'A Haunting In Venice' review: Kenneth Branagh tackles the varied and evolving world of Agatha Christie

In the world of Agatha Christie adaptations, there is always a delicate balance to be struck between staying true to the source and modernizing the narrative for contemporary audiences. A Haunting in Venice is Kenneth Branagh's third venture into this territory and may have finally found his stride with these films. In addition to Branagh, the film stars Tina Fey, Michelle Yeoh, Kelly Reilly, Jamie Dornan, Camille Cottin and more.

In Venice 1947, Hercule Periot (Branaugh) is retired and is no longer a detective, but Adriane (Fey), a mystery writer looking for her next hit story, convinces him to accompany her to a seance to find out if the medium chosen for the event is a liar. What they discover is that this house is the site of a tragedy. The Palazzo's current owner, Rowena (Reilly), an opera singer, contacted medium Mrs. Reynolds (Yeoh) to get in touch with a relative who died there.

There's tension in the air, as strange things start happening like falling chimneys and opening doors, but that's not enough to convince everyone that there are ghosts out there. Mrs. Reynolds comes into contact with other spirits in the house. She makes contact with someone who was murdered in the house, but before anyone can find out what happened to her, the medium wakes up from her trance. Now that it has moved from the supernatural to a murder mystery, Periot's interest is peaked as he aims to get the answers Mrs. Reynold couldn't find.

From the start, the mystery unfolds at a brisk pace. Even though there is a heightened sense of anticipation, the plot is somewhat predictable. However, that doesn't take away from the experience, but the plot events aren't as exciting as the movie would like. However, in terms of tone, A Haunting in Venice regains a maturity that its predecessors may have lacked. There's a balanced seriousness that anchors the narrative with a subtle blend of well-executed elements. One of the characteristics of Branagh's direction in this episode is his particular choice to frame the characters off-center. This unusual style could be interpreted in several ways: perhaps as a reflection of the characters' misaligned motivations or simply as a different approach to classic storytelling.

The cast, which includes Michelle Yeoh, Tina Fey, Jamie Dornan, Kelly Reilly and Camille Cotton, all deliver measured performances that avoid the theatrics that can sometimes plague mystery adaptations. It's a cast with a real chemistry that goes together well.

The film benefits from its reduced approach. Previous adaptations, with their star-studded casts and expansive settings, seemed vast, perhaps too vast for the intimate mys...