In which Olivia Colman gets to swear colourfully and fluently.
It's respectability politics. It's slightly romanticised small-town politics and malignant gossip. It's white woman tears, weaponised, and a whole “cycle of abuse” storyline.
This was quite fun to watch, and had a decently satisfying ending.
I didn't initially realise that this was part of a series of Branagh-directed Poirot films. It's an atmospheric, creepy murder mystery. Set mostly in a country house, like locked-room-style Poirot stories, it almost feels claustrophobic, and it could probably be set anywhere, not specific to Venice. The story is interesting enough though: a murder in the framing of a ghost story; post-war memories; strong characters.
Speaking of aesthetic, Branagh's moustache is impressive.