There are few authors who are more associated with the crime fiction genre than Agatha Christie. During her long life she wrote many mystery stories, although some of her most popular books centered on her private detective Hercule Poirot or the spinster Miss Jane Marple.
two of his novels, Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile have received some high-profile cinematic treatment in recent years, so it’s worth taking a look to see which of the acclaimed novelist’s other works deserve a similar adaptation.
Rendezvous with death
Date with Death is one of Christie’s best novels, and it has already been successfully adapted into a feature film starring Peter Ustinov (it remains one of the best adaptations of Christie’s work). It focuses on Poirot’s attempts to find out who was responsible for the death of the overbearing and terrifying tyrant of an American family. Plus, it features an exotic setting, this time in the Middle East, so it would fit in pretty well with the aesthetic already established by movies like Death on the Nile.
Evil under the sun
Some of Christie’s best books have a bit of everything: theft, mistaken identity, and of course the central murder. Evil under the sun is one of those books and, as Rendezvous with death, it was made into a hit movie starring Ustinov. Given the many twists and turns the plot takes as Poirot gets closer and closer to finding the culprit, this is the perfect novel for Branagh, and it’s easy to imagine it being filled with plenty of stars from leading cinema.
Curtain
Curtain is by far one of the best and saddest of Poirot’s novels, as it is the last case the venerable detective ever solved. As with many of Christie’s later works, it shows Poirot thinking a lot about aging and death, and the enemy he faces is one of the most subtle and diabolical of his long career.
If and when Branagh decides to step down from playing that particular character, he should consider adapting that particular novel as his swan song.
Murder in Mesopotamia
Given that she spent a lot of time in the Middle East and elsewhere on archaeological digs, it’s no surprise that Christie put that experience to good use in her novels, as she does in Murder in Mesopotamia. There are several gruesome murders in this novel, which would make it an ideal choice for the big-screen treatment (that would certainly keep audiences guessing). And the reveal of the real killer is suitably shocking, building as it does on yet another example of someone stealing another person’s identity.
death in the clouds
Although some of Christie’s novels can take many twists and turns as Poirot gets closer to his target, death in the clouds is a slightly simpler matter. Nevertheless, there are at least two murders in the book, with rather unusual connections.
So it would be fairly easy to fit it into a lush production of the kind that Branagh has already shown himself to be very adept at directing, especially since the original murder takes place on a plane and the action takes place in several different places.
Cards on the table
Although many of Christie’s novels involve travel, Cards on the table is a bit of an exception. Instead, most of the action, including the murder of a man who has a habit of heaping secrets on his guests, takes place during a game of cards. Even though there are only a limited number of suspects, the novel leaves the reader guessing until the very end who is responsible for the murder. Although he made one of the best episodes in the ITV adaptation of Poirot, it would also be suitable for a big screen adaptation.
A murder is announced
There have been many actresses who have played the venerable and insightful Miss Marple, so it’s easy to imagine A murder is announced make a good movie on the big screen. Like all of Christie’s best novels, there’s something more than a little tragic about the final revelation of who was responsible for the many murders that took place during the action. The novel also features a very eclectic cast of characters, making it an even better candidate for the Death on the Nile treatment.
The mirror cracked from side to side
This is another Christie novel that has already been made into a big screen movie, which starred none other than Elizabeth Taylor in one of her best roles. The novel centers on a movie star who may or may not have committed murder. It is also based on a real incident in which a Hollywood actress contracted a dangerous disease from a fan. Given the wide range of characters that appear in the film, as well as the aura of Hollywood glamor that is central to the plot, this would be an ideal candidate for a film adaptation.
The big four
Although many of Christie’s novels are pure mysteries, The big four is a bit of an interesting case, as it focuses more on espionage and the threat of global organizations controlling the actions of many people. In this sense, it is very different from other Poirot mysteries. However, it’s precisely the fact that it doesn’t fit into other more typical novels that makes it an ideal choice for those who want to adapt something new and interesting for the screen.
A Caribbean Mystery
For the most part, Miss Marple is the type of person who stays at home in England. A Caribbean Mystery, however, sees her travel to an island in the Caribbean, where she must solve two murders that take place. Given that so many other big-screen adaptations of Christie’s work – including Death on the Nile – are successful due to the fact that they are set in an exotic location, this would make for an exemplary addition to the cinematic canon of Christy.
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