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Hello Cinephiles,
Today we’re talking about the 2023 film A Haunting in Venice.
Story
I haven’t read Hallowe’en Party and can’t speak to how faithful this is to the original plot.
That being said, this is the most fast paced of the three Branagh Poirot movies and definitely the darkest. The story is a fascinating mystery with a lot of ghostly dressing. The pace is slowed and story hurt by the humdrum attempts at integrating horror clichés into it.
Score: 0.5
Characters
There is a massive disparity in quality in acting. Branagh and Yeoh are absolutely fabulous and the kid is amazing. The rest of the cast is passable.
The characters are believable and act accordingly.
Score: 0.5
Dialogue
There’s a near poetry to the banter and dialogue of the characters. Yeoh’s confrontation with Branagh is spectacular.
Score: 1
Visuals and Music
The movie was filmed on location and it adds a level of authenticity. The sets are great. Despite the jump scares and a few odd angles, the cinematography is a wonderful mix of the mystery and horror styles.
Score: 1
Fun
I’m both proud and a little disappointed that I guessed the killer, method, and blackmailer way before I should have. It was, however, a fun movie to experience.
It being on the scarier side means I watched it on my own.
Score: 1
Overall
An excellent movie with a fun Halloween twist. The acting is a little uneven and the mystery watered down, but a worthy successor to the other two films and a fun watch. Branagh and Yeoh are fabulous as usual.
Final Score: 4 Stars out of 5