Whodunit? That’s the classic question asked in this week’s highly anticipated release, “Murder on the Orient Express.”

The film is based on a novel by the queen of mystery: Agatha Christie. It follows famous detective Hercule Poirot, played by Kenneth Branagh, who also directs the film and sports a very exciting mustache. Poirot boards the Orient Express on a trip back to London from Istanbul and ends up right in the middle of a mystery where every passenger is a suspect.

The passengers are portrayed by Johnny Depp, Leslie Odom Jr., Olivia Colman, Judi Dench, Penélope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Josh Gad, Michelle Pfeiffer, Daisy Ridley and others. It’s a star-studded list that could only be garnered by the reputation as one of Christie’s most beloved novels, which has been adapted to radio, TV movies and episodes, films and video games.

Simran Hans, a film critic for The Observer, gave the film four out of five stars and praised this new adaptation for its nostalgia and lavishness. It doesn’t try to reinvent Christie, which the critic said is a wise decision. Although the film was shot on 65mm film instead of using digital, this adaptation updates some aspects of the story by having the characters call out the racism of the early 20th century.

Empire gave the film three out of five stars, calling it well-crafted but arguing that it it’s not as effective in our modern time. The film has some early-20th-century sensibilities that will not be relevant to viewers. Additionally, since there are so many stars, many of them don’t have the screen time to fully develop their characters.

The Hollywood Reporter agreed somewhat with Empire, arguing that the film was great but unnecessary as yet another adaptation of Christie’s novel. According to the Reporter’s critic, the most obvious difference between this film and its previous adaptation is the size of Poirot’s mustache.

If you’re looking for something visually lavish and different, make a stop at the theater closest to you, especially if you haven’t seen the other adaptations or read the book. Mysteries have been missing from Hollywood’s lineup lately, so if this story is new to you, it’s worth watching. If you remember the ending well, find another Christie novel to read this weekend. You can always go see “Thor: Ragnarok” again, too.

As for me, I think I’m going to get my ticket to board the Orient Express.

Nicki Zelenak is a sophomore television, radio and film major. She can be reached at nezelena@syr.edu.

Published on November 6, 2017 at 10:25 pm