Advance Review: ‘The ABC Murders’ Offers a New, Older Poirot
The ABC Murders is a peculiar miniseries, a mixture of old storytelling and modern adaptation. Parts are reminiscent of the classic Agatha Christie novel, but spun into darker territory and with a strong, quieter John Malkovich performance at its center.
The three episodes deliver a snappy tale of Hercule Poirot, the world-famous detective, on the fringes of past success and without much purpose anymore. It’s the classic one last case scenario to bring the detective out of retirement, but done with an introspective look at his successes and failures in life which made him who he is.
The murders themselves are not especially riveting, as in its telling there’s not much mystery to the matter outside of potential capture and who will be next. By the conclusion, it’s more satisfying, but in the moment, this proves a little anticlimactic.
The world itself, a mixture of otherness persecution and jumping to conclusions, helps set a man like Poirot as the old guard looking at the new with tired eyes and a heart for reminiscing.
Rupert Grint plays Inspector Crome, the man at the helm of the investigation, with a distinct dismissal and young pompousness, a vulnerable but cocky performance as though nothing in the room is correct unless it has his say so. It’s a fun role for him, even if fairly brief for the major run of the three episodes.
But it’s in John Malkovich where The ABC Murders hangs most of its success. His Poirot feels distinctly his own, but faintly familiar enough to belong in Agatha Christie’s world.
It’s a weathered performance, where the age of his work and the changing nation has left him diminished and brushed aside. But the mystery awakens him, and allows Malkovich a lot to work with in terms of subtlety and presence.
His Poirot feels distracted but never beaten. This is where the miniseries shines.
The series is dry and without much humor, its focus on a more visceral violence and disturbing nature than past Poirot tales, and its ramifications on Poirot’s nature.
In its focus of balancing both character and mystery, the mystery manages to be overtaken. For the bulk of its run, the mystery is more a catalyst to the people than the people to the mystery, where their lives gain the interest of the story than the murders they encounter or fall victim to.
But it’s in the third episode where the mystery becomes more prevalent and satisfying, fortunately, and helps solidify a somewhat lacking investigation.
The episodes feel of a new age where Poirot and his ilk are now legends with skepticism tied to their record, leading to short bouts of true detective work to prove their worth all over again.
There’s a short methodology to these scenes, where Malkovich simply scans a room or a person and knows more than the audience without giving much away unless you’re paying close attention.
The production is a slick, and at times has a gorgeous, classical style which allows its time and location to shine. There are moments, like the opening of the third episode, where the use of shadows and suit and top hat silhouettes hearken back to classic detective noir.
But it’s in the dreariness, dirt, and grime where The ABC Murders leaves its lasting visual mark.
The world around Hercule Poirot is changing, and old methods still provide entertainment in this miniseries. Malkovich provides a richly interesting lead and helps craft a mostly successful series where the journey and destination don’t matter as much as those who we follow there.
Reviewer Rating:
User Rating:
The ABC Murders arrives Friday, February 1st on Amazon Prime Video.
Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!
Kevin Lever
Kevin Lever has been following television closely for most of his life, but in starting to cover it, he has grown a further appreciation. He strives to give the blockbusters their due, and give the lesser known shows a spotlight to find more fans.