Murder on the Orient Express is originally a book, written by the queen of mystery novels, Agatha Christie. The latest adaptation of the crime novel is a film under the same name that is quite literally captivating. As the cast is experienced and highly professional, the expectations were set high. And director, Kenneth Branagh, perfectly delivers what the audience hoped for. The movie does not only follow the storyline, told in the book, but it also sets modern dimensions to it.

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Published in 1934, the book tells the story of a murder that happens on the Orient Express. The case requires the instincts of the famous detective Hercule Poirot, as he solves the mystery on his travels to London. Upon its publication, the novel received excellent reviews from The Times and Entertainment Weekly. It also got featured in The New York Times’s Book Review Section. Since then, the story has lived up to be one of Christie’s most recognised work. Her clever and very intuitive approach of creating the iconic characters and setting up the mysterious circumstances of the murder, captivates the attention of readers from all generations. Christie shared that the idea of the story came to her while she was washing the dishes after dinner and the writing followed a natural flow. Her talent for writing crime fiction creates a sense of suspense in the readers that is not easy to escape from. The book has an unexpected ending with original, complicated and satisfying plot. Following a background story to lead the story to its end, Christie once again lives up to the greatness of her writing standards.

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The 2017 the film adaptation creates a stunning visual pleasure for the viewers. Although the book was initially turned into a film back in 1974, the latest version has a unique way of connecting with viewers. Created by a different generation, it brings another dimension to the story. The cinematographer Haris Zambarloukos leaves the viewers intoxicated by the story through the way it has been told. Even though a huge part of the action takes place on the Orient Express, the opening scenes set the action in Jerusalem and the stunning visuals create a sense of lust. The attention to details and the amount of work, put into the film, shows clearly. The high quality of the adaptation together with the famous cast gives a modern outlook to the story while successfully following Christie’s original work.