Movies
[Review] ‘Murder on the Orient Express’ is a Lovely Ode to Old-Fashioned Murder Mysteries
How long has it been since we’ve had a good old-fashioned murder mystery on the big screen? Much less one with a star-studded cast like the one in Kenneth Branagh’s latest adaptation of Murder on the Orient Express? It has been quite a while. Diving into the deep well of Agatha Christie novels, Branagh and screenwriter Michael Green have crafted a loving tribute to the genre that proves to be light on character development but heavy on fun.
In the hopes of taking a break from his daily life as a world-famous detective, Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) boards the Orient Express for some much needed R&R. While aboard the train, Poirot meets the rather detestable Edward Ratchett (Johnny Depp, the most understated he’s been in years), who asks him to figure out who has been leaving him threatening notes since his arrival on the train. After declining his offer with a hilariously succinct response (“I don’t like your face”), Ratchett is found murdered in his train cabin. Poirot then begins interrogating the remaining passengers on the train in order to solve the murder.
The suspect list is a long one: we’ve got a governess (Daisy Ridley), a count (Sergei Polunin), a countess (Lucy Boynton, The Blackcoat’s Daughter), a widow (Michelle Pfeiffer), a professor (Willem Dafoe), a missionary (Penélope Cruz), an assistant (Josh Gad), a princess (Judi Dench), a doctor (Leslie Odom Jr.) a butler (Derek Jacobi), a salesman (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo) and a maid (Olivia Colman, Hot Fuzz). And yes, I took those descriptions from the trailer.
As evidenced by that lengthy cast list, Murder on the Orient Express is a very crowded film. In fact, that proves to be the film’s only major flaw. Green could have afforded to excise two or three characters from his screenplay in order to flesh out the others. No one player is given the focus, save for Branagh of course. His Hercule (pronounced air-cyule, and he won’t let you forget it) is given a lengthy introduction before the film even boards the titular vehicle, and he remains the focus for the remainder of the film. Distributor 20th Century Fox is clearly wanting to start a franchise with Murder on the Orient Express, and is using the film to re-introduce an iconic character to a new audience. This isn’t too problematic since Branagh portrays Poirot with a quirky and infectious sense of glee. With every other line out of his mouth inspiring a chuckle, he manages to run away with the film.
Unfortunately, this leaves everyone else in the cast to a limited amount of screen time, making them no more than one-dimensional characters. Boynton and Polunin are particularly shafted, each of them earning a mere three scenes at most. You’d be hard-pressed to distinguish between the characters had they been portrayed by a cast of unknowns, however. That being said, we are dealing with a plethora of extremely talented actors and they all make the most of their screen time. Pfeiffer, in particular, manages to overcome the weaknesses of Green’s script and give us the most well-rounded character outside of Poirot.
The real star of the film is Haris Zambarloukos’ luscious cinematography. Filled with gorgeous shots of snowy landscapes, the film never ceases to amaze. Zambarloukos shows even more talent in the confined spaces of the Orient Express (one overhead shot near the end of the first act stands out). Working with that limited space, he conveys a necessary sense of claustrophobia while still managing to give Jim Clay’s detailed production design the attention it deserves. It’s easy to see why Branagh, who previously worked with him on Thor and Cinderella, decided to bring him back for this film.
Murder on the Orient Express is so committed to its old-fashioned sensibilities that some viewers may find the proceedings to be lacking in the twists and turns that modern audiences are used to, but Green keeps things moving at a brisk pace and the nearly 2-hour runtime flies by. It is never boring, and it feels like the equivalent of a fun summer read. What more can you ask for in a film like this? The climactic reveal may not pack as much of a wallop as it did in 1934, but it injects the film with a necessary moment of emotional resonance that elevates it above more shallow entries in the genre. Admittedly, I probably enjoyed the film more because I have never read Christie’s novel or seen Sidney Lumet’s 1974 film adaptation of it, thereby retaining a somewhat necessary element of surprise. It will be interesting to see if it holds up on a repeat viewing.
