Over four decades since Dame Agatha Christie left this mortal coil, her legacy of beloved mystery novels continues to endure. With numerous book to movie adaptations that have kept lovers of the mystery genre hooked, Agatha Christie’s name has become synonymous with twists, turns, and thrilling tales. Recently, Netflix announced the cast of an upcoming series based on her 1929 novel, The Seven Dials Mystery. Keeping that in view, we explore some of the best films based on her stories. So here is a list of some of the best Agatha Christie movie adaptations.
Often referred to as the Queen of Crime (a moniker patented by her estate), Christie wrote 66 novels and 15 short story collections — dizzying output for a single person. But she was not only copious; she was also a master of her craft. Her ability to weave complex plots, develop lavishly detailed characters and maintain a sense of suspense until the final reveal was, and remains, without equal. Her detective novels and murder mysteries have transcended the page and many of her works have been adapted to film or TV, multiple times in some cases (as you will notice later).
The murder mystery movies and TV shows have introduced Christie and her rich body of work to newer generations of fans. This scribe, in fact, discovered her books through a movie based on one of her best-known works, And Then There Were None (1939), which is incidentally also the best-selling mystery of all time, with over 100 million copies sold. The movie, released in 1945 and directed by René Clair, still, somehow, remains one of the best you will see based on Christie’s books. Filmmakers like Rian Johnson have paid homage to Christie by crafting similarly complex and intricately structured murder mysteries. His Knives Out (2019) and Glass Onion (2022) are not direct adaptations but evoke the spirit of her stories.
Recently, newer generations have also found a growing interest in her novels, spurred primarily by Kenneth Branagh-directed pretty decent old-school-style movies: Murder on the Orient Express (2017), Death on the Nile (2022) and my personal favourite, A Haunting in Venice (2023).
Indian filmmakers and screenwriters have also been fascinated by Christie’s mysteries, right from the 1960s. Sadly, however, they have chosen not to credit the Dame in most cases. For instance, the multi-starrer 1965 Hindi movie, Gumnaam, is actually a loose (and uncredited) adaptation of And Then There Were None. Starring Manoj Kumar and Nanda, it is nevertheless quite entertaining.
So, all aboard the mystery train. Let’s unravel the enigmatic world of Agatha Christie’s captivating tales brought to life on the silver screen.
Timeless murder mysteries: Best Agatha Christie movie adaptations ever
Jump To / Table of Contents
- Death on the Nile (2022)
- A Haunting in Venice (2023)
- Murder on the Orient Express (2017)
- Gumnaam (1965)
- Why Didn't They Ask Evans? (1980)
- Evil Under the Sun (1982)
- Murder Most Foul (1964)
- Death on the Nile (1978)
- Murder on the Orient Express (1974)
- Murder She Said (1961)
- Shubho Mahurat (2003)
- And Then There Were None (1945)
- Witness for the Prosecution (1957)
1 /13
IMDb rating: 6.3
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 61 per cent
Director: Kenneth Branagh
Cast: Tom Bateman, Gal Gadot, Annette Bening, Kenneth Branagh, Emma Mackey, Armie Hammer
Movie duration: 2 hours 7 minutes
Synopsis: The idyllic peace of a luxurious cruise is shattered when a wealthy socialite called Linnet Ridgeway (Gadot) is murdered. Similar to Murder on the Orient Express and frankly many of Christie’s stories, nearly every other passenger on the cruise has a motive to kill her. They all have secrets and possible grievances against Ridgeway. The suspects include Jacqueline de Bellefort (Mackey) and Simon Doyle (Hammer). Will Poirot (Branagh) find out the real culprit?
Why you should watch it: Based on Christie’s 1937 novel of the same name. Branagh fashions a beautifully shot and mostly gripping mystery movie that runs for probably too long. The strong cast delivers as well.
IMDb rating: 6.5
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 75 per cent
Director: Kenneth Branagh
Cast: Kenneth Branagh, Tina Fey, Michelle Yeoh, Kelly Reilly, Jamie Dornan
Movie duration: 1 hour 43 minutes
Synopsis: Based on Christie’s 1969 novel, Hallowe’en Party, this movie shifts the original story’s setting from small-town England to Venice. Poirot is retired and has become quite cynical. He has been turning away people who need his help. But an American author of mysteries, Ariadne Oliver (Fey), convinces him to attend a séance performed by a mysterious woman called Joyce Reynolds (Yeoh). Joyce has been hired by a famous singer Rowena Drake (Reilly) to establish contact with her departed daughter. The séance appears real but Poirot remains unconvinced. Later, he is nearly drowned by an unknown person, and Joyce is killed after she gets impaled on a statue. Poirot might be out of his depth here. Were these acts done by an actual human or something supernatural?
