Death on the Nile
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures | Release Date: February 11, 2022 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
52
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 51 Critic Reviews
Positive:
19
Mixed:
28
Negative:
4
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
91
Original-CinThom ErnstFeb 10, 2022
As is required of the story, Branagh isolates and imposes suspicions and conflicts so that every character becomes equal part victim and villain. Read full review
78
Austin ChronicleSteve DavisFeb 10, 2022
At first, you fear this uncharted emotionalism may undercut the delicious pleasures of Christie’s clever plotting, this one being a particularly nifty stumper, but in the end, it subtly enhances the film without being pretentious. Read full review
75
ColliderRoss BonaimeApr 12, 2022
Death on the Nile might have been a long time coming, but it’s one of the most alluring mysteries in years, and a great example of how Branagh can elevate iconic stories with grace and care. Read full review
75
Film ThreatRob RectorFeb 13, 2022
Death on the Nile is more solid and engaging than Murder on the Orient Express, and despite the questionable presence of Hammer, it makes for a great latter-day career tentpole for Branagh. He will hopefully continue the adventures of Poirot for years to come. Read full review
75
Paste MagazineAurora AmidonFeb 11, 2022
Still, despite the fact that there is hardly anyone in the cast that hasn’t either been accused of being a cannibal or anti-vaxxer, or is lacking in charisma, or both, Branagh does a masterful job of keeping the film’s spirit alive. Read full review
75
ObserverEmily ZemlerFeb 11, 2022
There’s an old-fashioned panache to the film that just works, offering viewers an undeniably enjoyable journey. Read full review
75
ReelViewsJames BerardinelliFeb 10, 2022
Die-hard Christie purists may be disappointed by some of the changes but, on the whole, Death on the Nile is faithful enough to tell the story and different enough to work better with modern-day concerns about diversity than the original text. Read full review
75
Chicago Sun-TimesRichard RoeperFeb 10, 2022
As for the murder mystery, some of the supporting players barely get enough screen time or enough of a backstory to be considered serious suspects, but even when “Death on the Nile” skirts the edge of camp, the fastidious and melancholy Poirot is always there to guide us through the rough spots and solve the case in the nick of time. Read full review
75
ConsequenceLiz Shannon MillerFeb 7, 2022
A far more intimate portrait of the detective than one might expect. Read full review
75
IndieWireDavid EhrlichFeb 7, 2022
Expensive but never fancy, and solid enough to emit a faint whiff of sophistication, this entire project is powered by the same eccentric confidence that allows Branagh to play Hercule Poirot like a neutered Pepé le Pew. Read full review
70
PolygonJoshua RiveraFeb 11, 2022
There is some allure to Death on the Nile’s old-fashioned appeal, with its wide shots, its warm hues, and its utter confidence that its mystery is enough to keep the audience interested. Read full review
70
New York Magazine (Vulture)Bilge EbiriFeb 11, 2022
When given the freedom, he can be one of the most overheated of directors, but the excess rarely feels cynical or cheap. In fact, it feels personal. You sense that he wants you to get excited about this stuff because he gets so excited about this stuff. Read full review
70
CNNBrian LowryFeb 8, 2022
There's obviously a bit of calculation in introducing more depth to Poirot, making him more interesting for Branagh to play. Yet the filmmakers manage to incorporate that without detracting from the central mystery, and the pace chugs along briskly enough, with plenty of stunning scenery when outside those stuffy cruise rooms. Read full review
70
IGNSiddhant AdlakhaFeb 7, 2022
It takes Death on the Nile far longer than it should to reach its most impactful moments, but actor-director Kenneth Branagh cares deeply enough about Detective Poirot to make it work. Read full review
67
Entertainment WeeklyLeah GreenblattFeb 7, 2022
In a post-Knives Out world, is a movie like this meant to be a classic whodunit for the whole family, or something more deliberately meta and modern? Branagh mostly lands on the former: a sort of sumptuous dinner-theater redux studded with stray bits of caricature, camp, and many CG pyramids. Read full review
63
Chicago TribuneMichael PhillipsFeb 10, 2022
I liked Death on the Nile a fair bit more than Branagh’s previous Christie film, partly because it’s a less predictable and schematic narrative to begin with, and partly because Branagh the actor has a way of outfoxing his own pedestrian direction. Read full review
63
Washington PostMichael O'SullivanFeb 8, 2022
The crime’s solution is fine and dandy, but it’s Poirot himself who most fascinates. This isn’t your grandmother’s Agatha Christie, in other words. It belongs to Branagh, heart and soul. Read full review
63
The Seattle TimesMoira MacdonaldFeb 7, 2022
While Poirot is always witty, few of the other characters are. Michael Green’s screenplay often feels weirdly detached, like we missed some crucial early scenes that tell us why we should care about these people. All that said, it’s no great hardship to watch Death on the Nile; it looks pretty, feels pleasantly old-school and is over within shouting distance of the two-hour mark. Read full review
63
Slant MagazineDan RubinsFeb 7, 2022
Once things get moving, it’s smooth sailing to the double-shocker of a denouement. Read full review
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