Several members of the /Film team saw “A Haunting in Venice” and had some thoughts on the adaptation of “Hallowe’en Party,” Christie’s 1969 novel that inspired the film. “Branagh’s haunted whodunit is a better horror flick than murder mystery,” Matt Donato said. “Didn’t expect that, and certainly don’t hate it? Watching Poirot try to disprove supernatural events atop a criminal case makes for proper Halloween entertainment.”
A HAUNTING IN VENICE: Branagh’s haunted whodunit is a better horror flick than murder mystery. Didn’t expect that, and certainly don’t hate it? Watching Poirot try to disprove supernatural events atop a criminal case makes for proper Halloween entertainment (released in Sept). pic.twitter.com/v9vkzo0Owa
— Matt Donato (@DoNatoBomb) September 7, 2023
Bill Bria also saw the film and had similarly kind things to say, calling it, “Another solid Branagh Poirot picture.” Bria added that the “H’ween setting allows him to go wild with the camera angles & do some spooky business,” while dubbing it “prime whodunit stuff,” in addition to also pointing out that the filmmaker leaned into the horror of it all with his latest film.
*to the tune of “Walking in Memphis*
A HAUNTING IN VENICE: another solid Branagh Poirot picture. H’ween setting allows him to go wild with the camera angles & do some spooky business, sure, but this is prime whodunit stuff. Maybe the first since CLUE to lean into the horror! pic.twitter.com/NwlfZhjhoL
— AmityBill 3-D (@billbria) September 7, 2023
“‘A Haunting in Venice’ is an exceptionally atmospheric whodunnit,” said /Film’s own William Bibbiani. He did have some qualms, adding, “The solution to the murder mystery was telegraphed way too much, but it had a few surprises anyway. It might not be Branagh’s most polished Poirot film but it’s certainly his most interesting one so far.”
A HAUNTING IN VENICE is an exceptionally atmospheric whodunnit. The solution to the murder mystery was telegraphed way too much, but it had a few surprises anyway. It might not be Branagh’s most polished Poirot film but it’s certainly his most interesting one so far. pic.twitter.com/bJbW4wBNbL
— Aaahh!!! Real Bibbs (@WilliamBibbiani) September 13, 2023
Josh Spiegel was less kind to the film in /Film’s official 5 out of 10 review of the movie. “There are some mild charms and entertainments in ‘A Haunting in Venice,’ which tries very, very hard to be spooky and creepy,” Spiegel said before adding that it “is saddled with baffling if unsurprising directorial choices and some distracting performances.” Spiegel also commented that “the stylish first film in the Kenneth Branagh-directed franchise, 2017’s ‘Murder on the Orient Express,’ seems an awfully long time ago.”
