The Murder on the Orient Express movies presents one of Agatha Christie’s most beloved and classic whodunnits. Hercule Poirot, “little gray cells” and all, travels from Istanbul to Calais on the exotic Orient Express. After the train gets stuck in a snowdrift, a nasty American named Edward Ratchett is murdered and stabbed 12 times. Agatha Christie got the idea from the 1932 Lindbergh kidnapping case when the child of aviator Charles Lindbergh was kidnapped and murdered (via AgathaChristie.com).
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Hercule Poirot is on the case and starts investigating the murder. Of course, he eventually solves it, but what happens in the Murder on the Orient Express ending is a classic Christie twist. Over the decades since its publication, Murder on the Orient Express has taken many forms, including films, stage productions, video games, and more. This is thanks to the numerous suspects, the fact that the murder is not what anyone would have expected, and the idea that Hercule Poirot would do something completely out of character in the end.
1933/34 Book – The Murder That Started It All
This Was Hercule Poirot’s 10th Novel
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The Murder on the Orient Express book was the tenth outing for Hercule Poirot. Aboard a snowbound train, twelve vigilante killers murder a man who had, some years before, kidnapped and murdered a child, Daisy Armstrong. Each killer is connected to the tragedy in some way. The victim, Ratchett (real name Cassetti), was a kidnapper and killer who escaped justice. Poirot discovers the truth but decides to blame the murder on an intruder, letting the killers walk free, a classic Christie twist.
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When Christie wrote the novel, she used the Charles Lindbergh Jr. case as an inspiration while changing the victim to a little girl, Daisy Armstrong. She then added the death of the little girl’s pregnant mother due to pregnancy complications and her father when he died by suicide. This leads to the tale of revenge onboard the train. The novel was a great success. To date, Agatha Christie has sold more than one billion books worldwide, which puts her at the top of the list of bestselling authors.
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Murder on the Orient Express (1974)
A Distracting Cast And An Angry Poirot
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10/10 Murder on the Orient Express PG
Hercule Poirot, the world-famous detective, boards the luxurious Orient Express, only to have his journey disrupted by the murder of a fellow passenger. With a cast of suspicious characters, each harboring their own secrets, Poirot must use his exceptional deductive skills to solve the crime.
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*Availability in US Release Date November 24, 1974 Runtime 128 Minutes Main Genre Mystery Cast Albert Finney , Lauren Bacall , Ingrid Bergman , Sean Connery , Martin Balsam , Jacqueline Bisset , Michael York , Anthony Perkins Director Sidney Lumet
The 1974 version of Murder on the Orient Express was an all-star affair, which somewhat hurt the adaptation. While there were other versions with major stars, this one seemed to divert attention from the story itself. Albert Finney played Hercule Poirot, supported by Ingrid Bergman, Vanessa Redgrave, Sean Connery, Lauren Bacall, Martin Balsam, Michael York, Anthony Perkins, John Gielgud, and more. However, thanks to the cast, the acting was fantastic for this mystery tale.
The script faithfully follows the book, and the signature theme tune is memorable. One downside is that Finney’s Poirot remains a little too angry for much of the movie, which makes the detective hard to sympathize with. The movie earned critical acclaim and even won Bergman an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her performance. In addition, the Sidney Lumet-directed film earned five other Oscar nominations, including one for Finney and one for the screenplay.
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Murder on the Orient Express (2001)
CBS’ Modern Update
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Murder on the Orient Express CrimeDramaMystery Release Date April 22, 2001 Runtime 100 Minutes Main Genre Crime Cast Alfred Molina , Meredith Baxter , Leslie Caron , Amira Casar , Nicolas Chagrin , Tasha de Vasconcelos , David Hunt , Adam James Director Carl Schenkel
There was a big problem with the CBS version of Murder on the Orient Express because of all the changes it made to the original story. It seems the filmmakers wanted to freshen it up a little bit and bring it up to date. They then cut out some of the killers/suspects on the train altogether. They also had Hercule Poirot use computers to speed up his investigations, and he even had a love interest. All in all, this was not the most loyal adaptation of the classic mystery tale.
