(2022) Death on the Nile - Another Well Adaptation of Agatha Christie's Novel

After missing out on seeing this movie during the 3rd wave of pandemic a couple of months ago, I was glad that it was released on Disney+ yesterday. Once again it proved to be a nice decision to be subscribing this streaming platform as we could get the chance to watch several movies not long after their theatrical run. This time I watched it by myself while my wife was finishing another one of her South Korean TV series. OK, why don't I get to it then?

Brief Story Line

In 1937, Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh - Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit etc) was visiting Egypt where he met with his old friend Bouc (Tom Bateman - Cold Pursuit etc) and was introduced to his mother Euphemia (Annette Bening - Captain Marvel etc). He was then asked to join them in a hotel where a group of people were celebrating the marriage of a loving couple.

The people who were gathering consisted of the very wealthy Linnet (Gal Gadot - Wonder Woman etc), her godmother Marie Van Schuyler (Jennifer Saunders - Absolutely Fabulous TV series etc) with her nurse Mrs. Bowers (Dawn French - The Vicar of Dibley TV series etc), Linnet's cousin Andrew (Ali Fazal - Victoria & Abdul etc) plus her personal maid Louise (Rose Leslie - Game of Thrones TV series etc). There were also the famous blues singer Salome (Sophie Okonedo - Hotel Rwanda etc) with her niece Rosalie (Letitia Wright - Sing 2 etc), Doctor Linus (Russell Brand - Trolls etc), Simon Doyle (Armie Hammer - Rebecca etc) and Jackie (Emma Mackey - Sex Education TV series etc).

What seemed to start as a happy occasion suddenly turned into tragedy when one of them was murdered. Poirot now had to find out the killer before the person strike again. 

End of Brief Story Line

When my wife and I saw Murder on the Orient Express back in 2017, we already knew that there would be a sequel. So we were highly anticipating this one as we enjoyed that movie. However, due to various reasons, this sequel got delayed many times and was only released in early 2022 which sadly as I mentioned above, we were unable to see in the cinema. Watching this movie at home certainly was nice as we could enjoy the comfort of our own place, or rewind if we missed out on anything. But, there was one thing which I felt not so nice was the obviously looking CGI in certain scenes. I have experienced similar problem when watching other movies on streaming platforms which reduced a bit on the pleasure, however it should not be considered as a flaw of the movie itself.

Just like in the previous film, Kenneth Branagh reprise his role as Poirot and also directed the movie. I thought his personification of the famous detective was even more convincing with few small details that made me believe he was him (in particular his OCD behavior). There was one scene which was a bit amusing while he was looking at the corpse inside a room and the surprising element of Poirot showing his different side in here. Mostly though, I felt the movie was a bit dark and did not have too many light/bright moments. In fact there was also a sadness strongly felt towards the end.

Most of the cast here did their job nicely. Even though it might not have as many multiple awards winners like in the first film, they were still able to give convincing performances. The one thing that I liked in here was the people were easier to remember. Perhaps because they were all somehow connected, or maybe because I could pause and capture the moments when watching it on TV. Anyway, it was certainly an entertaining whodunit movie where you can just relax and enjoy Poirot at work. From what I understand, there would be further adaptation of Agatha Christie novels in the future. Oh btw, this is the 3rd adaptation of the story with the first one back in 1978 which won an Academy Award for best costume and the second adaptation was in an episode of TV series.

Overall, this is a film that I enjoyed due to its story telling and Poirot's portrayal. The mystery was well told and you would be kept guessing till the end (unless if you have already read the novel). I myself had forgotten the details but once the revealing was done, I could gradually remember and somehow still enjoy the moment. The cinematography was wonderful and the costumes & settings for that period was amazing as well (that cruise ship was beautifully created), aside from those few obvious CGI scenes. So if you like this sort of movie or you are a fan of Agatha Christie's novels and you did not get the chance to see it back in February, then you can watch it now legally on Disney+.

Mike's movie moments rating: 4 out of 5 stars