Review - A Haunting in Venice (2023)

         Hey guys, Chuck here, and I just got out of seeing the new movie A Haunting in Venice. Based on the Agatha Christie novel Halowe'en Party, this movie is the third chapter in Kenneth Branagh's films with Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, serving as sequel to both 2017's Murder on the Orient Express and 2022's Death on the Nile. In addition to returning as director, Branagh also reprises his role of Poirot for the third time. Joining him is yet another all-star cast, including Tina Fey, Jamie Dornan, Michelle Yeoh, Kyle Allen, Camille Cottin, Jude Hill, Emma Laird, Kelly Reilly, Ali Khan, and Riccardo Scamarcio. 

       Now, something to note is that, much like with Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile, A Haunting in Venice is still a murder mystery. However, the movie goes a step further by delving into the realm of supernatural horror, which is something that the brilliant Poirot has not gone up against yet in this particular movie series. 

        The movie is set in Venice, Italy in the year 1947, where Hercule Poirot has been living a life away from being a detective. After being approached by an old friend, mystery novelist Ariadne Oliver, Poirot heads to the palazzo of Rowena Drake, whose daughter had died a year prior, for a Halloween party, followed by a seance to be held by a medium named Joyce Reynolds. But, when the seance ends and Joyce Reynolds is found dead, Poirot must use his detective skills to prove if it was murder, or if, in fact, ghosts are real. 

        Now, most have said that A Haunting in Venice is the best in Kenneth Branagh's Poirot films, and I definitely agree. I think that, as opposed to both Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile playing too safe and thus more predictable as far as the culprit, Branagh and screenwriter Michael Green take more of a risk, adding a sense of dread and suspense as bizarre events like something out of a haunted house story go on around this whodunit mystery. Adding to the suspense is the amazing score by composer Hildur Guðnadóttir, who was the Oscar winning composer of Todd Philips' Joker. She has shown to add suspense to a film with a very violin heavy score, and I absolutely loved it. 

       The cinematography by Haris Zambarloukas was also absolutely fantastic, showing off the beauty of Venice, as well as the suspenseful nature of the palazzo in which a majority of the film is set. I also liked how Branagh really built up the city of Venice early on in the movie, allowing the audience to really drink in how amazing of a city it is, before taking the audience to the palazzo where most of the film will be set. 

       But, what about the cast of the movie? How do they do? Well, much like his first two outings in the role, Kenneth Branagh is absolutely fantastic as Hercule Poirot, and it's absolutely amazing seeing him start to question his own sanity as he sees things that can't possibly be real. I also enjoyed Tina Fey as Ariadne Oliver, another character from the world of Agatha Christie. And seeing Tina Fey turn in a more dramatic performance is definitely refreshing, as she's famously known for being in comedies. Michelle Yeoh is also amazing as Joyce Reynolds, and is another highlight of the movie for me. Other notable stand outs include Jamie Dornan as Dr. Ferrier, Ali Khan and Emma Laird as siblings Nicholas and Desdemona Holland, Riccardo Scamarcio as Vitale Portfoglio, and Kelly Reilly as Rowena Drake. Both Kyle Allen as Maxime Gerard and Camille Cottin as Olga Seminoff also gave good performances, but didn't wholly stand out like the ones mentioned above. Although, Kyle Allen's performance as Maxime Gerard did evoke similarities with Josh Gad's performance as McQueen in Murder on the Orient Express.

      Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed A Haunting in Venice. Is it scary or too much for those who dislike horror or jump scares? Not really. If anything, the horror aspects add to the suspense of the murder mystery and help keep the audience guessing and engaged. I definitely think that it's worth seeing, especially as we approach Halloween. Therefore, I'm giving A Haunting in Venice a rating of 5/5. 

      Alright guys, this is Chuck signing off, and I will see you guys next time. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Review - The Thundermans Return (2024)

        Hey guys, Chuck here. Last night, I watched the new movie The Thundermans Return on Nickelodeon, and I have a few thoughts on it. For those who don't know what The Thundermans was, it was a Nickelodeon sitcom that ran from 2013 through 2018, and focused on a family of superheroes known as, well, the Thundermans. The show was okay, at least the episodes I happened to catch when it was on, but after seeing a lot of the advertising for this movie, I was genuinely tempted to check it out. So, here's my review of the new Nickelodeon movie The Thundermans Return.           So, the movie starts off with the Thunderman family, who since the end of the series have moved to the city of Metroburg, and are fighting crime as the superhero team the T-Force. And, something worth noting is that the family has aged in real time, so we see that Phoebe and Max are now adults, Nora and Billy are high schoolers, and Chloe is a middle schooler. Unfortunately, after a mission gone awry due to
Read more

Review - Ocean's Eleven (2001)

       Hey guys, Chuck here. Back in the 1960's, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., and the rest of the Rat Pack teamed up and made a movie called Ocean's 11 , which told the story of a military veteran named Danny Ocean, who teams up with his fellow squad members to rob a number of casinos in Las Vegas. It was definitely a product of the time, and is actually a really fun movie. Seeing Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., and the Rat Pack on screen together is just genuinely fun.        In 2001, producer Jerry Weintraub and director Steven Soderbergh would bring together a fantastic cast to tell a more modern version of the Rat Pack classic, and that's the movie we're talking about today. This is my review of the 2001 Steven Soderbergh film Ocean's Eleven starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Andy Garcia, and Julia Roberts, along with the likes of Bernie Mac, Don Cheadle, Eddie Jemison, Casey Affleck, Scott Caan, Elliot Gould, Carl Reiner, and
Read more

Review - Night at the Museum (2006-2014)

          Hey guys, Chuck here, and after reviewing Zack Snyder's Rebel Moon, I needed something of a pallette cleanser. And, thus, I'm taking a look at the Night at the Museum trilogy, directed by Shawn Levy and starring Ben Stiller, Rami Malek, Mizuo Peck, Ricky Gervais, Patrick Gallagher, Owen Wilson, Steve Coogan, and Robin Williams, with additional cast members throughout the series including the likes of Dick Van Dyke, Mickey Rooney, Carla Gugino, Bill Cobbs, Charlie Murphy, Jake Cherry, Amy Adams, Bill Hader, Hank Azaria, Jon Bernthal, Christopher Guest, the Jonas Brothers, Dan Stevens, Skyler Gisondo, Rebel Wilson, and Ben Kingsley.          So, the first Night at the Museum was released in 2006, and focuses on struggling entrepreneur Larry Daley, who ends up getting a job as the new overnight security guard at the Museum of Natural History, taking over for the older guards Cecil, Reginald, and Gus. Larry also befriends one of the daytime staff, Rebecca, and has a few r
Read more