For those looking for an involving murder mystery that is respectful of its source material and filled with an all-star cast, look no further than Murder on the Orient Express. With any luck the film will find an audience (20th Century Fox seems to have confidence that it will, as it ends with a tease for a sequel featuring one of Poirot’s other well-known cases), especially seeing as how it is representative of a type of film we don’t really see anymore. I’d be all for a new Poirot film every couple of years. Lord knows there’s plenty of source material to draw from.
This week’s new releases offer everything from giant monsters to Spielberg aliens to ass-kicking martial artists and even an ash-eating medical student. Do we have your interest?
Here’s all the new genre movies that released on Friday, June 12, 2026!
These aren’t all HORROR movies, but we want you to be aware of them all the same…
Norwegian creature feature Kraken is now available on Digital.
The film was also unleashed in select theaters. Check your local listings.
In the monster movie Kraken, “unnatural behavior in wild salmon, followed by inexplicable deaths in Norway’s deepest fjord, points to the mythical Kraken. The ancient, multi-armed monster has awakened, ready to crush everything that moves or makes a sound.”
Pål Øie (The Tunnel) directs Samuel Goldwyn Films’ Kraken from a script by Vilde Eide, Kjersti Jelen Rasmussen, and Natasha Arthur. Sara Khorami, Mikkel Bratt Silset, Øyvind Brandtzæg, Jenny Evensen, Ingvild Holthe Bygdnes, Jon Erik Myre, Hans Morten Hansen, Steinar Klouman Hallert, and Filip Bargee Ramberg star.
An all girls trip into the desert for escapism fun instead implodes in violence in the revenge thriller Find Your Friends, now streaming only on Shudder.
In the film, “Amber and her four best friends flee Los Angeles for a girls’ trip in Joshua Tree, only to find themselves unwelcome in a desert town simmering with quiet hostility. As isolation sets in and encounters with aggressive locals grow more threatening, festering resentments within the group begin to surface.
“What begins as fun and reckless escape spirals into a violent struggle for control and survival, as past wounds and present dangers collide in a night that turns their trip into a nightmare.”
Bella Thorne (The Babysitter), Chloe Cherry (“Euphoria”), Helena Howard (I Saw the TV Glow), Sophia Ali (Uncharted), Zion Moreno (“Gossip Girl”), and Chris Bauer (“True Blood”) star in the feature debut by writer/director Izabel Pakzad.
Steven Spielberg is more sure today than he was when he made Close Encounters and ET that aliens are very real, and with Disclosure Day, he aims to make you a believer too.
Okay so it’s not a horror movie, but the sci-fi blockbuster is now playing in theaters.
The vague synopsis for Disclosure Day reads: “If you found out we weren’t alone, if someone showed you, proved it to you, would that frighten you? This summer, the truth belongs to seven billion people. We are coming close to Disclosure Day.”
The film stars SAG winner and Oscar® nominee Emily Blunt (Oppenheimer, A Quiet Place), Emmy and Golden Globe winner Josh O’Connor (Challengers, The Crown), Oscar® winner Colin Firth (The King’s Speech, Kingsman franchise), Eve Hewson (Bad Sisters, The Perfect Couple) and two-time Oscar® nominee Colman Domingo (Sing Sing, Rustin).
Based on a story by Spielberg, the screenplay is by David Koepp, whose previous work with Spielberg includes the scripts for Jurassic Park, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, War of the Worlds and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Combined, those films earned more than $3 billion worldwide. Koepp also wrote the script for Jurassic World Rebirth.
Steven Spielberg is of course no stranger to extraterrestrial encounters, directing two of the greatest alien movies of all time: Close Encounters of the Third Kind in 1977 and E.T. in 1982. It’s an arena he returned to in 2005, directing an adaptation of H.G. Wells’ War of the Worlds.
