As an avid Agatha Christie lover, I faithfully watch every cinematic remake of her mysteries I can find, from Kenneth Branagh’s interpretation of Poirot in Murder on the Orient Express to John Malkovich’s portrayal in The ABC Murders which is playing on Amazon Prime Video. Generally, when I watch a movie rendition of one of Christie’s mysteries, I start by telling myself, “It’s okay if it differs from the book.” I know that adapting books to film often requires a lot of adjustments. Film is a visual medium that doesn’t do justice to a cerebral character like Hercule Poirot and his “little grey cells.” However, The ABC Murders was so completely different from the book, that I barely recognized it as an Agatha Christie mystery.
British screenwriter, Sarah Phelps, has adapted several Christie novels to film, And Then There Were None, The Witness For the Prosecution, and Ordeal by Innocence. The ABC Murders carried on her tradition of portraying a dark, gritty, edgy version of Christie’s mysteries. Cinematically, there were a number of things that I could appreciate in the film from the lighting and imagery as long as I ignored the fact that it was supposed to be an Agatha Christie mystery. However, a few artistic features and a strong cast weren’t enough. This rendition was too gritty and depressing including rats, vomit, a murder at a urinal, and a boarding house owner who is not only a xenophobe but a neurotic who pimps her daughter out to the lodgers for “a shilling for a regular.” Add in a grim, depressed Belgium detective and you gain a sense of the film.
However, the big question is, will you enjoy this movie? Maybe. If you like dark, brooding films that only portray the worse of humanity without one bit of kindness (not even from Poirot), then you might like it. If you aren’t grossed out by blood, rats, dirt, grime, and vomit, then you might like it. Although, the ultimate key is if you’re able to forget that this is supposed to be an Agatha Christie mystery featuring one of her most iconic characters, then you might like it. I couldn’t.