Death on the Nile (1978)
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A wealthy heiress and her new husband find themselves entangled in a deadly web of secrets while traveling on a Nile steamer.
The story
Expat heiress Linnet Ridgeway and her new husband, Simon Doyle, embark on a honeymoon in Egypt. Their trip becomes complicated when they are stalked by Linnet's former friend, Jackie de Bellefort. To evade her, the couple boards the Nile paddle steamer, SS Karnak. The voyage is joined by the famous detective Hercule Poirot, who becomes aware of the tense situation. As the ship travels toward various Egyptian landmarks, the atmosphere grows tense. When a mysterious death occurs on board, Poirot must navigate a web of motives among the passengers to uncover the truth behind the crime in the heart of the desert.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Linnet Ridgeway and Simon Doyle are honeymooning in Egypt when they are stalked by Linnet's jilted friend, Jackie de Bellefort. They board the SS Karnak to escape her, but Jackie joins the cruise anyway. After a series of incidents, including a shooting of Simon's leg, Linnet is found murdered with a 'J' in blood on the wall. Hercule Poirot and Colonel Race begin investigating the passengers, all of whom have motives: a maid seeking a dowry, a trustee hiding embezzlement, a socialite seeking a necklace, a novelist facing a lawsuit, and a doctor with controversial treatments. A search of the river reveals a discarded pistol and various items. The investigation reveals a complex conspiracy: Simon and Jackie were secret lovers. Simon killed Linnet to inherit her wealth, while Jackie acted as the mastermind. After a series of secondary deaths among the witnesses, Poirot reveals the truth in the saloon. Realizing they are caught, Jackie and Simon's final confrontation leads to both of them shooting themselves.
- First release year
- 1978
- Runtime (minutes)
- 140
- Production countries
- United Kingdom
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- John Guillermin
- Writers
- Anthony Shaffer · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Peter Ustinov · Hercule Poirot; Maggie Smith · nurse-companion; Angela Lansbury · vamp; Bette Davis; Mia Farrow; Birkin; David Niven; George Kennedy
- Genres
- mystery; historical
- Themes
- Betrayal; Mystery
- Tone and mood
- Atmospheric; Old-fashioned
- Premise and plot tags
- Whodunnit; Period Piece; Adventure
- Source material / true-story basis
- Agatha Christie's 1937 novel of the same name
- Franchise connections
- Hercule Poirot series
- Reception
- The film received generally positive reviews from critics, noted for its atmosphere and performances, though some found it long.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 80% · scale: percentage · review count: 20; Rotten Tomatoes · score: 6.8 · scale: 10
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Costume Design · Won
- Production trivia
- The production faced extreme heat, with temperatures reaching 54°C (130°F).; The film takes considerable liberties with Egyptian geography, such as the distance between temples.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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