Lisa Johnson Mandell’s A Haunting in Venice review says that even though it stars favorites like Kenneth Branagh, Kelly Reilly, Michelle Yeoh and Jamie Dornan, someone you’ve probably never heard of is the real star. 

All hail the extremely savvy Lucy Bevan, the breakout star of Kenneth Branagh’s A Haunting in Venice.

“Never heard of her,” you may be thinking. “Who is Lucy Bevan anyway?”

The answer will surprise you. It’s none other than the casting director for this loose adaptation of Agatha Christie’s 1969 novel The Hallowe’en Party.

A Haunting in Venice is Branagh’s latest adaptation of the works of the iconic murder mystery author, following Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile.

Branagh, of course, had major say in the casting as well. And he also directs, produces and stars as the mercurial Hercule Poirot, each time with a different and distinctive mustache.

The beauty of Bevan’s role in the production is the casting of actors who will draw in viewers who might not otherwise be interested in this type of film:

A Haunting in Venice review — the brilliant cast

• Kelly Reilly, who plays the feisty Beth on Yellowstone, is the grieving mother.
• Michelle Yeoh, loved by all who admire Oscar winners and Everything, Everywhere, All at Once, is the obligatory mysterious medium.
• Tina Fey, adored by those who revere Saturday Night Live, 30 Rock and genius female comedians in general, plays a fast talking murder mystery author.
• Jamie Dornan, who would probably prefer to be remembered for his heart wrenching role in Belfast, but whom everyone first thinks of as the star of the Fifty Shades of Grey films, plays the hapless doctor.
• Jude Hill, the utterly entrancing child star of Belfast, is the hapless doctor’s precocious son.

And there are plenty of other standouts as well, who will also pull in their followers.

Then there are the horror fans. This is no mere drawing room mystery. There’s seriously scary stuff in here, even though Poirot desperately tries to explain away the super natural as natural behavior of seriously warped humans.

In brief, this desperate group gathers on Halloween might to find out what really happened to the daughter of the rich and famous owner of the dark and dreary Venetian palazzo. Others will soon join the ill-fated daughter in the spirit world, and everyone will be suspect.

Set in a moody post-World War II Venice that hasn’t quite recovered, the cinematography and set design are lovely and brooding. Watch how it changes in the end.

The film can be accused of sluggishness in parts, and you may figure out who done it, if not how it was done, before the end. But the scares merged with cerebral mystery, and the prospect of seeing some of your favorite stars as you’ve never seen them before, are enough to keep you engaged. It’s a worthy watch.

PG-13

1 Hour 43 Minutes

If this A Haunting in Venice review encourages you to waft over to the cineplex and sit a spell, get times and tickets at Fandango.com.

Lisa Johnson Mandell’s A Haunting in Venice review says that even though it stars favorites like Kenneth Branagh, Kelly Reilly, Michelle Yeoh and Jamie Dornan, someone you’ve probably never heard of is the real star.