I enjoyed Murder on the Orient Express more than most folks but there’s no denying it did have one big flaw, one that more recent murder mysteries have also suffered from, the murder reveal being too obvious and predictable. Murder mysteries tend to be a tricky subgenre to pull off. It’s not just about trying to make the actual twists and turns be shocking yet also makes sense within the context of the movie but also make it to where the audience actually gives a damn about what happens between the murder itself and the eventual reveal. There’s also have to be enough going on to make the viewers want to watch it over and over again despite knowing who was behind all of what transpires. That’s something that Rian Johnson’s Knives Out did so incredibly well. Even if you were to guess who the killer was before the reveal, there was still enough to chew on during and after the picture. The characters throughout the movie were not only played by wonderful actors and actresses but their characters felt flesh out and three-dimensional with intriguing backstories and depth that make the story turns feel real and organic but also engaging and surprising. There was a lot to digest with that picture and made it very rewatchable even after watching it the first time and knowing where it will all lead too. That’s something that Kenneth Branagh’s first murder mystery was lacking and it’s even more lacking in Death on the Nile.
Like with Murder on the Orient Express, Death on the Nile lies heavily on it’s well-known cast of actors/actresses and stellar production design to be able to pull it through to the finish line and make it worthwhile. But not only does Nile lack the charms of the cast from Express (and I’m not just saying that because at least two or three of the cast members are in some hot water right now) and the polish of it’s productions but it lacks the one thing that Express did very right, creating an actual claustrophobic atmosphere. In Murder on the Orient Express, the actual setting taking place on the train help give the feeling of no one being safe because how 90% of the movie took place in a small train surrounded by a big cast. Death on the Nile on the other hand spends way too much time off the Nile itself that it’s hard to get a sense of intensity and dread for anyone on board. Even when there’s a certain sequence of events that happens when some of the characters go to Egypt, it’s hard to get a grasp to the actual stakes of the characters and also eliminates potential suspects from the picture that you’ll already be crossing out names of who can or can not be a suspect or the killer.
And it doesn’t help with how slow the pacing is for the first half. Despite the movie just being over two hours, it feels longer than that. The movie takes way too long to get things going on the Nile and the actual murder itself doesn’t happen until nearly an hour into the picture. Things do pick up in the second half but there’s just not enough intrigue going on in the middle to make seeing all the clues coming together seem interesting. It’s ironic how I’m more fascinated about seeing the origin story to Kenneth Branagh’s mustache (Yes, that actually happens!) than I am of seeing a murder mystery unfold before my very eyes.
If anything, the majority of the cast are giving more things to work with than the first film, especially the returning Tom Bateman’s Bouc who is a bit more effective here than before. You also have Emma Mackey’s Jackie who is able to stand out and hold her own with the rest of the cast, Russell Brand who is unrecognizable as Linus, and Kenneth Branagh who he and his mustache once again steal the show and is the best part of the movie. The rest of the cast is serviceable although the less said about Armie Hammer and Letitia Wright off-screen issues along with Gal Gadot’s “on the Nile” moment the better.
Despite the actual aesthetics being more inconsistent this time around (some of the green screen is painfully obvious), the old-fashioned style is felt gracefully throughout the movie. The costumes and lightening all blend well with the time period that this movie is set in (even though the prologue is shot in Noir for some reason). Branagh once again shows that he can shine off the camera just as much as he does on it. If only the same thing could be said about Michael Green’s screenplay.
Death on the Nile isn’t the worst time waster in the world but there are definitely plenty others ones that are more worthy of your time. While the cast is giving more to do than before and the old style feel to it might suck in older audience members who are hungry for more of these kind of movies, it lacks with presenting an engaging mystery to be invested in and and not enough time on the Nile to feel any uncertainty. Hopefully, Daniel Craig and his Southern accent is up to the task in his own second murder mystery!
Adam's Blog 