Death on the Nile Early Reviews: Branagh's Mystery Better Than The Last
The reviews for Kenneth Branagh's latest Hercule Poirot mystery, Death on the Nile, have arrived ahead of Friday's release. After striking surprise box office gold with the star-studded Murder on the Orient Express in 2017, Branagh has revived his iteration of Poirot for his second Agatha Christie adaptation. In Death on the Nile, Poirot is traveling aboard a river steamer called the S.S. Karnak when one of the wealthy passengers is murdered, leaving it up to the mustachioed detective to track down whoever is responsible. Much like Murder on the Orient Express, Death on the Nile features a buzzy cast that includes Gal Gadot, Annette Bening, Letitia Wright, Rose Leslie, Emma Mackey, and Russell Brand.
Leading up to its release, Death on the Nile has been beset by numerous obstacles. In addition to being delayed multiple times since its original November 2019 date, leading man Armie Hammer has become the subject of immense controversy after women came forward last year accusing him of sexual abuse and assault. Hammer was dropped from numerous projects following the allegations, but Death on the Nile was unable to replace him. The marketing for the film has, as a result, worked to keep attention off him. There has also been some controversy over Wright due to her anti-vaxx comments over the past year.
Real life issues aside, the critics have shared their thoughts on Death on the Nile, and the consensus is rather favorable. Many have called it better than Murder on the Orient Express, though there are still some who take issue with a slower beginning and Branagh's direction. Certain members of the cast have received praise - Hammer included. Scroll on to see a sampling of what the critics are saying about Death on the Nile.
Mae Abdulbaki, Screen Rant
Death on the Nile is a solid film overall, one that is elevated by its intriguing mystery and the ways in which it gives each character a backstory, leaving the audience suspicious of every single one of them at some point throughout (at least for those unfamiliar with Christie’s novel and the identity of the killer).
David Ehrlich, IndieWire
Branagh had fun with the detective’s “accuse first, accept an iron-clad alibi later” approach in the previous movie, but he really makes a meal of it here — all the better to convey how difficult it can be to accept love in your life when you feverishly blame everyone you meet of committing an elaborate murder. If that method slows the film’s second act into a repetitive series of mile-a-minute monologues, it helps that Branagh’s supporting all bring a little something to the table.
David Rooney, THR
The film is satisfying enough, though more so as glossy, old-school entertainment than diabolically clever mystery. In gorgeous widescreen compositions, cinematographer Haris Zambarloukas’ camera prowls the elegant interiors and magnificent Egyptian settings with a needling purpose too often absent in plotting that should be tighter, more precision-tooled.
Owen Gleiberman, Variety
I won’t reveal who gets killed, but the fact that we actively miss that person works for the movie. So does Hammer’s performance as the wily, arrogant, exceedingly tan Simon — the actor’s presence in the film, after accusations of abuse were leveled against him, has been considered problematic, but it must be said that he pops onscreen more than most of the other actors.
Ross Bonaime, Collider
By the end of Death on the Nile, Branagh doesn’t allow his audience to feel the pride that Poirot usually has in solving this type of case, as he’s lost all joy in his cleverness with this puzzle. But rather, Branagh makes the audience feel that profane disgust of seeing mankind at its worst. It’s not the type of reaction one expects from a star-studded puzzle film like this, but Branagh plays this despondent conclusion extremely well.
Charlie Ridgely, ComicBook.com
It's such a joy to watch the layers of this mystery unfold over the film's second half. I wouldn't say it completely justifies the length of the first half, but you certainly stop thinking about how much time it took to get there. And that extra character work early on does have some payoff.
Dan Jolin, Empire
An improvement on Murder On The Orient Express, with the increased focus on Branagh’s Poirot (even with its strange moustache obsession) welcome enough to distract from the problems with some of its ensemble and its too-obvious reliance on VFX.
Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian
Screenwriter Michael Green has adapted the 1937 novel with some new inventions: some people of colour are introduced, and Christie’s intense dislike for her wealthy-hypocrite leftwing character has been dialled down. Most startlingly, Green invents a very good prelude showing the young Poirot’s service in the trenches of the first world war, and the origin of that moustache. Nothing in the rest of this rather stale and two-dimensional tale matches the brio of that opening.
Robert Abele, The Wrap
Branagh’s indulgences can grate, but you also sense how much he loves it all, which helps. It also helps that production designer Jim Clay’s elaborate recreations (of an age-specific steamer and Aswan’s Cataract Hotel) and Paco Delgado’s stylish period clothing make for steadily appealing visuals, and that the story is one of Christie’s more tantalizing, hot-tempered mysteries.
Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times
All that said, it’s no great hardship to watch “Death on the Nile”; it looks pretty, feels pleasantly old-school and is over within shouting distance of the two-hour mark. Is it worth leaving home for? Probably not. I’m hoping, though, that we haven’t seen the last of Branagh’s Poirot; I suspect he might have a few more cases up his elegantly tailored sleeve.
Overall, Death on the Nile doesn’t seem to be too much in danger of being dragged down by its offscreen issues. Whether audiences will be willing to put everything aside remains to be seen, but as a movie, Death on the Nile has largely won over its early viewers. Some have even called it one of Branagh’s best, which is a real bit of praise considering his previous film, last fall’s Belfast, is one of the frontrunners for this year’s Oscars. His directing style when it comes to these Poirot mysteries still seems to draw mixed reactions, but Branagh’s performance as the detective is considered a highlight this time around.
Other members of the cast that have received special praise include Mackey and Sophie Okonedo. The critics were, expectedly, more mixed on Hammer, and not just because of the allegations against him. Death on the Nile appears to have a slower start than hoped for, and it does have to work with a large cast that might not always get their due. Nevertheless, if one was let down by Murder on the Orient Express, it might be that Death on the Nile can make up for past mistakes.
Source: Various (see above)