Kenneth Branagh’s second directorial outing into the acclaimed works of Agatha Christie is full of memorable performances and intriguing characters, topped off with a compelling narrative and plenty of complex relationships along the way. Although most of the cast is different from Branagh’s first Poirot adventure, every character still gets a chance to shine and make themselves known.
In most of Christie’s novels, the characters are the most important element. And Death on the Nile is no different – the film quickly sucks the audience into its lavish world of wealth and scandal, keeping its character’s true intentions secret until the very final scene.
Gal Gadot as Linnet Doyle
Linnet Doyle is one of Death on the Nile‘s central protagonists, and it’s her marriage to Armie Hammer’s Simon Doyle that brings all the suspects together in the first place – for their marriage. However, Linnet reveals that she feels constantly unsafe around her guests and enlists the help of Poirot to protect her.
Although Gadot is better known as Wonder Woman within the DCEU, her portrayal of Linnet Doyle is much more bashful and complex. Gadot does a good job of conveying Linnet’s discomfort on the ship, but her character sadly doesn’t get much more to do outside of that. Her chemistry with Hammer is believable for the most part, even if their relationship isn’t the most compelling.
Dawn French as Mrs. Bowers
The elusive Mrs. Bowers might initially seem like a strange role to choose for comedy legend Dawn French, who usually steals the show with her comedic timing and improvisation skills. In this story, however, she plays a much more solemn and reserved character with very few funny lines to deliver.
Although French does a good job of embodying Mrs. Bowers, the character itself isn’t really given enough time to be fully developed over the course of two hours. Her main purpose in the story is that she’s harboring a secret, but when this secret is revealed it seems insubstantial in comparison to the rest of the film’s compelling mystery.
Annette Bening as Euphemia Bouc
As the mother of returning favorite Mr. Bouc, there was a lot of pressure on Annette Bening to deliver an equally memorable and impressive performance alongside her on-screen son. And whilst her character doesn’t have as big of a role in the overall narrative as Mr. Bouc, she still proves herself to be an extremely unique character with plenty of secrets.
Much of Euphemia’s screentime revolves around her character’s conflict with Letitia Wright’s Rosalie, who intends to marry Mr. Bouc. It’s a compelling subplot to the film, and Bening manages to draw in the audience with her loud performance, but it ultimately proves itself to be unimportant by the time the final act rolls around.
Jennifer Saunders as Marie van Schuyler
Alongside her comedy partner Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders plays the elusive Maria van Schuyler, godmother to the bride. It quickly becomes clear that Schuyler has her own personal problems with the happy couple, and her inclusion in Linnet’s last will and testament soon becomes a point of interest for Poirot.
In a much more dramatic turn for the actress, Saunders has plenty of emotional and compelling scenes that suck the audience into her story and leave lots of questions unanswered. She’s certainly one of the most interesting characters upon the ship, even if her screentime doesn’t always reflect that.
Ali Fazal as Andrew Katchadourian
Andrew is both the cousin and lawyer to bride Linnet Doyle, which makes him one of the most important and prolific figures on the ship – and also one of the most suspicious. Fazal takes complete advantage of this, playing the character extremely ambiguously so that the audience never truly knows his true intentions.
Although Fazal’s character is initially introduced as one of the film’s less present and significant individuals, it soon becomes clear that there’s much more to Andrew than anybody initially thought, and the character becomes much more important to the story. This gives Fazal plenty to work with, which he does extremely effectively.
Tom Bateman as Mr. Bouc
Audiences may recognize Bateman’s character Mr. Bouc from Branagh’s first Christie adaptation, Murder on the Orient Express. The character’s standing friendship with Poirot becomes one of the film’s most compelling relationships, and the two clearly have mutual respect and affection for each other in this film.
There are plenty of gripping and emotional scenes involving Poirot and Bouc, as the pair quickly become two of the most important and significant characters in the entire story. Their independent character arcs often intertwine, and Bateman plays with this chemistry in a totally engaging and entertaining way.
Letitia Wright as Rosalie Otterbourne
She may be more familiar to audiences as Black Panther’s Shuri (often credited as the smartest character in the MCU), but Letitia Wright’s role in Death on the Nile is much more intense and dramatic than you’d ever find her on Wakanda. She plays the love interest of Bateman’s Mr. Bouc, and her conflict with Bouc’s mother is one of the film’s most compelling side plots.
Wright is given plenty to work with throughout the course of the film, but there’s one particular scene that stands out in justifying her placement on this list. In the latter half of the film, Otterbourne lashes out at Poirot and completely rejects everything that he stands for, and Wright’s ferocious performance is truly something to behold as audiences are left on the edge of their seat awaiting Poirot’s response.
Russell Brand as Dr. Bessner
Of the entire ensemble cast in Death on the Nile, it’s Russell Brand who easily wins the award for most unrecognizable performance. He completely transforms into Dr. Bessner, in a role that’s totally different from anything ever seen from the comedian turned actor. He’s also one of the film’s most developed and relatable characters, with a rich backstory that truly adds layers to his already impressive performance.
Dr. Bressner has a complex relationship with the film’s protagonist Linnet, having previously been in a relationship with her before she found her new husband. It gives Brand a lot of emotional material to work with, and he makes the character one that audiences will both feel sympathetic towards whilst also being wary of – exactly as a good murder mystery suspect should be.
Emma Mackey as Jacqueline de Belfort
In her first real cinematic role following her recognition as the endlessly quotable Maeve Wiley from Netflix’s Sex Education, Emma Mackey immediately proves herself to be an absolute scene-stealer. Every single moment she’s on-screen is electric, and her chemistry with both Hammer and Gadot is what makes the film’s central narrative so gripping and thrilling.
Jacqueline de Belfort is easily the film’s most complicated and unpredictable guest, with plenty of complex relationships and emotional backstory that give Mackey endless possibilities for her portrayal of the character. She benefits from having some of the most screentime, but even when she’s not on the screen, her presence on the ship is still felt.
Kenneth Branagh as Hercule Poirot
As the film’s central detective, Kenneth Branagh offers a perfectly playful and entertaining performance. Every scene that he’s in is instantly elevated, and much of the film’s excitement and tension comes from watching Poirot attempt to solve the elusive mystery.
Death on the Nile gives Poirot many more dramatic and emotional scenes than its predecessor, developing the character even further and truly building him up as a human, not just a detective. It sets the scene for more films to come, and so long as he wishes to continue with the character, there’s no reason why they couldn’t continue being some of Branagh’s best movies.
