John Malkovich plays an older more vulnerable Hercule Poirot in a new production of Agatha Christie's The ABC Murders. Although the script is based on The A.B.C. Murders by Agatha Christie, there are some real differences. John Malkovich plays Hercule Poirot as an aging, sad, depressed, and forgotten detective. It actually works if you can leave aside the book and other actors who have played Poirot, and see this production as its own entity. Oh, and there's no Hastings! Screenwriter Sarah Phelps certainly takes liberties with the book, adds new plot twists, establishes edgy camera angles, and highly interpretive representations of the original characters (especially Poirot). There are also some very graphic bloody scenes. The actors, though, are first rate. No surprise there! Also, I'm not sure I'd call this production a fair-play mystery, and that's why I read Christie. So if you're looking for traditional Christie, you won't find it in this production. But, if you're looking for an evening's mystery entertainment, give it a try. Let me know what you think. Available on Amazon Prime, 3 episodes.
