By McLean Grimes
Staff Writer
“The Death on the Nile” fails to captivate the audience with a predictable plot.
“The Death on the Nile” was released on February 11th and includes an incredible cast. Kenneth Branagh directed the film while also playing Hercule Poirot, the detective of the three murders. Other cast members include Simon Doyle (Armie Hammer), Linnet Ridgeway (Gal Gadot), Louise Bourget (Rose Leslie), Jacqueline De Bellefort (Emma Mackey), Bouc (Tom Beteman).
The movie was an adaptation from Agitha Christie’s book, The Death on the Nile. Since the book has been published, there have been many adaptations including “Murder on the Orient Express” from 2017 leading up to the 2022 version. It looks into the life of Linnet Ridgeway and Simon Doyle. They met after Jacqueline, Simon’s fiance at the time, introduced the two. After that, it only took a couple of weeks for them to get married. Jacqueline’s constant appearance wherever they go makes the newly wed couple on edge. Their solution is to buy a beautiful riverboat that set sail on the Nile to continue the wedding celebration between Linnet and Simon. However, it all turns to chaos when Jacqueline shows up on the boat and the first death on the Nile occurs, leaving room for the savvy detective, Hercule Poirot, to start his investigation of the murder.
At a certain point, the killer’s identity became obvious so hearing Poirot convene interviews to people on the ship was a bit monotonous. Since there were 13 characters on the riverboat, each wasn’t developed personally. The only time they had to tell their own story was during their interview however this got confusing as there were so many of them and with that, so many different problems and affairs. The only one who was really developed was Poirot, but even with him there was still confusion on his background and what happened to him after getting off the riverboat.
However, the film wasn’t a complete let down because the screenplay was still amazing to watch unfold. Towards the end of the movie there were still some twists that had the viewer on the edge of their seat.
The cinematography throughout the movie was illuminating. The riverboat was gorgeous and since it was set in the 1930s, all of the costumes were glamorous and the music fit in well. The director did a wonderful job displaying the Nile’s beauty on screen. From the sunsets to looking out on the water, it only tempted the audience to take a trip to Egypt themself.
Even though the plot is slow, “The Death on the Nile” was still a great movie. It portrays betrayal, love, mystery, and suspense and is certainly a worthwhile watch.
Released on February 11th, “Death on the Nile” is rated PG-13 and is available in theaters.
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