Crooked House

2017 • 115 minutes

About this movie

In Agatha Christie’s most twisted tale, the suspicious circumstances surrounding the death of a wealthy patriarch is investigated by spy-turned-private-detective Charles Hayward (Max Irons), who is lured by his former lover to catch her grandfather's murderer before Scotland Yard exposes dark family secrets. On the sprawling estate, amidst a poisonous atmosphere of bitterness, resentment and jealousy in a truly crooked house, Hayward encounters three generations of the dynasty, including a theater actress (Gillian Anderson), the old man's widow 50 years his junior (Christina Hendricks), and the family matriarch Lady Edith de Haviland (Glenn Close).

Ratings and reviews

The movie is long and could have been told at a quicker pace. The story centers around a murdered patriarch who we only know through descriptions from the other characters (his family) and a mammoth wall portrait. The toxic cast of culprits were harangued by the two-dimensional victim. The movie would have benefited from showing the deceased man when he was alive and capitalizing on his vitriolic personality before bumping him off. Near the film's end, I felt like I was watching a stodgy game of "Clue". The ending was not particularly shocking either since I figured out whodunit before the climatic reveal. To me, the Play Store rental synopsis is far more intriguing than the actual movie.

I don't know about the novel, but the movie is too drama, bit boring. I only kept watching because I wanted to know who the murderer was. Otherwise, I would have switched off in the middle.

Do not watch this movie after having just finished the book. You will be utterly disappointed. However I can see how this movie would be entertaining, and the actors are great!