I’ll start by saying I did not really enjoy Kenneth Branagh’s first two adaptations of Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot novels. I went into A Haunting in Venice hoping for a better movie all around, and I was not disappointed.
It is not a direct adaptation of Christie’s novel (Hallowe’en Party as it was originally published) for Branagh chooses to make the film about a seance instead of a children’s halloween party, though a Halloween party does take place before the seance in the film. The setting also changes, as the title implies. Venice makes for a far creepier setting, and the film is better for it. Joyce Reynolds, played by Michelle Yeoh, is far older in the film, but still dies because of what she witnessed.
It is Ariadne Oliver and Hercule Poirot who are changed the most in this adaptation. Hercule is haunted by his past whilst Ariadne’s motivations are less genuine. She lured her friend to the seance to help prove that Joyce Reynolds is not a genuine medium which would allow Ariadne to write a successful book based on the nights events.
As this ghostly whodunit unfolds, Hercule is forced to deal with his own ghosts as well as those haunting the house on a rainy night in Venice. By nights end, he and the surviving guests find themselves questing whether ghosts exist and not wanting to believe that a mother could possibly murder her child.
I found this adaptation to be a vast improvement upon the source material (I am not much of a fan of expositional novels in which most of the action is told through dialogue). The setting is perfect and the cinematography beautiful to watch. Casting could not have been better. If you like PG-13 jump scares on a dark, rainy night, this film is for you. A good Halloween themed ghost story.
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Becky Tyler Art and Photography 
I’ll start by saying I did not really enjoy Kenneth Branagh’s first two adaptations of Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot novels. I went into A Haunting in Venice hoping for a better movie all around, and I was not disappointed.
It is not a direct adaptation of Christie’s novel (Hallowe’en Party as it was originally published) for Branagh chooses to make the film about a seance instead of a children’s halloween party, though a Halloween party does take place before the seance in the film. The setting also changes, as the title implies. Venice makes for a far creepier setting, and the film is better for it. Joyce Reynolds, played by Michelle Yeoh, is far older in the film, but still dies because of what she witnessed.
It is Ariadne Oliver and Hercule Poirot who are changed the most in this adaptation. Hercule is haunted by his past whilst Ariadne’s motivations are less genuine. She lured her friend to the seance to help prove that Joyce Reynolds is not a genuine medium which would allow Ariadne to write a successful book based on the nights events.
As this ghostly whodunit unfolds, Hercule is forced to deal with his own ghosts as well as those haunting the house on a rainy night in Venice. By nights end, he and the surviving guests find themselves questing whether ghosts exist and not wanting to believe that a mother could possibly murder her child.
I found this adaptation to be a vast improvement upon the source material (I am not much of a fan of expositional novels in which most of the action is told through dialogue). The setting is perfect and the cinematography beautiful to watch. Casting could not have been better. If you like PG-13 jump scares on a dark, rainy night, this film is for you. A good Halloween themed ghost story.
Discover more from Becky Tyler Art and Photography
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
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