Evil Under the Sun (13 Jul. 2003)
"Agatha Christie's Poirot" Evil Under the Sun (original title)

Poirot's rehabilitative health retreat on an island resort becomes an even more stimulating mental exercise when a flirtatious film star is found strangled on a nearby beach.

Director:

Brian Farnham

Writers:

Agatha Christie (novel), Anthony Horowitz (dramatized by)

Stars:

David Suchet, Hugh Fraser, Philip Jackson

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
David Suchet	...	Poirot
Hugh Fraser	...	Hastings
Philip Jackson	...	Chief Inspector Japp
Pauline Moran	...	Miss Lemon
Michael Higgs	...	Patrick Redfern
Tamzin Malleson	...	Christine Redfern
Louise Delamere	...	Arlena Stuart
Tim Meats	...	Stephen Lane
Marsha Fitzalan	...	Rosamund Darnley
Carolyn Pickles	...	Emily Brewster
David Mallinson	...	Kenneth Marshall
Russell Tovey	...	Lionel Marshall
Ian Thompson	...	Major Barry
David Timson	...	Horace Blatt
Rosalind March	...	Mrs Castle

Storyline

Recovering from a sudden collapse, Poirot finds little comfort in doctor's orders confining him to a strict regimen at an island health resort with Captain Hastings. However, better medicine is to be found in the murder of another guest, a famous film actress, and a long list of suspects.

---

Plot Keywords:

hotel | murder | hercule poirot | private detective | remake | 

---

Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Crime | Thriller

---

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 July 2003 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Burgh Island, Bigbury-on-Sea, Devon, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Carnival Films, A&E Television Networks, Chorion

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min 100 min (14 episodes)

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Filmed on Burgh Island, Devon, which also inspired Christie's book "And Then There Were None".

---

Goofs

During the flashback of Hastings reading the telegram received by Arlena Stuart, he says "Send the money now or you will lose a great deal", but the word "now" does not appear in the typed telegram shown on screen.

---

Quotes

Hercule Poirot: [while talking about the possible reasons for Arlena Stuart entering the cave] But then the question becomes why did Arlena Stuart enter the cave?
Hastings: Perhaps she was hiding from someone.
Hercule Poirot: Hastings... Once again you come up with an explanation that makes everything clear.
Chief Inspector Japp: Not to me it doesn't.
Hastings: You mean she was afraid of someone?
Hercule Poirot: I mean, Hastings, that there is evil on this island. And the murder that took place here was the work of a mind that was brilliant. But there is one thing the killer did not ...

---

Connections

Version of Evil Under the Sun (1982)

User Reviews

Better than Ustinov but...

David Suchet is, for me, the authoritative Hercule and I must admit that Ustinov wore out his welcome with me a long time ago so I'm not well-disposed towards his version despite Diana and Maggie.

But, I find this version has the problem that most of the other Suchets have: there is an insistence of getting Hastings, Japp and Lemon into the story no matter what. In Christie, Hastings disappeared early in the series and Japp was only one of the inspectors. Lemon too didn't always appear. In this case, I find their appearance quite strained.

The presentation is good but the mystery is contrived (Agatha's fault.) and the culprits somewhat obvious.

7 out of 10.