REVIEW: Murder on the Orient Express · Screenfellas Entertainment

The solution is never as simple as you may believe at first. And itâ€™s not just the clues and conflicting stories that bring you to this conclusion - with a cast as star-studded as this, of course everyone is a suspect.

World-famous detective Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branaugh) is thrust yet again into murder and intrigue as he boards the Orient Express with several beguiling strangers and discovers the dead body of a shifty man named Ratchet (Johnny Depp). As the Express is halted by snowfall, Poirot must deduce which stranger has done the deed before the murderer strikes again.

This is a gorgeous movie. Iâ€™m sure itâ€™s the period piece setting and the celebrity aesthetic but oh my word, Orient Express is a gorgeous movie. Its effects may be wonky from time to time but along with the sparkle of the period, it boasts some creative cinematography that draws in the viewer and makes for an overall pleasant experience.

Kenneth Branaugh was the perfect Hercule Poiriot, bringing a lovable eccentricity to the role. Josh Gad also, surprisingly, has his moment to shine amongst the crowded cast, and of course Johnny Depp and Daisey Ridley are their usual talented selves. The cast on the whole brought the picture together.

The film is not without its flaws, though. I would say that the culprit seems obvious, but my point of view was sullied from the beginning as Iâ€™ve read the book. Though, there is an exchange which takes place at the beginning of the film that I thought gave away the ending prematurely. There are a few pacing issues, but those resolve as the mystery intensifies.

I was very excited for Murder on the Orient Express, and I was definitely not disappointed.

Rating: 7.7/10