In the latest edition of Mandatory Movie Battles, we’re diving into the world of film noir. After years of delays, Death on the Nile has finally arrived in theaters so we’re pitting it against Knives Out in a battle of the whodunnits. For those who are unaware, the sequel to the remake of Murder On the Orient Express has been mired with controversy. At one point, there was even discussion of reshooting parts of the film to account for the problematic nature of some cast members. This ended up not happening, but combined with several delays due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the movie has been collecting dist on the shelf for some time now. To put things into perspective, the film that Kenneth Branagh made after Death on the Nile, the Oscar-nominated Belfast, was released at the end of last year. With that said, let the battle of the whodunnits begin!
Cover Photo: 20th Century Studios
While both films have their benefits and drawbacks, the truth of the matter is that Knives Out is a far more sound picture than Death on the Nile. While Branagh is in top form here, the writing, in particular, is sub-par. Then there’s the cast, which has aged as well as a batch of prison pruno when compared to Rian Johnson’s casting in his whodunnit. This isn’t to say that Death on the Nile is a terrible film, but it also feels like it’s hard to decipher who this movie is catering to. Ultimately, the only mystery left here is what went wrong with the film.
Overall Winner: Knives Out
MMB: Death on the Nile vs Knives Out
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The Lead Detective
When it comes to the noir genre, the leading character (usually a detective) is the most crucial element to get right. Luckily, both Death on the Nile and Knives Out completely nail this element, albeit in different ways. Whereas Benoit Blanc is basically Hercule Poirot with a foghorn leghorn drawl, Kenneth Branagh was basically born to play the latter. While Branagh brings a surprising amount of depth to the sequel, Craig is just delectable enough to win this round.
Winner: Knives Out
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The Mystery
It’s true that no good detective movie ever has a bad mystery surrounding it. While Knives Out is far better executed in terms of unraveling the mystery, it is also a bit more predictable. On the flipside, Death on the Nile is less predictable but executed in a way that is subpar to its opponent. Nevertheless, Branagh’s film wins in this category simply because of the source material it was adapted from.
Winner: Death on the Nile
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The Supporting Cast
Considering that the cast of Death on the Nile is a publicist's worst nightmare, the cast isn’t doing the sequel any marketing favors. Without naming names, the film’s cast includes one tone-deaf leading lady, one alleged rapist and self-proclaimed cannibalist, along with two alleged anti-vaxxers. With these kinds of clues, it doesn’t take a Poirot-level detective to figure out which film has the better cast.
Winner: Knives Out
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The Femme Fatale
If there’s one knock on Knives Out in terms of subverting genre tropes, it’s that there isn’t really a true Femme Fatale in the film. Not only does Death on the Nile feature a classic femme fatale character, but Emma Mackie’s delightful performance also happens to be one of the film’s highlights. All things considered, there’s no question that the latter wins this round.
Winner: Death on the Nile
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The Editing
Arguably most important technical element of any detective movie is the editing. After all, any good noir film uses flashbacks to reveal the full story. Unfortunately, the editing in Death on the Nile is subpar at best. While the use of black and white for these flashbacks is classic Branagh, they’re not used enough to convey a true sense of intrigue or deception.
Winner: Knives Out
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The Score
The score for Knives Out is memorable in its own right but, Patrick Doyle’s Score for Nile is outstanding. Even though Doyle’s score can be a little too bombastic for its own good, it also helps the movie to feel way more epic than it should be.
Winner: Death on The Nile
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The Structure
The Structure of Death on the Nile is easily the most perplexing part of the movie. Whereas Knives Out opens with the murder that incites the plot, Branagh’s film, unfortunately, takes over an hour to get to the point. Even though this could have easily been solved with a non-linear approach, the movie spends an ungodly amount of time playing out in a linear fashion. In other words, nothing really happens in the first half of the film.
Winner: Knives Out
