Knives Out is one of the most successful, recent movie franchises, and its take on the “whodunit” genre is beating the establishing Hercule Poirot IP in terms of pop culture impact. Each of Rian Johnson’s Knives Out movies tells the story of a different case solved by Benoit Blanc, the southern detective known around the world for his crime-solving capabilities and unusual methods. While they follow a very different character in a different era, it is difficult not to compare Kenneth Branagh’s Hercule Poirot movies to Knives Out‘s modern perspective on the genre.
Knives Out and many other modern whodunit films borrow a lot from the Hercule Poirot stories as well as Agatha Christie’s broader work in general. Knives Out had a long creation process due to the new stories being created, and that benefited the franchise. That said, Poirot’s character welcomes different interpretations of the same story, even if elements like A Haunting in Venice‘s ending twist become more predictable as a result. Still, in its battle with other detective films—like Knives Out—the Poirot franchise seems to be losing.
Knives Out’s Success Was A Boost For Original Stories
The newest Poirot movies are some of many Agatha Christie movie adaptations. This includes 2017’s Murder on The Orient Express, whose success would lead to two more films. However, A Haunting in Venice was not a box office hit, and part of this can be attributed to the use of the same stories and tropes repeatedly. Knives Out takes inspiration from many detective movies, and the Poirot franchise is one of them, but it creates new and exciting stories never seen before. It also combined social commentary with humor in a way that not many similar stories do.
One of the main distinctions between the Poirot movies and the Benoit Blanc anthology saga is the time period. Both follow a charismatic detective who’s always the smartest person in the room, but Poirot takes place in the same time period as they were written, which spans the early to mid-1900s. The Knives Out franchise is usually set in the same year that they’re released. The modern setting makes it easier for audiences to connect to the movie and relate to the characters. The more familiar surroundings also update classic tropes and make them even more interesting.
Why Branagh’s Poirot Movies Feel Especially Unoriginal
Kenneth Branagh, while an amazing actor and director, did not bring something particularly new to the Poirot movies. The franchise physically takes place in the 1900s, but the age of the source material also feels dated. Agatha Christie was an active writer starting in the 1920s, and that shows through in the most modern adaptations. The dated time and setting make the story feel like it’s already been told, not only in previous Poirot movies but other classic mystery dramas. It doesn’t feel original, which makes the franchise less interesting compared to Knives Out.
The most recent movie adaptation of an Agatha Christie novel was released in September 2023. A Haunting in Venice struggled to make a profit, despite being the best-rated modern Poirot film so far. Part of this could be because of marketing. The trailers made it seem like a horror movie, but it was just another mystery. The addition of a more horror-ish tone could have been a great way to update the familiar tropes. Without the scary feeling that was promoted, the film fell even flatter than usual. In comparison to Knives Out, a franchise that tries to work in plot twists and varying tropes, the Poirot franchise hasn’t worked at standing on its own rather than its reputation.
