The most memorable Agatha Christie adaptations

Murder on the Orient Express is arguably Christie’s most famous story. It’s been adapted a few times. Among those, the 1974 version by Sidney Lumet is the most notable. Albert Finney was nominated for an Oscar for his turn as Hercule Poirot, and Ingrid Bergman actually won an Oscar for the movie.

We’re going with another adaptation of the same story now. This version isn’t as successful, though it has a star-studded cast. Johnny Depp, Judy Dench, Daisy Ridley, we could go on. Then, there’s Kenneth Branagh, who plays Poirot. His mustache alone is memorable.

Poirot is an iconic detective, and so is Miss Marple. The older lady still has a sharp mind and is able to handle her business solving mysteries. BBC One made a Miss Marple show that starred Joan Hickson as the titular character. In classic British TV style, three seasons and 12 episodes aired from 1984 through 1992.

British television went back to the Miss Marple well a decade or so later. This time, we got six series of 23 episodes that ran from 2004 until 2013. Many of the stories were updated for modern audiences, but the crux of Christie’s stories remained. The only character in every episode is Miss Marple, making this a true episodic series.

ITV made Hercule Poirot stories for a long time. It’s almost like Columbo, in a way. That goes down to the fact David Suchet played Poirot the whole time. That’s no mean feat, given that “Poirot” aired 70 episodes between 1989 and 2013.

Branagh is back for an adaptation of Death on the Nile, but we have to give it some time to see if it becomes memorable or if this two-star rating sticks. Back in the ‘70s, though, we got a different adaptation. Finney didn’t star in this one, though. Instead, Peter Ustinov stepped into the role in another star-studded adventure.

The same year Branagh was debuting as Poirot, we got another Christie adaptation. Crooked House isn’t as well-known of a Christie mystery, but this film has quite the impressive cast. Glenn Close and Terrence Stamp are two of the stars, and they both bring gravitas.

Billy Wilder made a lot of crackling comedies, but he also excelled at dramas. That includes this courtroom drama based on a short story. In fact, it might be one of the best courtroom dramas ever made. That includes six Academy Award nominations, including one for Best Picture.

Before she starred in Murder, She Wrote as a character not unlike Christie herself, Angela Lansbury played Miss Marple in this film. This case is actually packed beyond Christie. Elizabeth Taylor and Rock Hudson, who had both starred in Giant, are in the movie as well.

This is the first feature film featuring Miss Marple as the lead character. It’s also got some weird marketing. The movie poster features a man strangling a woman, but the movie features a lot of comedy-type stuff from Margaret Rutherford as Marple. Perhaps it’s not surprising that Christie herself was not a fan of this take.

Several years after Death on the Nile, Ustinov returned to play Poirot yet again. There was plenty of sun to be found along the Nile River, but in this film, he’s actually not in a place known for its sun, namely the Moors of Yorkshire. While it’s not as good as Death on the Nile, Ustinov makes a fine Poirot.

There was an Ordeal By Innocence movie in 1985 starring Donald Sutherland, but it didn’t make much of a splash. This version is a very British TV miniseries that takes the story and tells it in three episodes. While some complained about differences in the plot, it generally got a lot of praise and critical acclaim.

This time, a Rutherford Miss Marple movie steered into comedy. Murder at the Gallop is actually based on a book that featured Poirot, not Marple. However, they wanted to keep making Marple movies starring Rutherford. In the ‘60s, these films made her something of a star.

And Then There Were None is the most famous of the Christie stories that don’t feature Poirot or Marple. It still has plenty of suspense and riveting storytelling, though. This adaptation is particularly good, and some consider it the best Christie adaptation on film.

One last time, Ustinov dons a mustache and tries to beat the heat as Poirot. This is his final turn as the character, and thus the end of an era. He also happened to have Carrie Fisher, Lauren Bacall, and John Gielgud along for the ride.

This adaptation is looser than the one from 1945. It’s trying to be a real “serious ‘70s cinema” version of Christie’s story. It doesn’t entirely work, but it’s definitely memorable. After all, this is the kind of movie that gets Orson Welles to do voiceover work as a flex.

Based on The ABC Murders, once again a Christie adaptation added a weird hint of slapstick and comedy to a story that literally has “murder” in the title. Also, in a strange bit of casting, Tony Randall was selected to play Poirot. That makes it a worthwhile curiosity.

This is the final of four Marple movies starring Rutherford. They didn’t even bother adapting a Christie story this time for their comedic take on the character. It’s an original story that loosely borrows a few things from Christie’s work. The poster features a drawing of Rutherford as Marple on a surfboard holding an Oscar. It rules.

In 1982, a 10-episode series called The Agatha Christie Hour was produced in England. Each episode is basically a stage play of a Christie story. So many of her works had been adapted to stage, it made some sense to bring that to television.

We end with a recent TV miniseries. Yes, it’s British. The UK loves themselves some Christie. Over two parts, Christie’s story is brought to life. It was quite popular in England, both in terms of ratings and critical consensus.