The latest in the Kenneth Branagh directed/starring Agatha Christie adaptations, this one based on her book “Hallowe’en Party”. Branagh stars as Hercule Poirot, retired to Venice, having lost his faith in humanity. A writer friend finds him and forces him to attend a Halloween séance of a girl who committed suicide by jumping into the canals, challenging him to debunk what she believes is the real thing. Well, people start getting murdered and things start happening that he struggles to explain, and soon he’s back in form. With the help of some ghosts (?), he unravels the mystery, or does he?
This isn’t 100% horror, though there’s some ghosts and other horror elements, but it’s 100% a Halloween movie. Also, it’s great. It should be no surprise that a movie with this caliber of talent is flawless. What I really appreciated though is the level at which the spooky stuff in the movie appears. It’s a perfect example of what happens when a ridiculously experienced and talented filmmaker does horror with respect.
5 out of 5
A Haunting in Venice on IMDB