Death On The Nile Review: 6 Ups & 4 Downs
Poirot's long-delayed sequel is a rock solid whodunnit.
For a while there it truly seemed like Kenneth Branagh's Death on the Nile - the sequel to 2017's box office smash Murder on the Orient Express - wasn't ever going to be released, or rather, might just get sent straight to streaming.
Yet despite the pandemic causing the film's release to be pushed back numerous times - it wrapped shooting way back in December 2019 - and stars Armie Hammer, Letitia Wright, and Gal Gadot having to weather their own personal controversies, Death on the Nile is now finally out on the big screen.
And though audiences might've tired of seeing the trailer over the last 18 months, on its own merits this is a solidly enjoyable murder-mystery that's lavishly well-made while demanding little from its audience beyond their desire to have a good time.
Adapting Agatha Christie's beloved source text with a fair degree of faithfulness, Branagh's take won't erase anyone's fond memories of the acclaimed prior 1978 adaptation, but largely delivers on its glossy, star-studded expectations.
Whether audiences will show up for it in enough numbers to secure a third Poirot romp remains to be seen, but as a standalone, old-fashioned mystery yarn that's lighter than air, it mostly brings the goods.
But first, here's what doesn't quite work...