In Agatha Christie's most twisted tale, a spy-turned-private-detective is lured by his former lover to catch her grandfather's murderer before Scotland Yard exposes dark family secrets.In Agatha Christie's most twisted tale, a spy-turned-private-detective is lured by his former lover to catch her grandfather's murderer before Scotland Yard exposes dark family secrets.In Agatha Christie's most twisted tale, a spy-turned-private-detective is lured by his former lover to catch her grandfather's murderer before Scotland Yard exposes dark family secrets.
- Awards
- 2 wins & 1 nomination
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThis was one of Dame Agatha Christie's favorite of the novels that she'd written.
- GoofsThere is a copy of The Times with news on the front page. This feature only started 3 May 1966. Previously the front page was filled with Classified Ads. This film appears to be set in the late 1950s.
- ConnectionsReferences The Last of Mrs. Cheyney (1937)
Featured review
If you liked:
Knives Out
Murder on the Orient Express
Ten Little Indians
This is a yet another modern film adaptation of Agatha Christie's mystery crime stories. Now, it isn't that I've never heard anything good about this film; I've actually never heard anything at all, which is surprising, considering how much I enjoyed it. A huge family house, a murder, everybody is a suspect - classic, what else do you want? I liked the story, I liked the cinematography and directing, and the acting was also ok; however, this film, like "Murder on the Orient Express"; which is also based on Agatha Christie, got very mediocre reviews; and I think I now understand why.
First reason is that I'm a bit too obsessed with detective stories so I might let everything except for the mystery elements slide because I'm so immersed in trying to guess the outcome myself. So, if the story is good, I don't notice anything else that might be bad, but that's only for detective films. Despite that, I did notice that the film kept tilting dangerously towards a melodrama, which I hate in any kind of movie that isn't a melodrama (my problem with Hitchcock's "Vertigo" as well); but overall it didn't seem too unnecessary and distracting. Another reason could be that most people who gave this film bad reviews, especially the critics, are actually familiar with Christie's work (I'm more of a Conan Doyle guy) and are comparing it to the novel rather than to other detective movies. So, for them, after a while "there is not a great deal happening plot-wise, with the programme not so much gripping us as drifting pleasantly by". Perhaps when you already know the outcome the adaptation itself isn't that great; although on the other hand once you've read the story first it's almost next to impossible to perceive it as a film and compare it to films; rather than to see it as an adaptation and compare it to the book; so I don't blame them.
I enjoyed it a lot more than "Orient Express", and it was the first film that was very similar to "Knives Out" (which I loved), so it is a film I recommend; especially if you know nothing about the story.
This is a yet another modern film adaptation of Agatha Christie's mystery crime stories. Now, it isn't that I've never heard anything good about this film; I've actually never heard anything at all, which is surprising, considering how much I enjoyed it. A huge family house, a murder, everybody is a suspect - classic, what else do you want? I liked the story, I liked the cinematography and directing, and the acting was also ok; however, this film, like "Murder on the Orient Express"; which is also based on Agatha Christie, got very mediocre reviews; and I think I now understand why.
First reason is that I'm a bit too obsessed with detective stories so I might let everything except for the mystery elements slide because I'm so immersed in trying to guess the outcome myself. So, if the story is good, I don't notice anything else that might be bad, but that's only for detective films. Despite that, I did notice that the film kept tilting dangerously towards a melodrama, which I hate in any kind of movie that isn't a melodrama (my problem with Hitchcock's "Vertigo" as well); but overall it didn't seem too unnecessary and distracting. Another reason could be that most people who gave this film bad reviews, especially the critics, are actually familiar with Christie's work (I'm more of a Conan Doyle guy) and are comparing it to the novel rather than to other detective movies. So, for them, after a while "there is not a great deal happening plot-wise, with the programme not so much gripping us as drifting pleasantly by". Perhaps when you already know the outcome the adaptation itself isn't that great; although on the other hand once you've read the story first it's almost next to impossible to perceive it as a film and compare it to films; rather than to see it as an adaptation and compare it to the book; so I don't blame them.
I enjoyed it a lot more than "Orient Express", and it was the first film that was very similar to "Knives Out" (which I loved), so it is a film I recommend; especially if you know nothing about the story.
- thatfilmperson
- Dec 13, 2020
- Permalink
Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Official sites
- Language
- Also known as
- Кривий будиночок
- Filming locations
- Tyntesfield, near Wraxall, Bristol, England, UK(Three Gables interiors)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross worldwide
- $3,682,156
- Runtime1 hour 55 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
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