A Haunting In Venice (2023) spoiler free review
Death is just the beginning. A Haunting in Venice is a 2023 American supernatural horror mystery film directed, produced, and starring by Kenneth Branagh. Based on the book Hallowe’en Party by Agatha Christie published in 1969. It was released in the United States on September 15, 2023 by 20th Century Studios.
In 1947, ten years after the events of Death on the Nile, former detective Hercule Poirot, now retired and living in Venice, must solve the year-old murder of Alicia Drake, daughter of the host Rowena Drake. Things take a turn when a guest at the séance Poirot was invited to, ends up dead. Poirot has to determine whether the tales about the hauntings are correct or whether someone or someones are responsible for the mysterious happenings at the residence.
Film synopsis
The cast includes Kyle Allen as Maxime Gerard, Kenneth Branagh as Hercule Poirot, Camille Cottin as Olga Seminoff, Jamie Dornan as Dr. Leslie Ferrier, Tina Fey as Ariadne Oliver, Jude Hill as Leopold Ferrier, Ali Khan as Nicholas Holland, Emma Laird as Desdemona Holland, Kelly Reilly as Rowena Drake, Riccardo Scamarcio as Vitale Portfoglio, Michelle Yeoh as Joyce Reynolds, and Rowan Robinson as Alicia Drake.
My opinion
Set in 1947 Venice, during Halloween Night, detective Hercule Poirot is force to come out from his retirement to attend a seance that soon will turn into a murder scene.
Cinematographer Haris Zambarloukos took advantage of the city and locations creating the ghostly atmosphere that this story needed. Being a ghost story, the film turns into the perfect balance between a mystery triller and supernatural horror. The scares are unexpected but effective, making more than one to jump of their seat. The tension build up will keep the audience on the edge of the seat feeding the desire to know who is guilty.
The cast, standing out Branagh, Fey, and Yeoh, elevates the story turning this adaptation of Agatha Christie by Branagh the best one yet. The only aspect that wards off this film from being almost perfect is the pace. By moments, the film turns too slow stretching the mystery becoming redundant. Still, A Haunting in Venice is a well-executed Halloween detective movie that mystery and horror fans will enjoy.
[Editor’s note: This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the movie being covered here wouldn’t exist.]