Agatha Christie Movies

An adaptation of Agatha Christie's 1929 short story "The House of Lurking Death," this French-language whodunit represents director Pascal Thomas's third Christie adaptation, following the 2005 By the Pricking of My Thumbs and the 2007 Towards Zero; like Thumbs, it hones in on Prudence (Catherine Frot) and Belisaire Beresford (Andre Dussollier), a married pair of amateur sleuths. This particular outing is set at Christmastime, and finds the Rhone Alps-dwelling Beresfords visited by a beloved aunt, Auntie Babette (Annie Cordy), who promptly informs them that she spotted a murder through a rainy window while seated on a train. Eager for a new crime to solve, Prudence jumps into the case when Belisaire leaves town on a weekend jaunt, and makes her way to a creepy chateau in the middle of the forest, populated by the most unpleasant of families. Inhabitants include an eccentric patriarch widower named Roderick Charpentier (Claude Rich), his morose daughter Emma (Chiara Mastroianni), his conniving and paranoid sons (Christian Vadim, Alexandre Lafaurie and Melvil Poupaud), and a local country doctor (Hippolyte Girardot). Prudence takes a position as a cook at the residence, and when the body crops up, it soon falls on her shoulders to ferret out the murderer. Soon, her husband joins her at the house, tipped off by a local detective regarding his wife's whereabouts. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide

By the Pricking of My Thumbs director Pascal Thomas returns to the written word of Agatha Christie for inspiration, and the result is a lively whodunit centering on a deadly family gathering and the exquisite sleuthing skills of hyper-perceptive crime-fighter Superintendent Bataille. For the past twenty-odd years, elderly dowager Camilla Tresillian (Danielle Darrieux) has maintained a quiet existence in her sprawling mansion, where her every need is attended to by professional caretaker Marie-Adeline (Alessandra Martines) and stern-eyed personal maid Barrette (Carmen Durand). The familiar silence of Camilla's world is suddenly interrupted, however, when a series of relatives including her spendthrift nephew Guillaume (Melvil Poupaud) and his second wife Caroline (Laura Smet) are summoned to her mansion for a long overdue family gathering. Much to the Guillaume's dismay, his first wife Aude (Chiara Mastroianni) is also on the guest list, as is worldly adventurer Thomas Rondeau (Clement Thomas), who has always carried a torch for the pretty divorcée. Likewise, notorious ladies man Fred Latimer (Xavier Thiam) turns up casting a longing gaze at Caroline, and as the rest of the guests begin to arrive it becomes increasingly apparent that they all anticipate a hearty inheritance from their increasingly frail host. When Judge Trevoz (Jacques Sereys), a special guest of Camilla's, becomes the first victim in a painstakingly planned double homicide, it begins to appear as if Guillaume's greed has finally gotten the best of him. As with most well executed crimes, however, the truth is a far cry from initial appearances and fortunately Superintendent Bataille just so happens to be vacationing in the region. Now, as the clue-sniffing sleuth and his policeman nephew interrupt Camilla's party in hopes of ferreting out a killer, it quickly becomes apparent that everyone in the mansion has a motive for murder. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Portrayed on previous occasions by such actresses as Margaret Rutherford, Helen Hayes, Angela Lansbury, and Joan Hickson, Agatha Christie's indomitable amateur sleuth Miss Jane Marple reappeared in the form of Geraldine McEwan on this TV series, produced for the United Kingdom's ITV1. Endeavoring to be totally faithful to the original source material, the series offered as its first four episodes lavish adaptations of the Agatha Christie novels The Vicarage (1930), The Body in the Library (1942), A Murder is Announced (1950), and 4:50 From Paddington (1957). These episodes were originally complemented by a behind-the-scenes documentary, which has been included in the American TV syndication package. Agatha Christie's Marple made its first television appearance on December 12, 2004. In the United States, the series was initially broadcast on PBS in the summer of 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