Why you should watch it: By far my favourite among Branagh’s takes on Christie’s mysteries. With a style similar to Italian horror auteur Mario Bava, it combines elements of mystery with a dash of what seems to be supernatural intrigue. It also, more than either Murder on the Orient Express (2017) and Death on the Nile (2022), satisfies the definition of a “cosy mystery movie”.
IMDb rating: 6.5
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 60 per cent
Director: Kenneth Branagh
Cast: Kenneth Branagh, Penélope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Johnny Depp
Movie duration: 1 hour 54 minutes
Synopsis: This Branagh movie, which started his series of Christie movies, follows the same plot as the original novel and the 1974 movie. During the fateful train journey, a passenger in his compartment called Ratchett (Depp) is found murdered. And since the train is stranded in deep snow, the situation is tense. It is up to Poirot (Branagh) to solve the mystery and find the culprit. Each individual aboard appears to have a concrete reason to have done the deed, and even a genius like Poirot is initially bemused. Eventually, Poirot uncovers layers of deception and gets to the heart of the mystery.
Why you should watch it: Branagh’s Christie movies have garnered a mixed reception, but I am a fan. This movie does not have the atmospheric intensity and intimate feel of Lumet’s original movie (which is certainly better), but it is still visually impressive and well-acted.
4 /13
IMDb rating: 6.9
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 67 per cent
Directed by: Raja Nawathe
Cast: Nanda, Manoj Kumar, Pran, Mehmood, Madan Puri, Helen, Manmohan
Movie duration: 2 hours 31 minutes
Synopsis: Eight people (unlike ten in the original mystery) find themselves abandoned on an island. They do not come under their own volition but are dumped by an aeroplane. All eight hear a female voice singing an eerie song (“Gumnaam Hai Koi”). Following the voice, they eventually end up in a stately manor, and its only inhabitant is a comical servant (Mehmood) who has been expecting them. From this point, the movie follows a trajectory similar to the novel as the characters like Kitty (Helen), Kishan (Manmohan) and Dr. Acharya (Puri) keep dropping off one by one. It is up to survivors like Anand (Kumar) and Asha (Nanda) to either find the culprit or skedaddle from the island.
Why you should watch it: Gumnaam has its flaws (not including the plagiarism), and it has the quirks of Hindi cinema of the 1960s (female characters almost swoon every now and then or run around for no reason when agitated) but is overall quite entertaining and engaging. The songs are also quite nice. Besides the title song, “Jaan Pehchan Ho”, featuring vocals by the immortal Mohammed Rafi and rock and roll music by Shankar-Jaikishan, is also impressive.
5 /13
Why Didn't They Ask Evans? (1980)
IMDb rating: 7
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 70 per cent
Directed by: John Davies, Tony Wharmby
Cast: James Warwick, Francesca Annis, John Gielgud, Bernard Miles
Movie duration: 3 hours
Synopsis: Based on the 1934 novel of the same name, this movie is about an amateur golfer and son of a vicar called Bobby Jones (Warwick) who finds a dying man at the bottom of a cliff. The man indeed dies but not before mumbling mysteriously, “Why didn’t they ask Evans?” flummoxing Jones. He finds the photo of a woman in his pocket, but nothing to identify him. This leads Jones and his friend Lady Frances Derwent (Annis) on a journey to discover the truth behind the deceased man’s mysterious final message.
Why you should watch it: A largely faithful take on the novel, it delivers all the twists and turns that Christie fanatics would expect. However, it is too long; but the pacing makes sure you are not taken out of the story.
6 /13
Evil Under the Sun (1982)
IMDb rating: 7
Rotten Tomatoes: 92 per cent
Directed by: Guy Hamilton
Cast: Peter Ustinov, Diana Rigg, Nicholas Clay, James Mason, Maggie Smith, Denis Quilley
Movie duration: 1 hour 57 minutes
Synopsis: Based on the 1941 novel of the same name, this movie has Poirot (Ustinov) being summoned to a luxurious island resort for a vacation. However, he does not get a lot of leisure time since an actress at the resort Arlena Stuart (Rigg) is murdered. As Poirot investigates the murder, he uncovers a web of jealousy, passion and deceit. The suspects include Patrick Redfern (Clay), Daphne Castle (Smith) and Kenneth Marshall (Quilley).