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Actor Alfred Molina stars as Hercule Poirot, but he pales in comparison to some of the actors who took on the role before him. The whole point of Murder on the Orient Express is that it was right for its time, and this movie tried too hard to update things for a new generation, which caused it to lose its charm. As a result, this CBS version got some very bad reviews.
Agatha Christie: Murder on the Orient Express Video Games
A Point-And-Click PC Game In 2006 & A Console Game In 2023
In 2006, The Adventure Company released a point-and-click PC video game called Agatha Christie: Murder on the Orient Express. The reviewers were not impressed, saying it was “merely decent,” with “lots of talk, very little action.” Hercule Poirot has a sidekick named Antoinette (the player’s character) who runs the investigation after Poirot sprains his ankle. The player then goes about finding clues through conversation and puzzle-solving.
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It never really picks up much speed. As IGN said, “Playing Murder on the Orient Express at many times feels like reading a novel as extended dialogue exchanges with multiple characters eat up numerous gameplay hours.” This wasn’t the last video game, but it was 17 years before anyone attempted to make a second game, the 2023 release also titled Agatha Christie – Murder on the Orient Express. This time, players can actually play as Poirot, making it much more loyal to the book.
Graphic Novels In 2007 & 2023
By François Rivière (2007) and Bob Al-Greene (2023)
In 2007, François Rivière wrote a French-language graphic novel version of Murder on the Orient Express. It was brief, telling a complicated story over some 44 pages. It was also translated into English. Although it got a 4.1 (out of 5) on Goodreads, many readers found it confusing. This is not a surprise. It took Christie around 250 pages to tell the story. Rivière tried to do it in 44. He managed to get the plot twist in at the end.
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This wasn’t the only graphic novel adaptation either. In 2023, Bob Al-Greene published an authorized adaptation through William Morrow Paperbacks. This was released in September 2023 and was broken up into three parts, leading Poirot through the investigation. This is a great retelling of the classic Agatha Chrsitie story and is much more loyal than the earlier graphic novel.
Agatha Christie’s Poirot: “Murder on the Orient Express” (2010)
The Agatha Christie 2010 ITV Movie
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Beginning in the late 1980s, the UK commercial channel ITV produced several mysteries involving Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot. To keep the well-known stories “fresh,” ITV invented several backstories. For example, Miss Marple was given a married lover who was killed during the First World War.
The opening scene of David Suchet’s 2010 Murder on the Orient Express is a pure add-on. Poirot is shown confronting a soldier, accusing him of lying. The soldier dies by suicide. Fade to Istanbul and the train journey. Hercule Poirot starts as the embodiment of angry justice, condemning the vigilante murder of Cassetti. In the end, he softens and, with tears in his eyes, lets them off the hook, motivated by the soldier’s death. There was really no reason, though, for the soldier’s death at the start of the movie.
Orient Kyuukou Satsujin Jiken (2015)
A Cult Following In Japan
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Agatha Christie has a large cult following in Japan. The filming of the ITV Poirot series with David Suchet was halted in 2000. However, when the producers learned that the show had an extraordinarily large following in Japan, they revived the series and continued. That saved the ITV version of the series, but there was also a Japanese remake of Murder on the Orient Express that arrived in 2015 with a new character named Suguro Takeru, modeled and based on Hercule Poirot.
The Japanese TV version of Murder on the Orient Express hit the airwaves, known as Orient Kyuukou Satsujin Jiken. The fans loved it, and the mustached Japanese Suguro Takeru became a smash hit for fans. The film kept the basic plot, with the story now taking place in Japan. There are also many anime and manga versions of Agatha Christie’s work also, but this is one of the better adaptations of the classic Christie story.
