Film Review – A Haunting in Venice

After the lukewarm box office reception for 2022’s “Death on the Nile” (which struggled with a mid-COVID-19 moviegoing reluctance), it seemed as though Kenneth Branagh’s reign as Hercule Poirot was over. However, reports of the master detective’s death were premature, with the director/star permitted another shot at the part with “A Haunting in Venice,” which is an adaptation of “Hallowe’en Party,” an Agatha Christie novel from 1969. Branagh and screenwriter Michael Green have their way with the source material, but they conjure a compelling genre adventure for Poirot, with the endeavor trading the opulence of “Murder on the Orient Express” and “Death on the Nile” for something scrappier and within the realm of scary. Instead of a straight detective story, there’s more spookiness to sort through with this murder mystery, giving the production a chance to play with unreality and haunted house tours, making for a livelier sit, while Branagh’s central take on Poirot’s brilliance and arrogance remains the highlight of the series. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com