First filmed as a theatrical feature in 1982, Agatha Christie's 1940 mystery novel Evil Under the Sun was remade as a two-hour episode of the off-and-on British TV series Poirot. David Suchet is back as the infuriatingly brilliant and fussy Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, who after suffering a fainting spell at a posh restaurant is whisked off to a fancy health resort along the Devon Coast. As he recuperates, Poirot is able to relax, secure in the belief that he can give his sleuthing a bit of a well-deserved result. Alas, this is not to be. Another guest at the resort, a world-famous actress, is murdered -- and virtually everyone else in the vicinity had both motive and opportunity to do the dirty deed. First telecast in the U.K. in 2001. Evil Under the Sun made its America bow on July 13, 2003, courtesy of the A&E cable network. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Agatha Christie introduced one of her most famous characters, idiosyncratic Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, in her novel The Mysterious Affair at Styles, and David Suchet, who has played Poirot in a number of films produced for British television, takes the character back to his beginnings in this screen adaptation. Poirot, newly arrived in England, is introduced to John Cavendish (David Rintoul), a close friend of Poirot's old comrade-in-arms, Arthur Hastings (Hugh Fraser). There's been recent controversy in the Cavendish household; John's widowed mother has recently remarried, and her new husband has made more than a few enemies among her family and friends. When Mrs. Cavendish is found murdered, police inspector Japp (Philip Jackson) is brought in to investigate, and the gifted Poirot is soon lending his much-needed skills in ferreting out the identity of the killer. Poirot: The Mysterious Affair at Styles first aired in the United States as part of the PBS anthology series Mystery! ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

During a Monopoly match with Hastings, Poirot is interrupted by an aristocratic banker to investigate the disappearance of a client. The client, who was supposed to sell the bank a map to a lucrative silver mine, is found murdered, and a young stockbroker is implicated in the crime. Poirot works his way through a convoluted web of clues to confront the killer at an opium den. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide

At a garden party he is attending with Hastings and Japp, Poirot (David Suchet) meets a young writer who happens to be the son of an old friend. The young man introduces Poirot to his fiancée. While jokingly reading the tea leaves in the young woman's cup, the sleuth sees something disturbing. Central to the trouble he foresees is a large wasps' nest in the young writer's garden. Together with Hastings and Japp, Poirot works to unravel the mystery before him. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide

Poirot (David Suchet) is called in to investigate a bank manager's close call with a hit-and-run driver. The manager, it turns out, has been chosen by the bank to carry a $1 million in Liberty bonds to New York on the maiden voyage of the Queen Mary. Someone is obviously out to stop him, and it's up to Poirot to brave his own sea sickness and find out who. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide

David Suchet stars as the fastidious Belgian detective Hercule Poirot in this made-for-TV adaptation of the classic mystery by Agatha Christie. A killer is on the loose who is toying with the great sleuth by sending him a series of letters in which he announces when and where his next crime will occur. Can Poirot discover who is the criminal and determine his motive before he kills again? Poirot: The ABC Murders was originally aired in the U.S. on the PBS series Mystery! The supporting cast includes Philip Jackson as Inspector Japp and Hugh Frasier as Capt. Hastings. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Belgium's greatest export since the waffle, master detective Hercule Poirot is on the case once again in this made-for-TV feature adapted from the classic novel by Agatha Christie. A devious blackmailer is murdered in the middle of an airline flight, and it's all but impossible to separate the legitimate suspects from the innocent bystanders -- or at least it seems that way until it's discovered that Monsieur Poirot (David Suchet) is on board. Poirot: Death in the Clouds was aired in the U.S. as part of the PBS series Mystery!, and it reunites Suchet with Philip Jackson as Inspector Japp. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Agatha Christie's fastidious Belgian detective is on the trail of evildoers once again in this made-for-TV mystery. Hercule Poirot (David Suchet) is attending a flower show where a pink rose is to be named after him when he's given a packet of seeds by an older woman. Poirot is later called upon by the same woman, who fearfully claims there's serious trouble at her home. When he arrives, Poirot discovers a murder has been committed, and the woman's Russian housekeeper, thought to be part of a Communist conspiracy, is the prime suspect. Poirot: How Does Your Garden Grow? was produced by the British network Granada Television, and later aired in the United States as part of the PBS series Mystery!. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Belgium's most famous detective comes to the rescue of his adopted British homeland in this mystery based on the novel by Agatha Christie. The Prime Minister of England has arrived in France for a major international summit meeting when he's kidnapped. Hercule Poirot (David Suchet) is called in to help find the leader, with only 32 hours to spare before the conference is to begin. Following a lead that the PM's car was attacked en route to the ship, Poirot focuses his investigation in England, which puzzles and angers his superiors -- until the dapper Belgian cracks the case. Poirot: The Kidnapped Prime Minister was produced by the British network Granada Television, and later aired in the United States as part of the PBS series Mystery!. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Hastings is surprised when Poirot (David Suchet) announces his intention to retire and asks Hastings to accompany him on a trip to the seaside. En route, the two make the acquaintance of a young woman who discovers some valuable antiques missing from her possession. Hastings thinks that he's found the thief, but it's only after Poirot comes out of retirement that the case is solved. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide