The movie “A Haunting in Venice,” directed by Kenneth Branagh, is a supernatural thriller with a mystery theme that takes inspiration from Agatha Christie’s novel “Hallowe’en Party” (1969). The renowned actor and Oscar winner Kenneth Branagh plays the lead role of detective Hercule Poirot, a well-known character in the genre of crime fiction.
The film is a sequel to Murder on the Orient Express (2017) and Death on the Nile (2022), and will open in theatres nationwide September 15, 2023.
While the novel’s original plot is set in an English village, “A Haunting in Venice” takes place in spooky post-World War II Venice. The film adaptation, on the other hand, features a similar scary mystery involving the return of the famed Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot. Poirot, now retired and exiled in the world’s most glamorous metropolis, unwillingly attends a séance at a decaying, haunted palazzo. When one of the guests is murdered, the detective is plunged into a dark world of shadows and secrets.
Check out the teaser trailer here for “A Haunting in Venice”
Genre(s): Mystery, Horror
Starring: Kenneth Branagh, Kyle Allen, Camille Cottin, Jamie Dornan, Tina Fey, Jude Hill, Ali Khan, Emma Laird, Kelly Reilly, Riccardo Scamarcio, and Michelle Yeoh.
Director: Kenneth Branagh
Cinematography: Haris Zambarloukos
Distributed by 20th Century Studios
Release Date: September 15, 2023
About the novel and the original plot
Agatha Christie’s mystery novel “Hallowe’en Party” was first published in 1969. The primary character in the novel is Hercule Poirot, who is assigned to investigate the murder of a young girl named Joyce Reynolds at a Halloween party. The plot is set in the village of Woodleigh Common, and as Poirot investigates the case, he uncovers a labyrinth of secrets and lies that eventually leads him to the culprit. The novel is noteworthy for its intricate storyline, cunning twists, and vivid and atmospheric depiction of Halloween festivities in an English village.
