Kenneth Branagh stars as the fictional detective, Hercules Poirot, in this new film adaptation of Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express. When a passenger dies from multiple knife wounds and the train becomes trapped in snow, Poirot must figure out which one of his traveling companions committed murder.
It’s a beautiful-looking movie with great acting by all the stars, including Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Daisy Ridley, and Leslie Odom Jr. But if I hadn’t read the book beforehand, I would have had some trouble following along with the twists in the story. There are so many suspects on the train that some characters are more or less ignored until Poirot discovers their connections to the victim. And when he does make those discoveries, there are times when he talks so quickly that he can be difficult to understand. If you’re not paying close attention, you may find yourself thinking, “Wait, what just happened?”
Still, I recommend Murder on the Orient Express if you’ve read the book. Kenneth Branagh gives an entertaining performance as Hercules Poirot, which makes it worth watching.