Oscar-winner Kenneth Branagh’s Hercule Poirot franchise is two-for-two with the follow-up to the hit screen adaptation of Agatha Christie’s classic detective. A follow up to 2017’s Murder on the Orient Express, Death on the Nile repeats the succefful formula by fleshing out the world with a star-studded cast while finding layers within the text to keep the stories relevant for a modern audience. And with a third film confirmed from 20th Century Studios, fans can grow their collection with today’s home video release across all formats, including 4K Ultra-HD, Blu-Ray, DVD, and digital.
(20th Century Studios)
While on holiday in Egypt, famous detective Hercule Poirot (Branagh) unexpectedly reunites with his friend Bouc (Tom Bateman) and finds himself invited to a wedding party for the wealthy Linnet Ridgeway-Doyle (Gal Gadot) and her husband Simon Doyle (Armie Hammer). Pursued by Simon’s scorned lover Jacqueline (Emma Mackey), Linnet begs Poirot to join them on their river cruise. When a member of the travel party is murdered on board, Poirot is called upon to find the killer amongst them.
The cast is rounded out by Annette Bening, Russell Brand, Dawn French, Sophie Okonedo, Jennifer Saunders, and Letitia Wright who all keep the story fresh and engaging, never hogging the spotlight for more than their characters are worth. With the 4K-Ultra-HD/Blu-Ray/Digital combo pack, movie fans not only get the best picture and sound possible for their home theater, but also get to go behind-the-scenes of the filmmaking process and the evolution of this particular novel.
Bonus Features
- Death on the Nile: Novel to Film (15:30) – Explore the new vision for Agatha Christie’s classic novel Death on the Nile, and how Kenneth Branagh and screenwriter Michael Green collaborated with Christie’s estate to bring a new twist to this story of love and murder.
- Agatha Christie: Travel Can Be Murder (5:53) – The story behind the book connects with Christie’s own love of travel, and especially Egypt and its secrets. Her legacy continues through her family and new generations of filmmakers and actors, all at once contributing to the immortality of her novels.
- Design on the Nile (11:01) – The setting, the costumes, the photography, all contribute to the Agatha Christie touch. We take a fun tour of this “ship of suspects” and learn details about the overall look and design of everything from the characters to the environment.
- Branagh/Poirot (5:35) – Kenneth Branagh is a one-of-a-kind artist who can switch hats with exceptional skill, playing Poirot one moment and directing the next. This piece pays tribute to Branagh’s ability to stay connected to his cast and creative team through it all.
- Deleted Scenes (10:45)
- The Market
- Poirot's Cabin
- Rosalie and Bouc Outside Temple
- Windlesham Jogging
- Poirot Discusses Case
- Poirot and Bouc Approach Jackie
- Confronting Bouc and the Otterbournes
- Poirot Orders Books
- Official Trailer (2:08)
Video
The lush and vibrant depiction of Egypt in the 1930s looks stunning on the 4K Ultra-HD transfer. Colors are expertly rendered while details are crisp, with the exception of some artistically focused elements. A lot of work went in to making the film look as amazing as possible and the 4K transfer showcases it well.
Audio
The standard audio mix on the 4K disc is an English 7.1 Dolby Atmos track that fills the rear speakers with score and ambient sounds. This disc also includes French, Spanish, Greman and Italian in 7.1, plus a Quebec French 5.1 mix and an English descriptive audio mix. The included Blu-Ray disc loses the German, Italian, and Quebec French tracks and compresses all but the main English DTS-HDMA mix to 5.1.
Menu & Packaging
Death on the Nile comes housed in a standard black Blu-Ray case with disc holders on either side of the interior. Only the 4K disc receives artwork and the only insert is a digital copy code, redeemable through Movies Anywhere (includes 200 points through Disney Movie Insiders). The case is housed in a slipcover in its initial pressing. The menu features a motion graphic of the ship on the river, set to score from the film. There aren’t any trailers or previews.
Final Thoughts
Kenneth Branagh’s approach to adapting Agtha Christie’s stories has been a winning one thusfar, with two spectacular films in the franchise and a third on the way. Death on the Nile is the kind of film you will want to revisit and the bonus features included feel worthwhile, although an audio commentary would’ve been appreciated on this masterpiece.
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