A Haunting in Venice puts a supernatural twist on Kenneth Branagh’s Hercule Poirot’s third mystery.
Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) investigates a murder while attending a Halloween seance at a haunted palazzo in Venice, Italy.
Mysteries can be dull, with so much set up, talking, and attempt at character development. A Haunting in Venice, not so much. The film has a pace that does the introduction, but doesn’t drag its feet doing so, and instead established the lore and mystery right from the start. The thrills, chills, and the ever present case of murder lingers in the air throughout the rest of the film making so much more exciting, fun, and a bit of a challenge to keep things moving. Even the ending has that same Agatha Christie feel – intense, dramatic, and theatrical to the point for that epic conclusion when all is revealed.
The mystery has an element of horror to it and it holds a lot of ground. A broken down manor is the scene for our mystery and it works well to establish that horror element. Within the walls of this place is that air of nightmarish, uncomfortable feeling. Its such a great place with shadows, low lightning, elongated halls, and mystery mixed with haunts that are engaging.
The cinematography really helps in bringing this story to life. With diverse angles, mixed with close up shots to help provide that element of emotion but always keeps things in check. The way the shots of horror come out pretty spooky and engaging, but also keeps you questioning what is realy or not.
The acting in this film is pretty good and every character, for the most part, has a strong personality, collected balance and works to make an incredible spectacle come to life. Special shoutout to Jude Hill for his portrayal that is creepy, mature, and vulnerable. Hill’s performance was incredible and was one of my favorite character’s outside of Hercule. As for Kenneth Branagh, he has this character down. He knows his cues, the personality, and how to deliver the lines with that same mix of comedy and seriousness.
A Haunting in Venice essentially as three themes to it and the film does play them decently and gives something for everyone. It’s one part dramatic, then with a little horror to test your logic, and mystery that come together nicely to tie everything together.
Overall, A Haunting in Venice was one of my favorites, and definitely outdoes Death on the Nile. The film handles the genre mixing well and works together to give the mystery that extra push. The visuals and sound editing go a long way to help support the plot, with a direction and characters that quickly cast suspicion. A Haunting in Venice is a pretty solid piece that uses theater elements well and delivers another fine adaptation in this series. However, the movie is another detective story with a formulaic component that some might find stale. Some acting trips were noticeable, but not horrible but also felt incomplete and missing something with the characters to truly maximize the film’s potential. A rushed pace and some cuts make the film feel not as unique, and those hoping that it would stand out from the others will probably be disappointed. But, the movie is definitely worth checking out to see if you can solve the case before Hercule.
A Haunting in Venice is now playing in theaters.
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