If you are a fan of British novelist Agatha Christie’s “Hallowe’en Party”, you might be disappointed to know the screen adaptation by Kenneth Branagh strays far from the source material.

Nevertheless, now titled “A Haunting In Venice”, this ghostly tale offers just the right amount of gothic horror thrills and murder-mystery intrigue, wrapped up in a story so deliciously compelling that purists may refrain from screaming bloody murder.

This is Branagh’s third offering in which he reprises his role as Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. And unlike “Murder On The Orient Express” (2017) and “Death On The Nile” (2022), he seems to have found his footing this time around.

Where its predecessors stumbled with an overly familiar plot and forgettable characters, “Haunting” succeeds in presenting a well-woven murder mystery without becoming bogged down by its own narrative.

Plus, the horror elements peppered throughout add a sinister touch, elevating Christie’s little-known classic to new heights.

The story follows a now-retired Poirot, who is leading a seemingly quiet life in post-WWII Venice. Worn by the world, he has hired a personal bodyguard to keep potential clients at bay.

But on All Hallow’s Eve, Poirot is visited by famed mystery writer Ariadne Oliver (Tina Fey), who cajoles him into attending a seance at a palazzo with a very dark past.

A sceptic of the supernatural world, Poirot reluctantly agrees and follows her to the location where, just a year ago, the owner’s daughter Alica Drake (Rowan Robinson) died under mysterious circumstances.

Desperate to uncover the cause of Alicia’s death, her mother Rowena Drake (Kelly Reilly) organises the seance led by infamous medium Mrs Reynolds (Michelle Yeoh, why hello!!).

Things take a dark turn when one of the guests mysteriously dies, and now it’s up to Poirot to solve the case. But there is only one problem – ghosts might be involved!

And when Poirot begins to see spectres and hear eerie lullabies, even the power of deductive reasoning seems to stump our world-renowned detective.

It is difficult to strike a balance between the horror and murder-mystery genres, but right from the start, the brooding visuals and music score effortlessly invite audiences to a mysterious and haunting world.

The cinematography alone is brilliant, with claustrophobically tight shots and skewed camera angles, which makes for a satisfying viewing experience.

The rightly timed (and unexpected) jumpscares and ghostly apparitions that seem to blur the line between reality and imagination are well-used horror movie tropes that, in this film, work to its advantage.

Even if you’re not a horror fan, fear not: there are plenty of tantalising breadcrumbs to awaken your inner detective and satiate your whodunit cravings.

Performance-wise, Branagh deserves a shoutout. There is a heaviness, depth and pain to his Poirot, making the detective very human and relatable, where in the previous two films, his portrayal was larger than life and sometimes bordered on caricature.

This time, he infuses the character with a certain freshness and maturity that is more than welcome.

Fey also stands out as Branagh’s second in command. Sharp, witty and smart, her Ariadne proves a worthy sidekick to Poirot, a Watson to Poirot’s Holmes. Fun fact: Ariadne was Christie’s way of writing herself into her books!

And of course, there’s our very own Yeoh. Her screen time as the mystifying medium Mrs Reynolds might have been brief, but she delivers an electrifying performance without overacting – something that might have happened with a less capable actor.

Instead, Yeoh’s words are measured and there is a certain allure in the way she carries herself, grounding the character in a film filled with spooky shenanigans.

Speaking of which, “Haunting” also suspasses its predecessors in its handling of the characters’ inner demons. From the youngest to the oldest, each player has a shadow from their past – some sort of monstrous pain – lurking and waiting to reveal itself.

Perhaps the producers drew inspiration from Mike Flanagan’s depiction of trauma and inner demons in Netflix’s “The Haunting of Hill House” and “Bly Manor”, of which this movie is reminiscent.

All in all, this is a gloomy, mysterious, and engrossing instalment that effectively dips its toes into the realm of the supernatural while retaining the signature of an Agatha Christie mystery.

As of press time, ‘A Haunting In Venice’ is screening in cinemas nationwide.