The best kinds of stories are those that have been told twice, on paper and on screen. While not every author has this opportunity, those who do get it can turn readers into viewers who can watch their favorite characters come to life. One of the most anticipated films of the year, A Haunting in Venice, is the adaptation of a beloved book, The Hallowe’en Party. which is part of a hit series written by Agatha Christie in 1969. The film debuted September 15, 2023 and explores Detective Hercule Poirot’s retirement in Venice, where he finds himself unable to get rid of what completes him—a mystery.
The plot takes place during the post-World War II era in the beautiful city of Venice, where Detective Poirot is going about his normal day of solitude. This is soon disrupted by an old friend, Ms. Ariadne Oliver, who appears with a scenario she knows Poirot cannot resist. What intrigues Poirot, as well as audiences, about this case is that this is not his usual murder mystery; it is also said to be haunting. Eventually, Poirot cracks and decides to go to a Halloween party at the “Haunted Piazza” with Ms. Oliver, where the supposed crime happened, and the true mystery begins.
Agatha Christie is known for having some of the best detective stories ever written, but what makes her stories so loveable? Many would agree that this is due to the characters. Kenneth Branagh, a famous actor and director of the movie, had no trouble casting the perfect actors for the roles, including himself as Detective Hercule Poirot. Additionally, the cast features top names in Hollywood such as Kelly Reilly playing the depressed mother of the victim, Michelle Yeoh as the mysterious medium, Tina Fey as the brilliant writer Ariadne Oliver, and Jamie Dornan as the greedy ex-boyfriend.
Most movies have a tendency to go completely off text from the way the inspiring book was written by, leaving key moments out. However, the best adaptations follow the book’s every detail and then add new ideas to the plot, bringing viewers into the story they fell in love with as it appears on the big screen. It is evident that A Haunting in Venice’s production team understood this, as the movie stuck to the original storyline with increased plot twists, new clues, more murders, and plenty of unsuspected jump scares, keeping the audience thoroughly entertained. Essentially, the movie follows Christie’s genius plot of a mystery surrounded by multiple mysteries to hook the viewers, allowing Branagh to make the movie itself a point of stunning theatrics through beautiful cinematography. The movie also features a perfectly paced storyline, and the most deceiving villain, resulting in the spookiest night of the protagonists’, and viewers’ lives. It is no wonder why this movie already has so many award nominations. This film will certainly haunt critics all way to the awards night.
(MetrocreativeConnection)
