A Haunting in Venice (2023), Dir Kenneth Branagh, 20th Century Studios.

3***: Matthew Alicoon.

Running time: 103 minutes

A Haunting in Venice follows Hercule Poirot, who is now a retired detective in 1947. Poirot gets invited to a séance by a mystery writer, but the séance does not go according to plan, therefore it is up to the detective to solve this new case and unmask the culprit.

Branagh maintains his superiority as a director showcasing an exquisite and aesthetically pleasing portrait of Venice whilst maintaining a photographic eye for the core narrative. It is once again a phenomenal all star cast with some tremendous supporting performances. The three standouts were Michelle Yeoh (Joyce Reynolds) who plays the noted medium in which she conveys such a solidified sense of apprehension and mystery during the actual séance. Jamie Dornan (Dr. Leslie Farrier) superbly captures a silent and intimate portrayal of war PTSD. However, the biggest surprise was Jude Hill (Leopold Ferrier) who is such a naturalistic guardian for Leslie, his performance was compassionate, captivating and perfectly textbook. The trajectory of what Jude Hill will do next is a very exciting prospect. Branagh relishes his role as Poirot, as you see a genuine impact that he loves playing this character. His performance is a reliable throughline during his run as Poirot.

However, not every cast member was utilised to their fullest potential and that leads onto the running time of 103 Minutes. A Haunting in Venice is the shortest entry in Branagh’s adaptations and it could have been an entirely unique film with a longer running time. Having an extensive number of characters restrained the film to a degree, as the film juggles a substantial amount of backstory and exposition for the side characters. At times, it felt like characters were filling in the gaps just to move the plot along quicker to the point where the film feels vaguely hurried. A longer running time or a mini-series would have enriched character developments allowing for a full portrait of each character involved in the case, to resound in a more dramatic and severe finale.

The killer reveal was tremendously startling and arguably intricate, but the safe build up denoted the reveal as being fine. It turned a clever twist into a mediocre twist. With films that have twists like A Haunting in Venice’s, the reveals strike a punch harder when the overall film is fascinating and unfortunately the film is perfectly watchable but nothing spectacular. However, the supernatural inclusion is logistical and the film does have many gripping moments throughout.

I would be very intrigued to see if Branagh would adapt Curtain: Poirot’s Last Case, as the plot synopsis sounds incredible and we would see Poirot at a distinctively different stage in his life.