Movie Monday May 9: Death on the Nile

I was in the mood for a mystery, so for this week I chose Death on the Nile (2022). I was putting off watching this movie because I love the book and the tv series version so much, but I thought I’d give it a chance.

**Warning, mild spoilers ahead, so if you haven’t watched the movie yet, what are you doing?**

On a supposed holiday in Egypt, Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) is invited by his friend Bouc (Tom Bateman) to accompany him and his mother Euphemia (Annette Bening) to the reception for newlyweds Simon (Armie Hammer) and Linnet Doyle (Gal Godot). Everyone seems happy and has a grand time, until the arrival of Simon’s former fiancé Jacqueline “Jackie” de Bellfort (Emma Mackey), who also happens to be Linnet’s childhood friend. She has apparently been following the couple, which disturbs Linnet and infuriates Simon. In an effort to get away, they invite their guests on a surprise river cruise down the Nile, Poirot included. Everything starts off well, except for a falling rock at Abu Simbel, but the mood is once again ruined by the appearance of Jackie. Even though Poirot had previously tried to dissuade her from doing anything to harm the couple, Jackie seems as determined as ever to get Simon back. When Linnet turns up dead, she is the obvious suspect, except for the fact that she has an airtight alibi. Poirot tries to find the killer, and in the process uncovers hidden motives, secret relationships, and the first case that actually brought him to Egypt in the first place. When another body is found, and soon after a third, it seems like Poirot will never be able to make sense of the crimes. Once he puts his “little gray cells” to the task, however, the killer won’t remain at large for much longer.

As I previously stated, I was hesitant to watch Death on the Nile. In some ways I was correct in being so reluctant. I was a bit confused with how the story was adapted, but that could be because I know the original. A main criticism of Branagh’s first Poirot adaptation was that there wasn’t really anything new added to the story, so I think they tried to address that in Death on the Nile.

One of the biggest changes to the story was the character relationships. In the original, most of the guests don’t know each other and some of the characters were completely different people compared to this version. The addition of Bouc, who doesn’t appear in the book or other adaptations, was used to tie the two movies together and deepen Poirot’s emotional connection to the case. I understand why he was added, but felt that the character differences changed the plot significantly. Death on the Nile is similar to Murder on the Orient Express given that they both are about strangers trapped together when a murder occurs. Perhaps the people behind this movie didn’t want to do the same thing again, so they connected all of the characters to give them added motives.

While I didn’t like the character changes, I thought the ensemble cast was fantastic. Sophie Okonedo’s Salome Otterbourne was a departure from the original character, but she added a lot of life and fun that much of the plot and other characters are lacking. Russell Brand was the biggest surprise for me. The serious Dr. Windlesham was a departure from his usual comedic roles and I thought he did an amazing job and possessed more gravitas than I thought he was capable of. I know there has been controversy surrounding Armie Hammer, but having him there didn’t take away too much from the film (though it did put his opening scene in a new and very possibly creepy light). 

Branagh’s Poirot isn’t groundbreaking, though I’m partial to David Suchet’s version. The writer Michael Green changed up Poirot’s backstory, making him much younger, a soldier during WWI, and gave him a dead fiancé. It was an interesting choice that made sense as the set up for a plot revolving around love and what some people would do to protect it. Personally, I’m not a huge fan of the almost action hero Poirot seen in Branagh’s adaptations. It’s definitely a departure from the “funny little Belgian” seen in the novels. Not bad, just not my cup of tea.

The visuals were nice, though a bit artificial at times, but the sets and costumes add to the immersion. I loved everything Gal Godot wore, especially her silver evening gown. There’s glitz and glam, and some nice creepy CGI nature. Though the film was stunningly beautiful, I felt it dragging. While Murder on the Orient Express whizzed by like a bullet train, Death on the Nile chugged along slower than a pleasure cruise.

Though I’d recommend other adaptations over this version, I did enjoy Death on the Nile and won’t dissuade people from seeing it.

One thing that I loved: When Rosalie (Letitia Wright) confronts Poirot and calls him out. I thought Wright brought lots of power and attitude to her character, and that especially showed in this scene. Honestly, she said what I’d been thinking for most of the movie.

One thing that made me cringe: Simon’s dancing in the nightclub. As I said above, the allegations about Armie Hammer did color some of the scenes and turned what was originally supposed to show a couple passionately in love into something creepy.

Overall, I’d give Death on the Nile 6.5 diamond necklaces out of 10.