Evil under the Sun (1982)
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Detective Hercule Poirot travels to a Mediterranean island to investigate the murder of a woman and the theft of a diamond.
The story
After a female hiker discovers a strangled woman on the North York Moors, detective Hercule Poirot is tasked with investigating a stolen diamond belonging to a millionaire. Poirot discovers the diamond is a fake and learns it was originally purchased for an actress, Arlena Stuart Marshall. He travels to an exclusive hotel on an island in the Adriatic Sea to meet her. The resort is populated by various guests, including Arlena's new husband, a theatrical producer, and a writer. When Arlena is found murdered on the island, Poirot must navigate a web of alibis and personal animosities to identify the killer.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
A female hiker finds a strangled woman, Alice Ruber, on the North York Moors. Four months later, Hercule Poirot is asked to examine a diamond belonging to Sir Horace Blatt, which he identifies as a fake. He learns the original was for actress Arlena Stuart Marshall and travels to her holiday resort, the King of Tyrania's summer palace on an Adriatic island. The hotel is filled with guests, including Arlena's abusive husband Kenneth, her stepdaughter Linda, and various people seeking Arlena's favor or seeking to escape her influence. During a secret meeting, Arlena is murdered. Poirot investigates the guests, who all provide alibis. He eventually accuses the Redferns, asserting that Christine knocked out Arlena, hid her, and posed as her body while Patrick strangled her. Poirot proves this by identifying a distinctive signature on a cheque and revealing the real diamond hidden in a pipe. Patrick and Christine are arrested.
- First release year
- 1982
- Runtime (minutes)
- 117
- Production countries
- United Kingdom
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Guy Hamilton
- Writers
- Anthony Shaffer · screenplay; Barry Sandler · uncredited
- Cast and characters
- Peter Ustinov · Hercule Poirot; Jane Birkin; Colin Blakely; Nicholas Clay; James Mason; Roddy McDowall · Rex Brewster; Sylvia Miles; Denis Quilley; Diana Rigg; Maggie Smith · Daphne Castle
- Genres
- mystery; historical
- Themes
- Deception; Greed; Class dynamics
- Tone and mood
- Escapist; Mysterious
- Premise and plot tags
- Murder Mystery; Period Piece; Island Setting
- Source material / true-story basis
- 1941 novel of the same name by Agatha Christie
- Franchise connections
- Hercule Poirot series
- Production trivia
- The film was originally intended to be adapted by screenwriter Paul Dehn before his death in 1976.; The hotel used for the exterior was a private estate later demolished to its foundations.; The film was set in the fictional kingdom of Tyrania, which was based on Albania.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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