Warning: This list contains plot spoilers for Death on the Nile.
Kenneth Branagh’s Death On The Nile boasts an all-star cast, and all of them played characters who were varying degrees of villainous in the riveting murder mystery. Almost every single person on the S.S. Karnak had something to hide or a wicked plan up their sleeve, with the exception of perhaps the Otterbournes.
Nobody was who they seemed to be, and they all seemed to have an agenda when it came to Linnet. Some were so wicked that they had murder on their mind, and others bit the very hand that fed them. Agatha Christie’s characters were, indeed, villains to watch out for.
Rosalie Otterbourne
The most likable character in Death On The Nile was also the most virtuous one. As Poirot learned in his investigation of the young lady, she paid her bills on time, treated people well, paid her taxes too, and just the small vice of gambling, which was nothing compared to what the other characters indulged in.
She was perhaps the only person who cared for human life on the ship, and her love for Bouc was pure, even when his mother taunted and insulted her. She actually consoled and held Jacqueline as she pretended for everyone else, despite how terrible she had been. Rosalie was a truly good one.
Dr. Bessner
Russel Brand gave a great performance as Dr. Besser in Death On The Nile, a man who was lost in love but was still one of the most ethical people aboard the S.S. Karnak. Descended from nobility, he had willingly given up his title to pursue medicine, and gain a title that actually meant something to him and others.
He watched Linnet, to whom he had been engaged to, marry somebody else, and even joined in her marital celebrations good-naturedly. He had the motive to hurt Linnet and even Simon, but he conceded gracefully which proved his innocence.
Salome Otterbourne
Rosalie’s mother was a good woman, and it was clear that Salome’s daughter had inherited her values from her fabulous mother. The ex-novelist was known for her romance novels, after which she had become a performer who sang beautifully. She was insightful and honest, and wouldn’t knowingly hurt anybody.
By virtue of being older, she had obviously lived fully through good and bad times, so she had broken several hearts and perhaps done unsavory things in her illustrious life, which was why she was a bit more villainous than her daughter.
Hercule Poirot
Poirot was endlessly quotable in Death On The Nile, and audiences also got the opportunity to delve deep into his psyche when they saw a young Poirot in love. Poirot had worked through his life to uncover murderers and fraudsters, which automatically put him on the side of the heroes.
However, Poirot also had to implement twisted methods to do his detective work which made him less than innocent. He agreed to investigate Bouc’s love interest too, which wasn’t the most gracious of Poirot. He wanted to do good, but his means were not always noble.
Linnet Ridgeway-Doyle
Gal Gadot’s Linnet lay in the middle of the spectrum of good and evil. As the daughter of a man with a dirty business, she inherited his ways and conducted her own affairs the same way. This meant that her wealth was gained by stepping all over others. She tried to be fair to people around her, but her high handed ways (like her breaking Louise’s engagement) always made her look bad.
As a person, she was kind and empathetic, and she tried her best to make it up to Jacqueline for stealing her beau. Unfortunately, Linnet was not intelligent enough to know that she had fallen for a death trap.
Bouc
Poirot’s bosom buddy seemed like an awfully sweet guy at first, but his inner intentions made an appearance when he saw a dead woman and her killer too, but chose to steal her invaluable diamond necklace instead of reporting the crime.
Bouc had seen Linnet’s culprits not once, but twice. He even watched them kill Louise, but even that wasn’t enough to spur him into doing the right thing. Bouc had to be pressured into the truth, and even then he couldn’t really say it — he was shot.
Andrew Katchadourian
Linnet’s cousin and lawyer was shrewd to the core, so much so that he thought it was alright to manipulate her into giving wrongful signatures and cheating her out of money and land. He did what was beneficial to him, but things got really terrible at the Temple of Amun.
As Simon and Linnet sneaked around, Andrew spotted his sister and decided to lodge a large rock free and throw it towards the couple below him. It was seriously wicked to try to crush someone under a rock, and even more so when they are family.
Louis Bourget
The sweetest-looking face in the movie turned out to be extremely evil. Louise had worked for Linnet for a while and had her grudges against the lady, but she was ruthless enough to see who her killer was, and use the information to get money, instead of doing right by her mistress and reporting them.
She blackmailed Simon and Jacqueline to make a quick buck and would have continued the ruse but the killers were too cunning for her. Jacqueline got rid of her, even as Bouc watched from the shadows.
Simon Doyle
Plotting to marry someone, only to kill them later is as villainous as it gets. Simon was a great actor, but a really bad person. He manipulated Linnet into falling for him, then gaslighted her and made her severely anxious by calling Jacqueline wherever they went, and then shooting her as she slept in her bed.
The plan was nasty, and Simon had no qualms in carrying it out. He would get tons of wealth if he had succeeded, which justified murdering various people. Nothing could redeem him.
Jacqueline De Bellefort
Jacky was undoubtedly a criminal mastermind, and she was the one who came up with the notorious plot to kill Linnet and take over her wealth. She was Linnet’s old friend, and envious of her wealth and beauty, so she decided that she should have it all by killing her own dear friend.
The thought itself was heinous, and the way she wore down her friend in the days leading up to her death was even worse. She conned her in the worst way possible, made her invite her killer into her home and bed, and then did away with her like it was no big deal. Jacqueline was twisted, and her mania was even more evident when she shot Simon and herself.
