A Haunting in Venice: Kenneth Branagh’s third go-around directing an adaptation of an Agatha Christie mystery, as the name suggests, has a bit of a supernatural undertone. The film follows the famed Hercule Poirot as he investigates a murder during a séance in Venice. The primary setting for the film, an old and dilapidated palazzo, is almost a character in itself, and production designer John Paul Kelly does the utmost to create a sinister place. Cinematographer Haris Zambarloukos takes that ball and runs with it, combining dramatic lighting and even more dramatic framing. That combination makes for a very atmospheric film. It’s a pity that the whodunit itself is so run-of-the-mill and the resolution, so sudden. Kenneth Branagh played Poirot before, and it’s an entertaining and efficient performance he gives as the smart and pampered detective. Tina Fey is miscast as his old friend, as she lacks the dramatic presence. Riccardo Scamarcio, on the other hand, is well-cast as a bodyguard. Michelle Yeoh, as the medium, is properly crafty and shifty.