A Haunting in Venice is the third of Kenneth Branagh's Agatha Christie adaptations. It's also arguably the most interesting of the three, with enough visual flair to make up for its storytelling shortcomings. With a keen focus on melding the classic detective Hercule Poirot with a more modern haunted house film, Branagh delivers a slightly underbaked but consistently compelling mystery. Directed well and bolstered by strong performances -- albeit with a script that seems less interested in character than theme -- A Haunting in Venice is a solid addition to both the modern horror and mystery genre.
A Haunting in Venice sees Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) retired from active detective work in post-WWII Venice. Despite his inherent reluctance, the former detective is approached about attending a séance by his old friend Ariande Oliver (Tina Fey), a mystery author who helped spread his fame on a global scale. Although he's doubtful that the medium Joyce Reynolds (Michelle Yeoh) can genuinely connect to spirits, Poirot attends at Oliver's insistence. Arriving at a supposedly haunted house where a young woman had taken her own life, the pair witness a series of ghostly occurrences that Poirot quickly works to debunk. But when a seemingly supernatural murder takes place, the detective finds himself tasked with uncovering the truth. As more people are picked off through the night, Hercule must discover the murderer if any of them have any hope of escaping -- and along the way, test his own convictions as potentially unearthly forces stalk him through the building.
A Haunting in Venice operates from a similar tenor as Branagh's last two adaptations of the famous detective in Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile. Branagh's performance as Poirot remains compelling, breathing fresh life into the classic character. Branagh infuses the detective with a sad acknowledgment of his wits, a bitter confidence in his worldview. His grounded and grim view of humanity finds a strong foil in the film's focus on the occult and supernatural. Questions of death and the lingering effects it has on the world -- and the people touched by it -- prove to be a strong central theme, with Poirot and the other unfortunate guests all wrestling with their own dark histories.
Branagh balances a keen eye for dynamic shots with a twinge of horror movies. Cinematographer Haris Zambarloukos helps deliver a film that shifts visual style to reflect both genres, melding black and white flashbacks with wind-swept jumpscares to solid effect. At times, A Haunting in Venice feels like it's pulling more from The Conjuring series than the mystery genre. But Poirot's efforts always contradict that tonal shift, effectively working to turn it back into a more grounded mystery film. The dueling tones create a compelling visual contrast, allowing the horror moments to land more effectively.
The film's script by Michael Green works to balance these elements and tends to work best when it's specifically focused on mixing that frightening tone with the more grounded detective work. The film's attention is far more driven by the visual contrast between the tones and Poirot's investigation, leaving the supporting cast -- filled with strong performers -- few unique elements to play with. The performances are solid on their own, with Fey's snarky Oliver, Camille Cottin's repentant Olga Seminoff, and Jamie Dornan's haunted Dr. Leslie Ferrier all receiving strong beats. But the film isn't nearly as interested in them as a truly compelling mystery should be. The film's overall visual focus leaves much of the supporting cast with relatively thin characters to play with. The central mystery is steadily unearthed at a reasonable pace, although some of the discoveries are treated with a bluntness that can undercut the audience's engagement.
Ultimately, A Haunting in Venice is a solid experiment. It challenges Poirot and his perspective to counter the kind of horror film scares that have lately populated the genre. While this keeps the film from paying full attention to its supporting cast of characters and achieving true greatness, Branagh and his cast mates deliver when given meaty monologues. Ultimately, A Haunting in Venice works best when it juggles genres, pushing a completely logical character to confront a potentially supernatural story. While a more balanced approach might have produced a more effective overall film, the experience is consistently compelling and worth a watch for fans of either genre.
A Haunting in Venice opens in theaters on Sept. 15.