Parents' Guide to Death on the Nile

Branagh's second Agatha Christie adaptation is much like Hercule Poirot's marvelous mustache: historical, eccentric, and multidirectional. But it's not a shoo-in for younger viewers. Even though Branagh attempts to bring Poirot down to earth, sharing the sleuth's backstory to explain his extravagant facial hair (and why there's no Mrs. Poirot), teens may find the finicky, narcissistic detective difficult to connect with. Also, the dialogue assumes that viewers understand matters that would have been familiar fare in 1937, such as being pro-Communism, what a dowry is, and why an entire wedding party would accompany newlyweds on their honeymoon. That's great conversation-starter fare, perhaps making Death on the Nile a better choice for a family watch-together than a slumber party pick.

On the upside, Death on the Nile may help solve the mystery of how to get kids more engaged with geography and/or world history. The phenomenal Egyptian landscape is showcased in crisp cinematography. Scenes with the Pyramids of Giza and Abu Simbel temple are striking, memorable, and inviting, and seeing characters interact with these landmarks might spark kids' curiosity about the locations. For those who are already familiar with this particular story, some changes have been made to Christie's novel to present a fresh take: It slims down the number of murder suspects and is purposely more diverse than the source material. But it's not necessarily better. Like Poirot's facial grooming, this version is just different.