Death on the Nile (2020)

I’d say the movie is just okay—pretty middle-of-the-road—but man, it is total eye candy. Since I already knew the story inside out, there wasn't really anything in the plot that tripped me up.
Actually, unlike some of the other people chiming in here, I kind of dug how they leaned into those anachronistic details, the fashion, and all that stuff. And honestly? The diversity in the cast didn't bother me one bit.
That said, Gal Gadot is incredibly grating in this, and I have to agree with the consensus—Russell Brand looks like he has absolutely nothing to do in this film.

I caught this the other day, mostly because Death on the Nile is hands down my favorite Agatha Christie story, and the episode featuring David Suchet is absolutely phenomenal. Honestly? That episode puts this version to shame. Despite being based on top-tier material, the movie is just aggressively mediocre. If I hadn't already seen the Suchet version, this wouldn't have come anywhere close to capturing me the way the book does.

The way they butchered the characters just for the sake of the plot was incredibly frustrating. Gal Gadot is a stunning woman, but man, she really can't act. Out of everyone, Tom Bateman (Bouc) was the best performer. Emma Mackey was solid too, though I felt like she was given far too little to do; after that shooting scene, she practically vanishes.

Personally, Russell Brand didn't bother me; he played his part adequately. In fact, he definitely outacted Gal.☕ He was even kind of hot in this 🙈
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As for Kenneth Branagh... sorry, but Suchet is the only Poirot for me. And that mustache is just hideous.

6.5/10

Kate Walker73 said:Personally, I didn't have any issues with Brand in the movie—I actually thought he was pretty spot on. Honestly, his performance was way better than Gal's, if we're being real.☕ I mean, am I the only one who thinks she’s actually hot in this movie? 🙈

👍Honestly, whenever I see him, I can’t help but immediately think of his YouTube channel—it’s just hardwired in my brain at this point. Because of that, I found his performance a little hard to swallow. Was it just me? 😁

Betty Nelson71 said:Is it just me, or does Kenneth not really work for you? He was fine in HP, but nowhere else. As Poirot, he just gets on my nerves—it’s like he’s overacting. Too much affectation, almost like he’s playing a caricature of the character.
And what about that creep, did they cut him from the movie or not?

Yeah, his part in HP was actually pretty solid.

He's doing that same over-the-top thing here, kind of like in the Tenet Quote.

vividstag16 said:My main gripe is that they didn't even shoot on location—it was all done in the United Kingdom. Supposedly a few bits were filmed in Africa, but without any of the actors. Mostly just heavy CGI.🤦The landscapes often look like they were pulled straight out of some kid's fairy tale about princes and princesses.😵I'm not saying it doesn't look nice, but in this case, it just didn't do it for me.

Look, CGI is fine with me when we're talking big sci-fi action spectacles, but for an Agatha Christie mystery adaptation... yeah, thanks, but no thanks.☕

This feels like a movie made for the younger crowd—the ones who haven't read Agatha and haven't seen the classics. Sure... they'll probably love it.👍

It's similar to Orient Express, where in America we see mountain ranges that would make the Himalayas jealous, or Black police officers, etc. 🙏

Christian Myers said:Does it mention America? In Suchet's version, they mentioned a small town in the Midwest.

In Death on the Nile, did they mention a small town in the Midwest? I can't recall.🤔

In Orient Express, they mention a small town in the Midwest and a river.

Christian Myers said:I'm not planning on seeing this one, and I'm certainly not the first. For me, David Suchet is the one and only Poirot. And honestly, that's probably why Branagh looks so terrible in the trailer.

I’m with you there—Branagh just doesn't feel like Poirot to me, and don't even get me started on the mustache. 🤦

Eric Fox7 said:I think they mentioned a place like St. Louis in Death on the Nile—or maybe I'm just misremembering? 🤔

In Murder on the Orient Express, they mention St. Louis and a riverboat.

For me, Branagh doesn't really feel like Poirot either—and don't even get me started on the mustache. 🤦

Looks like I just made myself look silly by mixing up two different movies and books. I was thinking of Orient Express, but that was the first part (not this one). 🙄🤦

The movie was exactly what I thought it would be. A solid 5/10. Pretty mid.

Just how many adaptations of this story are we supposed to sit through? It’s exhausting. David Suchet's Poirot is the gold standard, period. I have no intention of watching this.

Honestly, the soundtrack is the only thing saving this movie...

Gal G. looks stunning, but everything else? Total garbage. Especially all that forced, artificial political correctness they shoved in there.

Hey, quick question—has this book been released in American English yet?

You really should check out the version from the 70s starring Peter Ustinov—honestly, it's just better in every single way...

Jessica Doyle91 said:Little guy, was this book ever released in American?

Yeah, I remember reading it about 10 years ago. You can find it in most public libraries in cities like New York (maybe even elsewhere too) 😉

Christian Myers said:Yeah, I remember reading that about 10 years ago. You can find it in any major city library, like New York or Chicago, 😉

Thnx 😛ivo:

What a total waste of time... 2/10
I can't believe how much of my life I spent sitting through this, just hoping for a single redeeming moment...

It looks nice enough, but that’s about it.
The character development is a total disaster. It feels completely scattered, and then Poirot just dictates how everything went down at the end.
A mess. 🤦

The Film. Honestly, the supporting cast was an absolute disaster. I mean, I genuinely don't understand how anyone could call Gail an actress. She lacks charisma, she lacks talent—it’s just a pattern at this point, seeing her stumble from one movie to the next. And don't even get me started on the "woke" agenda; how that became the primary issue here is a bigger mystery to me than the actual plot. The movie misses the mark on basically everything a decent production should hit. The only saving grace, if you can even call it that, is the visuals. It looks nice, sure, but that's about it. I suppose those who enjoy that specific brand of nonsense will find something to love. 🍿

rustywalker1 said:It’s all just a mess of random bits thrown together until Poirot finally explains the whole thing.

Has anyone actually read a single book by Agatha Christie? 😁

The cinematography and set design were gorgeous, but honestly? The Film was just terrible.

Ashley Brown81 said:👍. Honestly, whenever I see him, I just think of his YouTube channel. It made it hard to take him seriously as a character. 😁

I get that, but he didn't distract me from the plot—it was more Poirot's mustache that did the job.☕

Taylor Gray5 said:The Film sucks. Most of the acting is just painful. I honestly don't get how anyone can call Gail an actress. She’s got zero charisma and basically no talent, which she proves in pretty much every movie she's in. It's a total mystery to me how the so-called "woke" crowd thinks she's their biggest issue here, especially since this thing misses the mark on everything a good movie should be. The only bright spot is that it looks decent visually. I guess if you're looking for a reason to hate it, there's plenty to go around. 🍿

Look, Gail might be a lot of things, but she isn't woke.

Part of the woke crowd just hates her because she proudly served in the military.

But that's got nothing to do with the actual movie.

She's super likable and seems like a sweet person, but yeah, she's definitely not a heavy hitter when it comes to acting.

Man, what a movie! I absolutely loved those shots on the bridge of the ship. Honestly though, they messed up pretty much everything.

Who even is this Gale lady? Apparently she was out there swimming or something. And then you've got some crazy guy firing off his revolver and supposedly messing up someone's mustache. Typical Englishmen, right?