Why you should watch it: It is not your typical cosy Christie mystery with a picturesque setting (though it has some stunning vistas). It is exceptionally well-acted, and Hamilton’s canny direction makes space for both suspense and humour.
IMDb rating: 7.1
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 72 per cent
Directed by: George Pollock
Cast: Margaret Rutherford, Ron Moody, Charles ‘Bud’ Tingwell
Movie duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Synopsis: In the story, Miss Marple (Rutherford) is serving on a jury in a murder trial in a case where the defendant is accused of killing his landlady. Everyone but Marple is convinced of his guilt. As a result, it’s a mistrial, and Miss Marple takes it upon herself to investigate and find the real culprit.
Why you should watch it: The third film in Pollock’s Miss Marple series (Murder She Said, also on this list, being the first; it was followed by Murder at the Gallop in 1963), it was based on Christie’s novel Mrs McGinty’s Dead (1952). Again, like Murder She Said, this movie brings a lot of humour into the mystery and suspense. Rutherford is outstanding as Marple, as always. And no, it is not related to Bob Dylan’s iconic song of the same name, which is about John F. Kennedy’s assassination.
8 /13
Death on the Nile (1978)
IMDb rating: 7.2
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 80 per cent
Directed by: John Guillermin
Cast: Peter Ustinov, Lois Chiles, Mia Farrow, Simon MacCorkindale
Movie duration: 2 hours 20 minutes
Synopsis: In this take on the original story, the idyllic peace of a luxurious cruise is shattered when a wealthy socialite called Linnet Ridgeway (Chiles) is murdered. Poirot (Ustinov), also on the ship, is at his wit’s end as it feels like there’s a boatful of suspects. Can he traverse through the maze of motives and unveil the murderer?
Why you should watch it: Like Sidney Lumet’s Murder on the Orient Express, this is one of the three or four quintessential Christie movies. It really is that good, a perfect blend of suspense, mystery and melodrama.
9 /13
Murder on the Orient Express (1974)
IMDb rating: 7.2
Rotten Tomatoes: 90 per cent
Directed by: Sidney Lumet
Cast: Albert Finney, Lauren Bacall, Ingrid Bergman, Richard Widmark
Movie duration: 2 hours 8 minutes
Synopsis: Based on Christie’s 1934 novel and one of her best-known works, Murder on the Orient Express features one of Dame’s other famous character, the affable and kind Belgian detective Hercule Poirot (Finney). He is travelling aboard the lavish Orient Express train when a rich American called Ratchett (Widmark) is found murdered. The train is stranded due to heavy snow, and it appears nearly every person in the compartment has reasons to kill the man, for he was somewhat of a blackguard. The passengers include Harriet Hubbard (Bacall) and Greta Ohlsson (Bergman).
Why you should watch it: While I am fond of Branagh’s newer adaptation released in 2017, there is no doubt that this movie is far superior, thanks mainly to the legendary Lumet’s masterful direction. As good as Branagh is as Poirot, Finney’s portrayal is the definitive version in my books. It is compelling and nuanced, nicely capturing the character’s meticulous nature and sharp intellect.
10 /13
Murder She Said (1961)
IMDb rating: 7.3
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 89 per cent
Directed by: George Pollock
Cast: Margaret Rutherford, Arthur Kennedy, Muriel Pavlow
Movie duration: 1 hour 27 minutes
Synopsis: Based on Christie’s novel 4.50 from Paddington (1957), this movie boasts one of Christie’s most iconic characters, Miss Marple (Rutherford), although she is not in her element here. She witnesses what she believes to be a murder while on a train journey (the alleged murder happens on a passing train). When her claim is not taken seriously, she decides to take matters into her own hands and begins what she does best: investigating the mystery. Her quest for truth leads her to Ackenthope. She poses as a maid to discover the secrets of this household and solve the enigma. Did the murder actually occur, or is Marple simply deluded?
Why you should watch it: It is rare that an adaptation is better than its source material. And no, that is not the case here, either. Rutherford’s Marple in this movie is definitely more interesting than the Marple in the novel. She adds a lot of charm, humour and dynamism to the character and is overall delightful to watch.
