I had high hopes for Death on the Nile but had my doubts because of my dislike for the recent remake of Murder on the Orient Express. Well I am very pleased to say that this remake far surpasses Branagh’s previous Agatha Christie endeavor.
The script for Death on the Nile is tighter and more focused, which pulls audiences into the plot. There are plenty of twists and turns and the characters are all very interesting. And the cast assembled here gives this their all and turn in fine performances. This is a remake that seems to really appreciate Agatha Christie and her work.
The meat of the film is savory and satisfying. An ensemble murder mystery must be thrilling, have good pacing, and keep us guessing for the most part.
Thankfully, this film does all of those things. The plot moves along at a very nice pace, not too slow and not at all rushed. There are a number of revelations that are interesting to see revealed. The unmasking of the killer is not the only surprise this film has to offer up, it sprinkles minor surprises along the way to the ultimate reveal.
I like this approach a lot. Treating the audience to a series of twists leading up to the grand finale keeps us engaged and enthralled. The script does a fine job of not only crafting an entertaining mystery but also assembling a group of characters that are very interesting and diverse. I liked the characters in this more than I thought I would. They do a nice job of giving everyone a certain amount of depth.
Sometimes in an ensemble piece such as this, character development can be neglected. I was very happy to see that the filmmakers here understood that these characters deserved some layering. It just makes for a better story overall if you provide each of your characters with a certain level of detail.
The cast members that portray these characters are very talented and give this their all. I especially loved Jennifer Saunders and Dawn French in their roles, they both do a great job and they get some interesting character arcs. Annette Bening is marvelous as always, she is just one of Hollywood’s finest. Emma Mackey, who I’m not too familiar with, turns in a great performance as the scorned ex-fiancé who may or may not be up to no good. Sophie Okonedo is another one that gives an engrossing performance. I want to see more of her in future films! And yes, Gal Gadot and Armie Hammer both do a nice job and have a decent amount of romantic chemistry.
The costume design is another aspect that deserves praise. The gowns and suits are lavish and elegant and fit in very well with the setting. The scenery of Egypt is luscious and gives us something grand and magnificent to look at along the way. Even if some of it was CGI, it still looked convincing and beautiful.
Amongst all this positivity, there was really only one thing that I wasn’t a huge fan of and that was the way in which the film opened. The opening doesn’t have a lot to do with the actual plot and focuses on something that is a very minor detail of the film. I thought there could have been a more relevant way to kick things off.
Death on the Nile is a very entertaining murder mystery remake that is grounded by a well crafted script and a talented cast.
Join the AIPT Patreon
Want to take our relationship to the next level? Become a patron today to gain access to exclusive perks, such as:
- ❌ Remove all ads on the website
- 💬 Join our Discord community, where we chat about the latest news and releases from everything we cover on AIPT
- 📗 Access to our monthly book club
- 📦 Get a physical trade paperback shipped to you every month
- 💥 And more!
You must be logged in to post a comment.