A Haunting in Venice

The 2023 film is a loose adaptation of Agatha Christie's 1969 novel "Hallowe'en Party." The movie alters the setting from the original English country house to a decaying, haunted palazzo in Venice, Italy. It incorporates supernatural horror elements that are not heavily present in the original text.

While it is the third film in the Kenneth Branagh-led Poirot series, you do not strictly need to watch the previous movies to follow the plot. It functions as a standalone murder mystery, though it does reference Poirot's retirement following the events of "Death on the Nile." Watching the others just provides more context for the detective's emotional state.

Despite being set in Venice, Italy, the movie was primarily filmed at Pinewood Studios in the United Kingdom. The production built massive, intricate sets to recreate the atmosphere of a haunted Venetian palazzo. This allowed director Kenneth Branagh to have precise control over the lighting and suspenseful camera work.

The film features an ensemble cast including Michelle Yeoh, Tina Fey, Jamie Dornan, and Kelly Reilly. Tina Fey plays the mystery writer Ariadne Oliver, while Michelle Yeoh portrays the eerie medium Joyce Reynolds. The shifting suspicions among this talented cast drive the film's central murder investigation.