Murder on the Orient Express was incredibly forgettable and boring, while Death on the Nile was ravaged but horrendous CGI-backdrops, a Gal Gadot performance everyone memed, and an Armie Hammer performance no one wanted. Branagh rounds out this trilogy with A Haunting in Venice, perhaps his most unique film of the three considering it’s only loosely based off of Christie’s 1969 novel, Hallowe’en Party, while the others are mostly straightforward adaptations. It’s quite a shift for his series, delving into the horror genre and forcing him to balance the expectations of two different genres. Yet to my surprise, this is easily the best of his three film series, and I had a decently good time with this.

A Haunting in Venice embraces classic, gothic horror and expected whodunnit shenanigans, coming out as one of Branagh’s more meditative films. Themes of death and the belief in forces we can’t see are executed well enough to make the film stand out among its predecessors. It still falters a bit with so-so performances and a mystery that lacks an impact akin to Christie, yet the campy spookiness and charming wit made this a very easy watch and one I honestly wouldn’t mind revisiting. 

Esteemed detective and mustache aficionado Hercule Poirot is trying to leave his detective work behind him and live a quiet life in Venice. That is until an old friend visits and ropes him into attending a seance to attempt to debunk a medium’s abilities. Naturally a guest turns up dead, leaving Hercule a mystery only he can solve as he begins to doubt his own beliefs and question whether or not ghosts are real, and if he can legally arrest one.

The most endearing thing about this trilogy is Branagh’s performance as Hercule Poirot. Being the only real consistent element across the three films, Branagh’s performance really is the backbone of the film, more often than not succeeding with his analytical approach and Belgian campiness. Yet this time around, Poirot’s place at the center of the film feels a bit imperative. His crisis of faith adds an interesting layer to an otherwise straightforward premise, even though it won’t feel as impactful if you haven’t at least seen the previous film. While Branagh shines, the rest of the cast is a bit of a mixed bag. Jamie Dornan, Camille Cottin and Jude Hill are some of the standouts, possessing their own idiosyncrasies that make their characters at least somewhat interesting. An issue I did have with the ensemble this time around is that their motives don’t feel as tight or believable as past films, which made guessing the culprit a bit easier than I’m sure was intended. To compensate for this, the film throws in an additional supernatural element, which does add another layer to the mystery where one has to deduce if spirits really are playing a part in this mystery. By the end the film doesn’t really seem to know the answer itself, leaving it ambiguous in a way that could have worked if it didn’t play such an apparent role in the climax. 

A big issue I had with Death on the Nile was the absolute lack of location presence, as almost everything around the actors felt glossy and fake. Here that is no such case, as Venice feels fully realized thanks to impeccable work from the art department and on-location filming. The opening few minutes of the film feature a patient establishment of the setting in a way that not only highlights the beauty and architecture of the city we should expect, but also a foreboding sense of despair that will gradually increase. The framework of this intro, setting, and eventual use of flashbacks, reminded me a ton of 1973’s Don’t Look Now, which may be the biggest compliment I’ve ever given Branagh. But to the director’s credit, I think the film looks great, even in moments where Branagh and his DP choose to go a little more off the wall with their camera work. Those aforementioned Dutch angles are back, along with some high and low angles that can either represent a fly on the wall feel or a general discomfort depending on the scene.

The horror aspect of the film is way more an aesthetic element rather than a full on co-genre in my eyes. There’s a classic, golden age of Hollywood horror aura at play here, which is hard to deny with the spooky locale and talk of ghosts. Is the film ever actually frightening? I don’t really think so. Any spectral imagery we get often lacks the gravitas to disturb or even unnerve, which could be because of the PG-13 rating or even just an unwillingness to go all in on the horror aspects of the film. We are treated to a few jumpscares that often feel more like the filmmakers are trying to hit a quota rather than effectively make people jump. These scenes are often predictable, like someone looking up from washing their hands to see a ghost in the mirror standing behind them. It certainly feels like a nod to the spooky haunted house films of yesteryear, I just wish there could have been more of an effort to surprise the audience.

Despite being highly predictable at times, I did find the script to be moderately well written, packing an effective dry wit that actually had me chuckling much of the time. I think the dialogue at times can lean a bit too much towards time period lingo, but this is only really an issue for some actors I felt couldn’t really sell it without sounding like a parody. The mystery itself has its twists and turns that are fun to unravel, even if the final destination becomes more apparent throughout. Yet I didn’t think this because of breadcrumbs the film itself left, rather than just inferring based on the established archetypes in the film. The final reveal is more of a success for Hercule than it is the audience, which is okay as it does play to the talent and intelligence of the character. Additionally, the film ends on a rather ambiguous note that neither confirms or denies the validity of the supernatural elements of the film, which isn’t too much of an issue except for how those supernatural elements ultimately play into the final kill of the film. Genuinely I felt the film had the tools to establish it better, but at the end of the day it doesn’t really dampen my experience.

A Haunting in Venice is easily one of Branagh’s best films in recent years in my eyes. While not necessarily a game changer or all that innovative, Branagh at least utilizes the film’s location and aesthetic to craft a decently engaging mystery with the backdrop of 60s and 70s horror. While not very scary, it’s a suitable aperitif to set the mood as we draw closer to the spooky season. If this were to be the last we see of Branagh’s Hercule Poirot, I’d say he’s at least leaving on a high note, but I’ll be honest and say I’ll miss the mustache. Now, if the next mystery involves who shaved it off while he was sleeping, I could potentially see Branagh winning an Oscar for his heated and enraged performance.

Rating

Children’s Vendetta

When in Venice you must drink like an Italian, and when you’re locked in a potentially haunted house, you’re gonna wanna stay awake. That’s where the Children’s Vendetta comes in, a riff on the popular espresso martini that uses Italian liqueur and a hint of citrus to craft a bold cocktail. For those looking for something with a bit more a bite, this cocktail amplifies the bitter notes of the coffee with an added flare of herbaciousness, followed by a brief lingering of citrus notes. To give the drink extra style and flavor, you can employ a stenciled dusting of strawberry powder in the shape of scratch marks, similar to the calling card of the Children’s Vendetta curse.

Ingredients

• 1.5oz amaro
• 1oz espresso coffee
• 3/4oz coffee liqueur
• 2 dashe orange bitters
• 1/2oz simple syrup
• 2 drops saline solution
• Dusting: Strawberry powder

Instructions

1. Add ingredients to a shaker and shake with ice.
2. Strain into a chilled coup glass.
3. Use a stencil to add a light dusting of strawberry powder to the top of the drink.