11 /13
IMDb rating: 7.7
Rotten Tomatoes rating: NA
Directed by: Rituparno Ghosh
Cast: Sharmila Tagore, Nandita Das, Rakhee Gulzar, Kalyani Mandal
Movie duration: 2 hours 30 minutes
Synopsis: Ranga Pishima (Rakhee), the Miss Marple surrogate here. She investigates the mystery behind the sudden death of an actress Kakoli Sinha (Mandal) shortly after the first shot of her film. The ironic title, which roughly means “auspicious moment”, alludes to a kind of celebration of the first shot in movies.
Why you should watch it: Directed by the renowned Bengali filmmaker, this movie is based on Christie’s 1962 novel, The Mirror Crack’d from Side to Side, only set in an Indian context à la Vishal Bhardwaj’s Shakespeare adaptations like Maqbool (2004) and Haider (2014). Ghosh, also known for movies like Chokher Bali (2003) and Raincoat (2004), takes the barebone elements from the original story and crafts a mystery that feels original and interesting while being deeply rooted in its Indian context. The taut screenplay infuses the story with local flavour. And Rakhee, otherwise known for that celebrated (and satirised) “Mere Karan Arjun ayenge” dialogue from Karan Arjun (1995), is actually pretty excellent here as a driven and smart woman who understands what drives humans to do unspeakable acts they would not otherwise do.
12 /13
And Then There Were None (1945)
IMDb rating: 7.8
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 81 per cent
Directed by: René Clair
Cast: Walter Huston, Louis Hayward, June Duprez
Movie duration: 1 hour 37 minutes
Synopsis: Based on perhaps the greatest Christie mystery, And Then There Were None (1939), this movie has ten strangers being invited to an isolated island by a certain Mr. and Mrs. Owen. The only thing common between them is that they were accused of murder at some point in their lives. The arrivals include Dr. Edward G. Armstrong (Huston), a medical doctor who was accused of operating on his patient while he was drunk; Philip Lombard (Hayward), a mercenary accused of killing 21 tribesmen in Africa; and Vera Claythorne (Duprez), accused of murdering her sister’s fiancé. Soon enough, all of them find that they are stranded on the island and are being killed one by one, with each death matching the verses of a nursery rhyme called Ten Little Indians.
Why you should watch it: While it is not the best adaptation of the novel (that would be BBC’s three-part 2015 series), it comes remarkably close. The problem is a few of the performances are quite wooden. And yet, Clair’s direction has a nice tense and atmospheric quality that brings the story to life.
IMDb rating: 8.4
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 100 per cent
Directed by: Billy Wilder
Cast: Tyrone Power, Marlene Dietrich, Charles Laughton
Movie duration: 1 hour 56 minutes
Synopsis: This movie is based on Christie’s 1953 play of the same name (which itself was adapted from her 1925 short story Traitor’s Hands). The story follows a man called Leonard Vole (Power) who is accused of murdering a wealthy widow. And sure enough, there is circ*mstantial evidence that points towards his guilt. But the noted defence solicitor Sir Wilfrid Robarts Q.C. (Laughton) is convinced otherwise and takes up the case even if it seems unwinnable. The resulting trial is quite a twisty affair and offers surprise after surprise.
Why you should watch it: Watching this movie is like enjoying a play live, and that’s not just because the script is based on a play. The tightly constructed plot, the production design, the top-notch dialogues and the acting bring each scene to life. It is a superbly directed legal mystery by one of the finest filmmakers the world has ever seen.
This article first appeared on Lifestyle Asia India.
(Main image: Death on the Nile/IMDb; featured image: A Haunting in Venice/IMDb)
Note:
The information in this article is accurate as of the date of publication.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Question: What are the most recent film adaptations of Agatha Christie's works?
Answer: Kenneth Branagh’s 'A Haunting in Venice' (2023) and 'Death on the Nile' (2022) are the most recent film adaptations of Agatha Christie’s stories.
Question: How many movies are based on Agatha Christie’s novels?
Answer: While estimates vary, around 50 movies, in languages such as English, Hindi, Bengali, French and Russian, have been made so far that are based on Agatha Christie’s novels and short stories.
Question: What movie is based on the life of Agatha Christie?
Answer: 'Agatha and the Truth of Murder' (2018) is one movie that is based on the life of Agatha Christie, though it is not a biopic. Starring Ruth Bradley in the role of Christie, it shows Christie herself embroiled in a murder mystery.
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