Mystery Movie Review - Murder Is Easy

This is based on the third of Agatha Christie's lesser known Superintendent Battle books (4 in series).  There was a 1982 adaptation made with Bill Bixby starring as an American in England. Also a 2009 TV version that changed it up to have Miss Marple investigate, which wasn't part of the original book, but features a young Benedict Cumberbatch.  This 2023 adaptation is in two "episodes."  When I saw this advertised I couldn't wait to see it on BritBox.  Full disclosue, I haven't read the book.

Movie Blurb:

Based on the classic Agatha Christie mystery, "Murder Is Easy" follows the story of Luke Fitzwilliam who finds himself on the trail of a serial killer after meeting Miss Pinkerton on a train to London.

What's It About?:

  How can three people be murdered in an English village and nobody notice?  Miss Pinkerton (played by Downton Abbey's Penelope Wilton) is on a train to London with the sole purpose of getting Scotland Yard to investigate three deaths in her village that are all being dismissed as accidents.  She shares her concerns with fellow traveler Luke Fitzwilliam. Fitzwilliam is relocating to London for an aid job in the British government.  Shortly after exiting the train, Miss Pinkerton is run over on a London street and Fitzwilliam goes to the small town to investigate. 

Released: March 2024

Director: Meenu Gaur

Writer: Sian Ejiwunmi-Le Berre and Agatha Christie

Starring:

David Jonsson as Luke Fitzwilliam 

Mathew Baynton as Dr. Thomas

Nimra Bucha as Mrs. Humbleby

Morfydd Clark as Bridget Conway 

Penelope Wilton as Miss Pinkerton 

Phoebe Licorish as Rose Humbleby

Douglas Henshall as Major Horton

Reviews:

"What the writer Sian Ejiwunmi-Le Berre has done well here is to create the strange eeriness of an insular community, ostensibly genteel and polite but in other ways hostile."  Carol Midgley Times UK

"Sian Ejiwunmi-Le Berre’s adaptation of Murder is Easy falls between two stools. Too bland to excite the violent impulses of the Line of Duty generation, yet insufficiently zippy or playful to stir Christie aficionados."  Nick Hilton

Independent UK

"It's hard to take the novel seriously, and it’s impossible to take this silly... adaptation at its own estimation." Melanie McDonagh London Evening Standard

Trivia (From IMDB):

Filming locations: Sorn Castle, Sorn, Ayrshire, Scotland, UK (Lord Whitfield's House)

Title comes from Miss Pinkerton saying "Murder is easy for a certain type of person."  Another version has it "Murder is easy when nobody thinks it's murder."

Douglas Henshall (playing Major Horton) and Mark Bonnar (playing Rev. Humbleby) appeared together for 7 seasons as key characters in the crime drama Shetland

Tom Riley (Lord Whitfield) previously appeared in episodes of Miss Marple and Poirot

My Thoughts:

David Jonsson's acting as the lead character is stellar and I'll be watching for more from him!  The story is modernized a little by Fitzwilliam being from Nigeria and the remaining prejudices that come with that.  With that said, I hadn't read any of the reviews included here prior to watching, which I'm glad I didn't.  Critics said it remained fairly close to the book, which many didn't like the book to begin with so there wasn't much chance they would like the movie then anyway.

This had wonderful cinematography with great countryside views and interesting camera angles.  Acting was well done.

There are two criticisms I have.  One is the director's vision for Luke Fitzwilliam, actually all the characters, was clearly reserved and lackluster when the actor was giving so much more in the simplest of scenes.  You shouldn't cast fine actors and then hamstring them.  Secondly, there is a lack of zip for the storyline and it's the screenwriter's fault.  This could have been combined and shortened into one feature-length movie and accentuated the danger of a murderer among them to heighten the suspense. 

But with that said, I did enjoy it and was entertained.  That's more than I can say for many movies I ended up wasting time on.  I recommend with caveats that you know what to expect and take it in stride.

 

Thank you for reading this blog and please recommend to friends and family who will enjoy it.

Trailer