The third movie in “Kenneth Branagh can make any movie he wants, so he makes Poirot films” series, and it seems this might be the best one yet. Whether you like his movies or not (and I liked both previous ones, yes, even the “horrible” Death on the Nile (2022, my review here)), one thing is for certain; they each have their unique feel and impressive casting. A Haunting in Venice also adds another, less seen element into the Poirot mix – horror. Yes, it’s PG-13 horror, so don’t expect anything too edgy, but it is still a good way of keeping this “franchise” fresh.
It was the horror approach with the practical setting (the movie was mostly shot in Italy, which was a nice change after the CGI fest of the previous movie) which uplifted A Haunting in Venice and made it stand out from the previous two films. Let’s talk about the setting first, as I have no notes about that aspect. It was lovely and seemed “old-fashioned” enough (the movie takes place in the 1950s) that it worked and transported me into old Italy right after the Second World War. I also liked the setting of the building where the majority of the film took place, as it worked for the spooky stuff; it was big enough where we could conveniently lose some people but not large enough that you’d get lost and wonder where we were.
The horror theme worked as well as it was allowed to work. As mentioned above, this movie is PG-13, which makes it a very mild “horror”. You can almost think of this movie as an entry barrier to horror films, where it’s perfectly safe for most people to watch it without worrying whether they will be able to fall asleep afterwards. Therefore, if we judge by that standard, it’s fine. But part of me almost wanted them to go “harder” and turn this movie into a full-blown horror. I am not talking about slasher, but I believe one thing that could keep this franchise going for a couple of more movies is to try to play around with different genres. It was also intriguing to watch someone as logical as Poirot question himself despite you, as the audience, knowing there must be something else in play. And there is a shot towards the end that leaves it open-ended whether there might or might not be something more to these ghosts that are supposedly among us…
Regarding the cast, I thought everyone did well. Kenneth’s take on Poirot is more whimsical, but I always found him delightful. I was shocked by how much I enjoyed Tina Fey‘s performance in this movie. She has been such a strong comedic presence for the past two decades; I was slightly worried about her being “disruptive”, but she worked perfectly with Kenneth, and their back-and-forth banter was amusing, and it never felt forced. Also, this is the first-ever non-comedic role for Tina Fey in her almost 20-year career. Yep, until now, she hasn’t appeared in a movie or a TV show that wasn’t labelled “comedy”. I also need to highlight Jude Hill, who yet again acts under Kenneth’s direction and plays Jamie Dornan‘s son. They must have enjoyed their time on the set of Belfast (2021, my review here), and it translates into this movie as well because both performers did a great job, and especially Jude nailed his role. I hope he has a long career in front of him.
My only real issue with the movie was the non-commitment to the horror genre. I understand you must sell tickets, so Poirot can never be rated R, but it would be nice to push it even further. Especially with a great whodunit mystery, where we talk about a couple of murders and ghosts, the horror genre feels more natural than ever, and all we get are a few pretty predictable jump scares. But other than that, I can’t fault this movie. It’s possible I might rate it slightly higher on a future rewatch, as I did enjoy myself with this cast and setting, and I hope Kenneth has a few more Poirot films in him. As long as he is having fun and trying new things whilst introducing this character to a new audience, I will be there, seated.
Overall, A Haunting in Venice is a great movie that takes the Poirot we know and puts him up against ghosts and, to a degree, himself. He needs to figure out not only “whodunit”, but his core beliefs also get questioned in this slightly spooky continuation of this detective franchise. I liked the cast, the camera work and the setting; I just wished they would commit more to the horror genre. But, if you have a chance to watch this movie, I think you should do it. This film is definitely the best Poirot movie we’ve gotten from Branagh yet, and I hope the next one (if there is a next one) will be even better.
That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!
Until next time,
Luke