“Death on the Nile” is like a trip in Doc Brown’s time machine.
Sure, the story itself is set in the early 1900s, but everything else evokes a different time and place.
The scenery is eerie and lush, as is the exhilarating score. We see some of Hollywood’s most beautiful people looking… beautiful. And the script is something to enjoy, not a hindrance between CGI setups.
It’s no mystery why “Death on the Nile” will leave you so pleased.
Kenneth Branagh returns as both the director and star of his second Agatha Christie film adaptation. He’s Hercule Poirot, the superhero whose mustache no longer covers half of his face.
Yes, there is a back story here that is both poignant and unnecessary.
Poirot finds himself with a newlywed couple on vacation in Egypt. However, there is a threat to their marital happiness. Linnet and Simon (Gal Gadot and Armie Hammer) can’t shake his ex-fiancée, Jacqueline (Emma Mackey).
She is stalking the couple, unable to accept that her ex has found love elsewhere. But does she want to kill people to keep them apart?
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The strong cast makes “Nile” richer, but Team Branagh doesn’t use their full skill set. Why actors? Brand russell and don’t let his dim energy rise to the surface at least once? Annette Bening also received too little attention, while “Black Panther” standout Letitia Wright was treated to Mary Sue.
Sophie Okonedo does her shots as a seductive female singer, appealing to both Poirot and the audience.
It’s a mystery, of course, and audiences will happily watch the detective as he roasts every member for clues or a narrative. The scenario even pops up in some meta moments, with characters taking notice of Poirot’s special investigative skill set. It was handled delicately, thank goodness.
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Most modern films go into waking moments, and “Death on the Nile” is no exception. One character reveals things about Identity Politics, while the other behaves in ways that remind us the movie was written in the 21st century.
However, the mood never spoils, and there are enough attractive elements to distract us in every way.
Branagh delivered decidedly mixed reactions when he took on Poirot. Audiences not attached to previous versions, such as Albert Finney’s Oscar-nominated turn in 1974’s “Murder on the Orient Express,” will find him ravishingly beautiful.
What is odd, however, is that “Nile” attempts to not only deconstruct his play but mock his very existence. It’s a false note in a movie that largely avoids feeling self-defeating. However, this moment is quickly dismissed, as if all on board realize that it is not wise to throw away the hero.
It’s hard to escape a gnawing truth at the heart of this mystery, put on hold by the ongoing pandemic. They don’t make them like this anymore.
But they should.
Hit or miss: “Death on the Nile” doesn’t fully exploit its colorful cast, but its suspenseful films and compelling dialogue make it a mystery worth solving.
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