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THE PALAZZO — I am picky when it comes to scary movies. There are certain types I like and others I loathe. I enjoy a good scare, but I am not a fan of over-the-top gore for the sake of over-the-top gore. I want a good ghost story, but I don't care for demonic possessions.
There is one type of scary movie, however, that is my favorite, and that is a flick that messes with your head and keeps you guessing as to what is real and what is fake. Throw in another element I love, the whodunnit, and you've got a movie right up John Clyde's alley. "A Haunting in Venice" may have a misstep or two, but it blends these two genres, and I was all for it.
Here are a few reasons I enjoyed "A Haunting in Venice" and think it's a great movie to kick off the Halloween season.
As always, this review will be spoiler-free.
Keeps you guessing
Sometimes, I want to enter a theater and turn my brain off for a couple of hours, but I love it when a movie decides to challenge me. I like when a filmmaker forces me to use my brain and look for clues. I have no doubt I would have been a terrible detective in real life, but I love playing one in a dark theater where the stakes are high for the characters and low for me.
"A Haunting in Venice" is based on the Agatha Christie novel, "Hallowe'en Party," and is the third movie in Kenneth Branagh's Poirot franchise. The first two movies were "Murder on the Orient Express" and "Death on the Nile." Poirot is known for being based in a more realistic world, granted, one where he is constantly surrounded by murder, but still. That means the idea of ghosts and supernatural phenomena are outside the world built in earlier movies. Because of this world-building, we go into the movie "knowing" that ghosts aren't real, but the film makes us second-guess our perceived reality. Are ghosts fake in Poirot's world, or were we too naive to realize there is much more than we can see?
In addition to the question of reality, we are faced with a murder mystery. Christie was a master of the genre, and there are more of those twists and turns in "A Haunting in Venice." We take another left turn and run into a dead end when you think you have it figured out.
Immerses you in its world
I loved the set pieces in "Murder on the Orient Express" and "Death on the Nile." In essence, both of those movies occurred in a contained location — a train and a boat — but the suspects and the detective were also moving from locale to locale. "A Haunting in Venice," however, takes place in a supposedly haunted palazzo, and despite its size, we feel trapped and confined.
The sets, lighting and costuming were spot on. The movie creates a particular tone, and it's consuming. You feel as trapped and on edge as the characters. The dark color palette makes the brighter colors pop and catch our attention. A scary movie is all about the tone and feeling it creates, and Branagh has done an expert job with "A Haunting in Venice."
It's a great scary movie for those who don't like scary movies
My wife and I have been married for 16 years, and while we enjoy doing many different things together, watching scary movies is not one of them. I love watching scary movies around Halloween, but she is not a scary-movie person. The most I get from her is "Goosebumps" or "The Ghost and Mr. Chicken."
She was nervous about "A Haunting in Venice" but agreed to accompany me to the screening. We had two different experiences watching the movie. None of the jump scares got me, but she bounced in her chair several times. Despite my lack of terror, it still had a great vibe and gave me the chills on more than one occasion.
While our viewing experiences differed, the outcome was the same: we had a good time. If you're like me and enjoy a spooky movie this time of year, but your significant other isn't quite keen on that, "A Haunting in Venice" is a great compromise.
What parents should know
"A Haunting in Venice" is similar to its predecessors regarding violence, language and sex. There is nearly no sexualization in the movie, and the language is that of a PG movie. The violence is brief, but there is, obviously, murder and discussion of murder. The difference with this movie is the scare factor.
As I mentioned, the movie is not terrifying, but some audiences will find it scary, and younger audiences may struggle. For my two cents, the PG-13 rating is the right one.
Conclusion
While some characters weren't as focused as I would have liked, and certain storylines were rushed, I enjoyed "A Haunting in Venice." It gave me a great Halloween vibe and kept me on my toes for several reasons.
I love a good murder mystery; adding psychological terror is a cherry on top.
"A Haunting in Venice" is officially rated PG-13 for some strong violence, disturbing images and thematic elements.
