This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, A HAUNTING IN VENICE being covered here wouldn’t exist.

A good old fashioned whodunit can soothe the soul. If you can somehow make it scary, that is even better. This appears to be the formula for success in Kenneth Branagh’s latest continuation of Hercule Poirot’s adventures, A HAUNTING IN VENICE. Set in post-World War II Europe, we see an incredibly cynical Poirot get dragged into a murder mystery. While the mystery is the core of the story, Branagh successfully manages the creepy atmosphere needed for this Halloween-set tale.

In 1947, we found our beloved Belgian detective (Kenneth Branagh) newly retired and living in Venice clad with bodyguard (Riccardo Scamarcio). He’s living a comfortably quiet (and boring) life until a familiar friend shows up at his doorstep, famed author Adriadne Oliver (Tina Fey). She brings a proposition. Come with her to a Halloween party and stay for a seance to try to crack how medium Joyce Reynolds (Michelle Yeoh) manages to be so convincing. As luck would have it, it turns out not to be such a simple thing. Before Poirot has a chance to figure out Reynolds’ tricks, a murder takes center stage that requires all his attention.

Featuring a stacked ensemble of characters and a prime-time creepy location in a haunted palazzo, a lot is working in A HAUNTING IN VENICE’s favor. The utilization of Venetian masks, cloaked figures, dark shadow puppetry, and more set the tone for the haunting that is to come. Ghosts and grief go hand in hand in this tale, and all characters are haunted by the aftereffects of tragedy and war.

Death and its companions

While we poo-poo the utilization of trauma in recent years’ films, no one can deny the all-too-real psychological impact of the World War. From the soldiers to those taken to the camps to the grieving mothers, the ripple effect of trauma and grief is like an all-consuming blanket, and it is wielded well here in A HAUNTING IN VENICE.

We see this even further in Branagh’s portrayal of a battle-fatigued Poirot. The reasoning behind his retirement is clear, regardless of whether you’ve seen previous Poirot films. Death is a haunting specter and warning, and Poirot’s attempts to avoid inviting further death weigh on his psyche throughout this film. We see it his in behavior and the dialogue, this is a man marked by death and his lifetime of experience with it.

Death has marked others. Kelly Reilly’s Rowena Drake drowns under the weight of grief surrounding the death of her daughter. Michelle Yeoh’s Joyce is magnificent, acknowledging how death has benefited her, but how it has proven to be a curse. Most devastating is Jude Hill’s Leopold, clearly forced to grow up too quickly to take care of his suffering father, Dr. Leslie Ferrier (Jamie Dornan).

Lost in translation, whether due to accents executed, sound mixing, or both (which is a note that carries for the bulk of the film), are the Holland siblings. Their motivations make sense, but for what they share with the audience and Poirot, and with the memories being so fresh, it was difficult to believe in Ali Khan’s and Emma Laird’s performances.

A HAUNTING IN VENICE surprises with its scares

While the haunting component of A HAUNTING IN VENICE is strong, supported by startling displays of sound and scenes that play around with our minds, the actual mystery itself is standard of an Agatha Christie story. This is despite how loose an adaptation this is. Where the story itself loses its touch is when the mysteries do get solved, proving all too convenient in execution and lacking in punch once finally delivered.

Regardless of its third act, A HAUNTING IN VENICE manages to keep its audience on the edge of their seat in part due to how successful the scary elements are. The cinematography and editing play a strong hand in its success, taking great advantage of the set and sound for shocking moments. With Branagh’s Poirot battling the ghosts that lurk behind every corridor, A HAUNTING IN VENICE proves to be a better Halloween story than anticipated. Just be prepared to struggle a bit with understanding what’s being said at times. Come for the mystery. Stay for the haunting atmosphere and jump-out-of-your-seat scares.

A HAUNTING IN VENICE will open in theaters nationwide on September 15, 2023.