Death on the Nile Film Review (No Spoilers)

'Death on the Nile' 20th Century Studios

Director and lead actor Kenneth Branagh provides a murder mystery sequel to 2017's Murder on the Orient Express. In the same week of receiving countless Oscar nominations for his 2021 film, Belfast, Branagh starts 2022 with a bang (small pun intended) with Death on the Nile.

Synopsis:

"Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot's Egyptian vacation aboard a glamorous river steamer turns into a terrifying search for a murderer when a picture-perfect couple's idyllic honeymoon is tragically cut short."

What You See, Feel, and Hear

Murder mysteries tend to fall into the trap of providing instant gratification and jumping into the heat of a story too quickly as seen in Murder on the Orient Express. However, Death on the Nile starts slow, gives more of an intimate back story and builds a better investment into the main storyline and though this was unexpected, it was a perfect answer to the mistakes that were made in the first film. Kenneth Branagh stands out with his performance. His range of emotions were amplified which brought a more human characteristic to his portrayal of Hercule Poirot. From an "untouchable" persona in the first film, Branagh's character was more relatable this time around which allowed the audience to empathize a bit more with him as the story developed.

This plot was diverse, mostly unpredictable, and satisfying with its conclusion. Small details such as the music choice, color tones, and individual subplots created suspenseful confusion which added to the overall story arch. In regards to the visuals, the special effects and green screens were noticeable which drew my attention away at times, however the use of handheld cameras for uneasy moments and the camera work used to capture emotional scenes were done beautifully. The film did a great job of slowly building your interest rather than losing it as the story progressed.

My Take

I'm not sure if there will be more films within this series or not, but if this is it, I feel like I received proper closure from the anticlimactic experience from the first film. It seems like the writers, alongside Kenneth Branagh, listened to candid feedback regarding the first film and implemented every change necessary to make this version even better. I wasn't exhilarated after my experience but I felt content with the film and thoroughly enjoyed the outcome.

Grade: 7.3/10