Film Review - A Haunting in Venice (2023)

A Haunting in Venice is the third Poirot film to star and be directed by Kenneth Branagh and sees Poirot living in Venice in 1947 semi retired when an old friend of his an author (Tina Fey) invites him to a séance hosted by a former Opera singer (Kelly Reilly) which will also host a psychic (Michelle Yeoh) who can talk to the dead but when she herself is found dead Poirot becomes determined to find the murderer.

A Haunting in Venice unlike Knives Out 2 has actually gone to movie theatres and the film is better for it as this movie has much more of a horror mystery vibe and it really works very well with the dark lighting, the winds crashing against the Venice bay, the pouring rain, the shadows in the house and the hints of something darker regarding the history of the house itself and Branagh directs these moments very well even if at times he does one too many Dutch angles.

Also effective is the cast, Branagh is a great actor and he is clearly enjoying playing Poirot but he also has a better ensemble than he did in Death on the Nile starting with Kelly Reilly aka Beth on Yellowstone and when she first came on screen in this movie I lit up and thought “That’s Beth :D”, Fey at times feels like she’s playing an ancestor of her character on the Only Murders in the Building TV series but she is fun as well while Yeoh has a small role but makes the most of it, I also enjoyed seeing little Jude Hill from Belfast in a supporting role and Camille Cottin, Emma Laird and Riccardo Scamarcio are good in their roles as well.

And so that was A Haunting in Venice and it’s a good time at the movies especially in the lead up to Halloween and if you like murder mysteries or Kenneth Branagh as I do, 3 and a half out of 5.