I don’t think I was ever able to get an Agatha Christie novel to hold my attention for very long and this movie is marginally better than that.
Outside of a pretty dynamic cast, the plot is predictable and it takes longer than necessary to get to the point.
Plus, I figured out who had committed the main crime of the story in the first 30 minutes.
But, the scenery and costuming is rather snazzy and I’ve got a weakness for bluesy jazz music.
Still, unless you’re a diehard Christie fan, this one is easily ignored.
The movie is rated PG-13 for violence, some bloody images, and sexual material and clocks in at 127 minutes long.
Death on the Nile is a mystery film directed by Kenneth Branagh from a screenplay by Michael Green, based on the 1937 novel of the same name by Agatha Christie.
It was produced by Branagh, Ridley Scott, Judy Hofflund, and Kevin J. Walsh.
The film is a sequel to Murder on the Orient Express (2017), Tom Bateman and Branagh returning from the first film as Bouc and Hercule Poirot, respectively.
The film also stars Annette Bening, Russell Brand, Ali Fazal, Dawn French, Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer, Rose Leslie, Emma Mackey, Susan Fielding, Sophie Okonedo, Jennifer Saunders, and Letitia Wright.
In World War I, a young Hercule Poirot (Branagh) devises a successful strategy to advance his Belgian squadron, but a booby trap mutilates his face.
His lover, Katherine (Fielding), suggests he grow a mustache to hide his scars.
In 1937, Poirot watches blues singer Salome Otterbourne (Okonedo) perform at a London club, and sees Jacqueline “Jackie” de Bellefort (Mackey) introduces her fiancé Simon Doyle (Hammer) to her childhood friend, heiress Linnet Ridgeway (Gadot).
Six weeks later in Egypt, Poirot encounters his friend Bouc (Bateman), who introduces him to his mother Euphemia (Bening), a painter, and to a surprising newlywed couple - Linnet and Simon.
Others join their honeymoon trip: Linnet’s maid Louise Bourget (Leslie); Salome and her niece/manager Rosalie (Wright), Linnet’s school friend; Linnet’s godmother Marie Van Schuyler (Saunders) with her nurse Mrs. Bowers (French); Linnet’s cousin Andrew Katchadourian (Fazal), who manages her accounts; and Doctor Linus Windlesham (Brand).
Linnet asks Poirot for protection from the obsessive Jackie, who has stalked them to Egypt; he tries to dissuade Jackie, who shows him she carries a gun.
To escape Jackie, the group boards the paddle ship S.S. Karnak, though Linnet tells Poirot she does not trust any of her guests.
During an excursion to Abu Simbel, Bouc confesses that he is dating Rosalie, despite his mother’s disapproval and Poirot shows keen interest toward Salome.
After a boulder nearly crushes Linnet and Simon, the guests return to the Karnak to discover Jackie has boarded.
Poirot, overcome by champagne, confides to Jackie that he renounced romance after Katherine died in a mortar explosion.
Linnet goes to bed and Simon confronts Jackie, who shoots him in the leg and attempts to shoot herself, but Rosalie and Bouc intervene.
They bring Jackie to Mrs. Bowers, while Windlesham treats Simon.
The following morning, Louise discovers Linnet has been shot in the head, and her valuable necklace has been stolen – now the game is afoot!
Like any murder mystery film, there are plenty of layers to this whodunit, but, it’s easy enough to pin down the perpetrators if you’re paying attention to the actor’s body language.
At the very least, this film is worth renting or streaming but not a full ticket price.
