The consensus among audiences is that no other actor portrayed the character of Hercule Poirot as well as David Suchet. Though the 70 episodes have concluded it's still considered the definitive adaptation - and which episode of Poirot is the best will likely be debated forever. From 1989 to 2013, Agatha Christie's Poirot entertained fans of the ingenious detective. Born from the mind of Agatha Christie, the best-selling fiction author of all time, the Belgian detective has been interpreted on the big and small screens for decades to the joy of audiences everywhere. With those already in existence I don't know why this film was made.Hercule Poirot of Agatha Christie's Poirot is up there with Sherlock Holmes on the list of the most famous fictional detectives of all time, and here are the best Poirot episodes. Or watch the relevant episode in the brilliant David Suchet Poirot series. Similar to how I ended my review of Murder on the Orient Express, watch the excellent 1978 Peter Ustinov version instead. I assume Branagh only wanted French and Saunders in the film because he's a fan of them as a comedy duo, not because they were ideal for their roles (as they're not). The screenplay is cringy at times with all the unnecessary add-ons to the novel to accommodate modern viewers. The graphics and cinematography at least feel less fake here and are in fact the only positive as they do provide a richness of colour and a vibrance to proceedings. Murder on the Nile is largely more of the same: weak, dumbed-down adaptation, listless performances, style over substance. It felt like the classic Christie tale had been dumbed-down for modern audiences and substance sacrificed for style. Having watched the excellent 1974 version it was a definite sub-standard effort. You can tell it's being filmed in a studio in front of green screen rather than out in the snow with a real train. Where Branagh did dial things up was on the cinematography and effects but even there it falls flat: all the effects just make everything seem fake. Everything about it seemed flat and listless: paint-by-numbers adaptation, minimal intrigue (especially for a murder-drama), subdued, uninspired performances (despite an all-star cast), mindless action scenes. I should have known better than to watch this having watched Kenneth Branagh's adaptation of Murder on the Orient Express.

When Ridgeway is murdered suspicion naturally falls on de Bellefort but she has a cast iron alibi. Ridgeway stole him away from her and she seems intent on extracting some sort of retribution. The journey is soured by the appearance of Jacqueline de Bellefort, the ex-flame of Ridgeway's husband. The host is the extremely wealthy, recently married, heiress Linnet Ridgeway. Hercule Piorot is holidaying in Egypt when he is invited aboard a cruise down the Nile.

Hercule poirot series