Death On The Nile Review: 6 Ups & 4 Downs

By Jack Pooley / February 11, 2022

Ups...

6. The Fantastic Origin Story For Poirot's Mustache

Yes, you read that right. Death on the Nile includes the most inexplicable of things upfront - an origin story for detective Hercule Poirot's (Branagh) iconic, gigantic mustache.

The film's amusingly self-serious prologue introduces us to a younger Poirot simply trying to survive the First World War, and in turn provides an explanation for how the detective's legendary lip-caterpillar came into existence.

It's not something anyone needed to see and is undeniably indulgent on Branagh's part, and yet the punchline is strangely meaningful in adding shade and even sadness to Poirot as a character.

It shouldn't work, but it totally does.