Film Preview: Death on the Nile (2022)

Film Poster

Page Revisions:

(August 23, 2020) Original
(February 6, 2022) New Posters (#5-#12)

Release Date:

October 23,2020

Synopsis:

From IMDb: “While on vacation on the Nile, Hercule Poirot must investigate the murder of a young heiress.”

Poster Rating: A / B+ / A / B+ / B- (7) / B+

SEE ALL POSTERS BELOW
Review: (#1) Cribbing successfully from Branagh’s prior Christie remake Murder on the Orient Express was a wise decision. This one brings the murderous intrigue from a train to a boat and from Europe to Egypt in a visually pleasing way. (#2) Another strong Disney Asian market design.

(#3) Cast photos on posters don’t always work, especially ones at odd angles, but this one really does. It could be the lovely colorscape, which has that wonder Golden Hour glow or it could be the off-kilter tilt. Either way, this is a surprisingly strong design. (#4) As proof of the prior concept, this one at a normal angle and with a more evenly colored lighting doesn’t work nearly as well, making it all feel a bit too pat.

(#5-#11) What’s most disappointing that, unlike Murder on the Orient Express, not all of the characters got their own poster, though it seems clear they are playing into the style of that prior effort, which is appealing enough, but which does get tiresome. (#12) Whoever is designing these cast posters needs to work for more productions with prominent casts. These are so well integrated with eye-catching detail that it’s a pleasure to see each new effort.

Trailer Rating: C+ / B

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Review: (#1) The trailer feels so artificially constructed, down to the anachronistic ’80s tune. It’s like the elegance of an Agatha Christie Adaptation is lost on the maker. It’s the kind of design that doesn’t quite engage with those who find the predecessor an excellent picture and may not be bothered to see this one.

(#2) Rushing through the images gives the film a more chaotic effect than it might otherwise have had and while some of the imagery is notable from the original 1978 adaptation, it doesn’t add much interest to existing Agatha Christie fans, which may or may not be intentional.

Oscar Prospects:

When the original Murder on the Orient Express was released, it was an Oscar hit, but its follow up Christie adaptation came out, Death on the Nile managed a single nomination for Best Costume Design. For this reboot series from Kenneth Branagh, the first version of Murder on the Orient Express picked up no nominations. I expect the trend to continue with this one.