Thursday, November 9, 2017

Murder on the Orient Express Movie Review

Kenneth Branagh directs & stars in Murder on the Orient Express

A Riot of Clues

Rotten Tomatoes Plot: What starts out as a lavish train ride through Europe quickly unfolds into one of the most stylish, suspenseful and thrilling mysteries ever told. From the novel by best-selling author Agatha Christie, "Murder on the Orient Express" tells the tale of thirteen strangers stranded on a train, where everyone's a suspect. One man must race against time to solve the puzzle before the murderer strikes again. Kenneth Branagh directs and leads an all-star cast including Penélope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Judi Dench, Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Daisy Ridley and Josh Gad.


Branagh tackles Christie's greatest mystery in Murder on the Orient Express; and for the most part, pulls it off. It looks gorgeous (kudos to cinematographer Haris Zambarloukos) with all sorts of interesting angles and people... although the cast isn't as good as the 1974 film, save for the equally delightful Branagh and Depp. Unfortunately, the murder (and subsequent investigation) aren't half as compelling as the first 45 minutes; and the last hour+ closer resembles an old episode of Columbo. That said, it stays true to the original story, and has plenty of star power to warrant closer inspection. All aboard.

Grade: B-