Murder on the Orient Express (2017)
A Stage Play Adaptation Of The Murder Mystery
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Playwright Ken Ludwig is known for his farces. So, when his play Murder on the Orient Express premiered in Washington, D.C., in 2017, many wondered what they were in for. They needn’t have worried. With a cracking set and just enough humor, it was a joy. There were some quibbles. Some minor suspects had been eliminated, and Ludwig threw in a second crime, which many thought unnecessary.
However, the play was such a hit that they took it on the road. It’s still playing all over the country. In 2024, Old Globe Theatre presented the Asolo Repertory Theatre Production reprise of the Ken Ludwig adoption. The stage show was very loyal to the book’s story, with the stage’s turntable rotating to show the train exterior, the sleeping compartments, the parlor car, and the dining car.
Murder on the Orient Express (2017)
Kenneth Branagh Stars His Agatha Christie Adaptations
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9/10 Murder on the Orient Express PG-13Mystery
Based on the novel and series by Agatha Christie, Murder on the Orient Express is a mystery-drama film that follows a legendary detective known as Hercule Poirot as he finds himself in the middle of a major mystery. A lavish train ride unfolds into a stylish and suspenseful mystery; the film tells the story of thirteen stranded strangers forced to confront one another amidst rising tensions. in a whodunnit that will force Poirot to race to solve the puzzle before the murderer strikes again.
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*Availability in US Release Date November 10, 2017 Runtime 114 Minutes Cast Michael Pena , Michelle Pfeiffer , Penelope Cruz , Daisy Ridley , Kenneth Branagh , Johnny Depp , Leslie Odom Jr. , judi dench , Josh Gad Director Kenneth Branagh Distributor(s) 20th Century
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Kenneth Branagh directed and starred in 2017’s Murder on the Orient Express. It was a major box office hit, making $352.8 million on a $55 million budget, and spawned a franchise for Branagh. Critical reactions were mixed, with a 60% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Roger Ebert’s website said that the script was good and true to the novel, and Branagh was a reasonable Poirot. However, most critics felt the film was more Branagh than Christie.
Even with stars such as Johnny Depp and Judi Dench, Poirot was the only important character in the whole movie. However, fans mostly loved it, and it has spawned two sequels so far: Branagh returning as Poirot in Death on the Nile (2022) and A Haunting in Venice (2023). The latter is considered the best of the new Agatha Christie movies, but Murder on the Orient Express was a great start.
Who’s The Best Poirot?
Albert Finney, Kenneth Branagh, Alfred Molina, & More
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Albert Finney did it in 1974. Kenneth Branagh took a stab at it in 2017. In 2001, Albert Molina struggled with a script that changed too much of Agatha Christie’s lore. And in 2010, David Suchet climbed aboard the train and cracked the case. Is it possible to claim there is a “best” Hercule Poirot as far as productions of Murder on the Orient Express are concerned?
Albert Finney was an angry and aggressive Poirot—and a pretty good one. Albert Molina struggled to match up due to the changes in his character. Kenneth Branagh lumbered with a backstory and delivered just enough campiness to make it work. However, if sheer acting skills and faithfulness to Christie’s vision are the criteria, Suchet embodied everything Poirot stands for and ended up as the most faithful to Agatha Chrsitie’s story.
Which Murder On The Orient Express Is Considered The Best?
The Best Version Of The Agatha Christie Story
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The quality of the Murder on the Orient Express adaptations is all quite good, so the main criteria for determining which is the best comes down to personal taste. When looking at critics’ scores, the 1974 version by Sidney Lumet scored a 90% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, while the 2017 version checked in with a much lower 60% score. However, the 2017 version was a massive box office success and spawned a successful movie franchise for Kenneth Branagh, which speaks for itself.
It is also hard to compare things like video games and graphic novels to movies and TV shows since they are different mediums and have a much more limited audience concerning appreciation. With that said, the 2001 Alfred Molina version was mostly ignored by critics and had a rotten audience score, so it all comes down to the two main theatrical releases, with Lumet’s 1974 version winning out in the end. Branagh improved with later movies, but Albert Finney was great as Poirot and that earlier version remains a true classic.
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