After years of delays, the biggest mystery at the center of Death on the Nile - the latest Agatha Christie adaptation from Kenneth Branagh - hasn’t been who in this ensemble is a murderer, but if the film itself would ever come out. Between the COVID-19 pandemic and sexual assault allegations against Armie Hammer, at a certain point, Death on the Nile started to feel like it existed as little more than an elaborate trailer. Originally planned for release in 2019, Death on the Nile is finally setting sail, and the result is a captivating, enticing mystery that might be Branagh’s best work as a director in almost a decade.

Death on the Nile actually begins with a sort of mustache origin story for Branagh’s Hercule Poirot. Branagh goes back to 1914 Belgium for a black-and-white flashback that is more moving than anything in his 2021 release, Belfast, as we learn of Poirot’s past as a soldier, and the story of the love he lost that completely altered his life. After this fascinating prologue, Death on the Nile jumps forward to the meat of the film, a twisty mystery set aboard a cruise down the Nile on the S.S. Karnak, which is muddled with secret loves, major theft, and, of course, murder.

The passengers on the Karnak are celebrating the marriage between Linnet Ridgeway-Doyle (Gal Gadot) and Simon Doyle (Hammer), who had met only six weeks prior. Also aboard the ship is Jacqueline (Emma Mackey), who was engaged to Simon when he introduced him to Linnet, and has been stalking the couple around Egypt ever since. When one of the passengers of the ship is murdered, the entire ship becomes suspect. As was the case with Branagh’s 2017 film Murder on the Orient Express, Death on the Nile features an impressive ensemble that includes Annette Benning, Russell Brand, Rose Leslie, Sophie Okonedo, Jennifer Saunders, Letitia Wright, and Tom Bateman.

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Even more so than with Murder on the Orient Express, Branagh takes his time exploring these characters and these dynamics. Death on the Nile spends its first half simply showing who the players are, and while this can be clumsy at times, as when Bateman’s Bouc spouts off the key points we need to know about these people in a rapid-fire discussion, it does pay off in the film’s second half, when murder is afoot. Branagh also spends more time with each character on their own through interrogations that further dig into who these players really are, and what their motivations could’ve been.

Yet, it’s Branagh’s Poirot who ends up the biggest surprise of Death on the Nile. Amongst this murder mystery that intertwines money and love, and shows the lengths people will go for both, Poirot comes out as the most tragic member of this cast. As Poirot solves this case, we are shown how much his life has diverged from what he expected it to be, how his position as the world’s greatest detective scares away those he loves, and how being the best at his profession has made Poirot’s life heartbreakingly tragic. Poirot’s journey throughout Death on the Nile doesn’t distract from the case at hand, but does become the most effective aspect of the entire film.

But even though Death on the Nile does take more time to build its characters before diving into this mystery, there are still plenty of actors who don’t get their due thanks to this sprawling ensemble. Benning feels extremely wasted as Bouc’s mother, Euphemia, and Leslie isn’t given enough to do as Linnet’s lady maid. Yet there are great opportunities for more nuanced performances to shine through, as is true with Okondeo’s Salome Otterbourne, a jazz singer who catches the eye of Poirot, and Brand in the surprisingly straight role as Linus, a doctor who was previously Linnet’s fiancé. But amongst the supporting cast, the true star is Mackey, an enthralling presence in every scene she’s in, a beguiling and entrancing character who is one of the film’s most curious suspects. From her opening dance scene to her final shot, Mackey stand out above this crowd.

While it’s expected that a murder mystery of this sort will certainly be dark, Death on the Nile fully embraces the gloom of this type of story, a bleak tale that doesn’t sugarcoat the murkiness of this whodunit. By the end of Death on the Nile, Branagh doesn’t allow his audience to feel the pride that Poirot usually has in solving this type of case, as he’s lost all joy in his cleverness with this puzzle. But rather, Branagh makes the audience feel that profane disgust of seeing mankind at its worst. It’s not the type of reaction one expects from a star-studded puzzle film like this, but Branagh plays this despondent conclusion extremely well.

But Branagh balances the desolation of Christie’s story with this engaging mystery to make possibly Branagh’s best directorial effort since 2015’s live-action Cinderella—another example of Branagh taking another known story and adding layers and life to it. Death on the Nile might have been a long time coming, but it’s one of the most alluring mysteries in years, and a great example of how Branagh can elevate iconic stories with grace and care.

Rating: B

Death on the NIle opens in theaters on February 11.