Parents' Guide to

Death on the Nile

By Tara McNamara, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Eccentric Poirot whodunit has gun violence, drinking.

Movie PG-13 2022 127 minutes
Death on the Nile Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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age 15+

Based on 17 parent reviews

steveandlori
steveandlori Adult
February 24, 2022
age 18+

Good story but not great for kids

Agatha Christie is a great writer and I have enjoyed her books. The story Death on the Nile is an entertaining and good story, but Hollywood has taken too much liberty with the story and has made it inappropriate. There are a number of sexually charged scenes and sexual innuendos in this movie. I took my 14-year-old son to see the movie after finding out the scenes that we need to be careful of. He played games on his phone during the risqué scenes, and I was careful, but it still left a bad taste in my mouth. I am going to be reading the book to get the real story. I would suggest waiting for this movie to come out on VidAngel and watching it with filters.
Tomsmum2
Tomsmum2 Adult
February 22, 2022
age 15+

Not great!

I watched this with my 18 year old daughter. We both thought it was a bit disappointing, having enjoyed Death on the Orient Express. My son,13, also wanted to see it but I was very glad he didn't come with us as there is quite a lot of sexualised "dancing".
See all 17 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In DEATH ON THE NILE, renowned detective Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) is vacationing among the affluent passengers of the S.S. Karnak, on a river cruise touring Egypt's famous river. When a fellow passenger is found murdered on board, Poirot is appointed to suss out the killer before they can strike again.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (17 ):
Kids say (28 ):

Branagh's second Agatha Christie adaptation is much like Hercule Poirot's marvelous mustache: historical, eccentric, and multidirectional. But it's not a shoo-in for younger viewers. Even though Branagh attempts to bring Poirot down to earth, sharing the sleuth's backstory to explain his extravagant facial hair (and why there's no Mrs. Poirot), teens may find the finicky, narcissistic detective difficult to connect with. Also, the dialogue assumes that viewers understand matters that would have been familiar fare in 1937, such as being pro-Communism, what a dowry is, and why an entire wedding party would accompany newlyweds on their honeymoon. That's great conversation-starter fare, perhaps making Death on the Nile a better choice for a family watch-together than a slumber party pick.

On the upside, Death on the Nile may help solve the mystery of how to get kids more engaged with geography and/or world history. The phenomenal Egyptian landscape is showcased in crisp cinematography. Scenes with the Pyramids of Giza and Abu Simbel temple are striking, memorable, and inviting, and seeing characters interact with these landmarks might spark kids' curiosity about the locations. For those who are already familiar with this particular story, some changes have been made to Christie's novel to present a fresh take: It slims down the number of murder suspects and is purposely more diverse than the source material. But it's not necessarily better. Like Poirot's facial grooming, this version is just different.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how this adaptation of Death on the Nile is more inclusive and diverse than the original novel. Black musicians and LGBTQ+ philanthropists were active in high society in the mid-1930s. Why do you think many films and novels from that time largely ignored them? How does entertainment impact viewers' attitudes?

  • Which characters are "good" and which are "bad" -- or is it hard to tell? Why do films often want us to see people as one way or another, rather than showing humans' capacity to be both?

  • What makes Hercule Poirot an astute detective? Why is curiosity an important character strength?

  • Talk about Death on the Nile's violence. How much is actually shown? What's the impact of the violence that's not shown? Is this thrilling or shocking?

  • Why do you think author Agatha Christie and her character Hercule Poirot have such enduring appeal?

Movie Details

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