This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the movie being covered here wouldn’t exist.

A Haunting in Venice sees the return of notorious detective, Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) in the third installment of Branagh’s adaptation of the iconic Agatha Christie character. Set after World War II, a retired Poirot is beckoned by his friend, writer Ariadne Oliver (Tina Fey), who requests his attendance at a séance that is being conducted at a house that is supposedly haunted by the deceased daughter of the wealthy Rowena Drake (Kelly Reilly). When the séance goes awry, Poirot finds himself turning away from finding spirits, and instead finding the culprit in a murder. 

A Haunting in Venice is adapted from the 1969 novel Hallowe’en Party by Agatha Christie, and marks Branagh’s third turn at directing an adaptation of the detective novelist’s work, having previously directed Death on the Nile (2022) and Murder on the Orient Express (2017), which were both adapted from the Christie novels of the same names, respectively. Branagh has also lent his acting talents to the films, starring as the Belgian sleuth himself. 

While its predecessors feel more like a classic “whodunnit” film, A Haunting in Venice plays more like a horror movie. Set inside an alleged haunted house, driven by an eerie séance, this film is far creepier than a simple detective film. While the horror elements are certainly leaned into, they never cross the line into being too much- veering away from a gory horror and deploying more of a jump-scare-heavy thriller. In this regard, Branagh shines, adding just the right amount of suspense, and utilizing camera point-of-views and illusions that leave the viewer gripped to their seat with bated breath. Branagh’s direction also perfectly compliments Michael Green’s screenplay, which manages to remain tight, concise, and entertaining, keeping the viewer gripped in from the start. 

Arguably, a good detective film works best when the ensemble cast is strong. Each character needs to maintain enough neutrality to not make the culprit obvious, but enough ambiguity to keep the viewer guessing, all while still staying set within their own storyline; a deceptively difficult task for an actor. With this film, at least, each actor seems to be on top of their game. At the heart of the conflict ultimately lies a family that is grappling with grief. A woman’s family gathers for a séance as they desperately try to reconnect with her spirit to gain closure over her death. As the night (and mystery) unfolds, more pieces of each attendee’s story comes to light, casting shadows of humanity on characters that may, from a surface level, appear a bit more deranged or disturbed. While there really isn’t a weak link in the cast, standout performances include Jamie Dornan, Emma Laird, Michelle Yeoh, and Jude Hill. 

A Haunting in Venice only showcases the obvious: Kenneth Branagh is a gifted director. Demonstrating his keen understanding of building suspense and thrills, Branagh creates a roller coaster of a film, that is perfectly paced, and as entertaining as it is suspenseful. A Haunting in Venice is arguably the strongest of Branagh’s three Poirot films, almost to the point where it feels like this film could be the “real” start of a franchise. At the very least, more horror films directed by Branagh would certainly be welcome.