A Haunting in Venice is Third movie is Kenneth Branagh's Poirot movie series, coming just a year after Death on the Nile though I think that movie got caught up in the Fox acquisition and the pandemic. Personally I thought Murder on the Orient Express was decent, Death on the Nile not so much, serviceable but not great for this third I did not have high hopes. Anyway turns out this movie is pretty good and is the best one out of the three.

The main novelty of the prior 2 films has been the very star studded casts and Kenneth Branagh's performance as Poirot. Kenneth's performance is on point but in this case the cast is smaller, more new comers, the story is a bit more smaller scale but it works really well. The movie looks good, Death on the Nile had some questionable CG but this mainly taking place in one big Palazzo, the sets and props get to shine. There are still effects and Venice needs to not look modern but yeah it works. I will say Kenneth seems to love that Dutch Angle and when it works it works but its maybe a bit much.

On the cast its def not as star studded as prior entries but they are all pretty good. I was a bit here or there on Tina Fey, I have watched so much 30 Rock that I can't help but see Liz Lemon and there is a bit of that especially when she first shows up but it ends up working out. Michelle Yeoh as the medium does a pretty stelar job especially during the actual séance. It is a bit weird how much of the cast is Brits and Americans but it does not detract from anyway.

Overall I think the smaller scale, "supernatural" themes really work well for the movie and the mysteries it presents. Was not sure about the series after Death on the Nile but A Haunting in Venice works really well, it’s the best of the three and hope we get to see more of Kenneth Branagh's version of Hercule Poirot.

A Haunting in Venice is out now on Disney+ along with the rest of Kenneth Branagh's Poirot movies

8/10