Here in 2026, Steven Spielberg sees hope in the existence of aliens. He notes in the final trailer for Disclosure Day, “How will disclosure change us? I believe for the better.”
Another movie that’s not a horror movie but worth mentioning here is the violent martial arts revenge thriller The Furious, which is now playing in theaters from Lionsgate.
Xie Miao (The New Legend of Shaolin) and Joe Taslim (Mortal Kombat) star.
After his daughter is kidnapped by a criminal network and he receives no help from the corrupt police, Wang Wei sets out on a rampage to find her himself.
His only ally is Navin, a relentless journalist whose wife has mysteriously disappeared. Fueled by a furious vengeance, the unlikely duo ruthlessly fights against the kidnappers.
Kenji Tanigaki (Enter the Fat Dragon) directs from a script by Mak Tin Shu (Kung Fu Jungle), Lei Zhilong, Shum Kwan Sin (Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In), and Frank Hui.
A disturbing weight loss craze involving human ashes opens up a haunting world of hurt for a young woman in Saccharine, which is now available on Digital outlets at home.
From writer/director Natalie Erika James (Relic, Apartment 7A), the Australian supernatural body horror film follows lovelorn medical student Hana, who becomes terrorized by a sinister force after taking part in an obscure weight loss craze: eating human ashes.
Midori Francis (“Grey’s Anatomy”), Danielle Macdonald (Patti Cake$), and Madeleine Madden (“The Wheel of Time”) star in Natalie Erika James’ latest nightmare.
From directors Arturo Ambriz and Roy Ambriz, I Am Frankelda is billed as the first ever full length stop motion movie from Mexico, and it’s now streaming on Netflix.
The history-making stop-motion film is a dark fantasy set in a world of monsters.
Here’s the synopsis: “In 19th-century Mexico, Frankelda is a gifted writer whose dark tales are ignored and dismissed. Forced to suppress her voice, she refuses to give up, even as many try to silence her. But when she is thrust into her subconscious, the very monsters she created come to life.
“Guided by Herneval, a tormented prince trapped between dreams and nightmares, she must restore balance between fiction and reality before both realms collapse. Meanwhile, the sinister writer Procustes and his conspirators plot to seize control. As Frankelda and Herneval grow closer, their bond becomes both a strength and a curse.
“To rewrite their fate, she must confront a love that defies existence and reclaim her power as a storyteller—before dark forces consume her imagination and reveal horrors beyond her creation.”
The directors said in a joint statement, “As brothers, we grew up inventing worlds together, drawing, playing, imagining. Over time we understood that fictional characters were not only companions but guides. Sometimes they felt closer than the people around us. They provided us courage, wisdom, and solace. We believe fiction is not an escape from reality but a way of understanding it. A way of converting truth into palatable chunks. I Am Frankelda comes from a lifelong love of storytelling.”
Mireya Mendoza, Arturo Mercado Jr., and Luis Leonardo Suarez lead the voice cast.
Meagan Navarro writes in her review for Bloody Disgusting, “Mexico’s first stop-motion animated feature is a macabre beauty.” Meagan also notes in her review, “I Am Frankelda is a gothic fantasy feature whose boundless creativity is matched by its ambition.”
The lines of reality and delusion blur in Time of Death, now available on Digital.
Michael Kelly (“The Penguin,” Dawn of the Dead 2004) stars with Kevin Pollak (End of Days), Mena Suvari (Vampires of the Velvet Lounge), and Dennis Haysbert (Send Help).
In the horror-thriller, “When a prisoner vanishes without a trace, Detective Frank Morley (Michael Kelly) is sent to a decaying prison on the verge of shutdown. What begins as a routine investigation quickly spirals into a dangerous search for answers.”
Will Wernick (Escape Room 2017, Follow Me) directs from a script by Jason Rosen. They also produce alongside Kelly Delson, Jeff Delson, and Kyle David Crosby.
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