A Haunting In Venice (2023)
Death is just the beginning
I know that a lot of people aren’t particular fans of these movies because of the adaptation woes - you know, when it’s a bit more different than the source than you’d care for? For me though, i have no attachment to the source material because I’ve never read them - big surprise right? For me, it’s just a fun time where i can let my brain rumble and mull about in an idle as it tries to see if it can figure out whodunit before the movie tells me. Tonight we dabble in the occult only to find a murder is afoot - tonight we attend A Haunting in Venice.
A good murder mystery is one part murder, one part mystery. Our old detective acquaintance has seemingly decided to retire from the detecting business in Venice, only to be approached by an old friend who convinces him to attend a seance to debunk it. Spooky cursed house, famous psychic medium, and a whole gaggle of characters attend, and our detective is quick to disprove that which is readily disprovable. When the supposed ghosts dial M for murder however, it isn’t long before an actual murder occurs and it’s up to our detective to find out who - living or dead - is going for a high score before no one is left. Will you beat him to the punch?
This one is fun as it dabbles more into some supernatural elements - be they actually supernatural or not. It helps to add a layer to the movie that can cover up some easily available clues if it weren’t for the ever-present possibility that it was in fact just angry ghosts behind the trouble at hand. It’s also a multi-line threat, as we have the present murder and the implied murder from the past helping to weave a story filled with fun little spooky elements. The decent sized cast also allows for everyone to have a little something to contribute for reasons or potential reasons, and helps make things feel pretty well thought out.
Of course our actors need to be on point here given that it is a lot of characters and whether or not they are telling the truth we need to believe them or suspect them in equal measures. Our lead gets to have far more cracks around the edges this time around, as he seen to struggle with the possibility of the supernatural existing. It helps give him a little more nuance and feel a bit off from just being a super detective whose not even being challenged. The kid also does a great job here, and the dynamic between the kid and his doctor dad is well played by both the actors. There really isn’t any great weak link for the movie when it comes to actors, and they all do a pretty bang up job.
Seance
Them doing such a good job helps make the characters feel more lively as well. That said, the characters having a lot to them also probably helps give the actors plenty of opportunity to play with. As mentioned, our detective has hit this sort of disillusioned retired state, and gets to really struggle with all the supernatural possibilities as he clings to his logic and reason. Our love-struck but PTSD ridden doctor has flaws that are believable given the situation he’s gone through, and even the “old boyfriend” character has far more to him across the movie than the opening blunt lines about him would imply. There’s a bunch of characters to unpack - and most of it is done via “interview” scenes as the detective tries to figure out the case that’s somewhat ironically given the means of death fallen into his hands. All of that being said, characters don’t necessarily get huge arcs to them in this - but plenty of reason and motive are gained through the interviews laying out backgrounds and relations.
Effects are here and there, and although nothing incredibly mind blowing exists through most of the movie, it does contain some good shots and tricks. Be it a ghost hovering in the air in a flash of lightning, the storm raging outside, or a shot of something quick in the mirror behind you, it does plenty of things with it’s spooky atmosphere and premise. The set itself is both keeping with the “murder mansion” we would expect from Clue, while also layering on a level of October with the lighting and somewhat disrepair of the building. The basement in particular is one heck of an unwelcome stay! Violence exists - I mean, there is a body count regardless of how small - but it’s nothing overly graphic and I’ve seen far more violent things from PG movies back in the day. That said, I’m sure the PG 13 rating comes more from the subject matter of murder and the overall creepy presentation of all the events going on in this mansion of horrors.
Audio is good. Balance is good. Background soundtrack is there - but typical me it’s gone by the movie’s end. Line deliveries are good, and the ambient storms sounds and the good use of whispering voices help to add to the creepy atmosphere and supernatural angles. The mystery itself is well handled - I’m sure some eagle-minded folks will pick it off before it gets far in, but with the multiple layers that the movie spreads across it’s run time, there’s always an element or two that will probably go unnoticed or not thought of until the movie brings it up and you find yourself going “oh yeah, that thing!”
Somebody’s watching
I enjoy these movies, and I probably should have went back and watched the first one before this one - but quite frankly, they really don’t seem to be dependent on any hard timeline so I’ve opted for this one as the supernatural elements are far more up my alley of interest. I can’t speak for adaptation quality, and I’m sure going off some stuff I saw for the last ones it’s probably not stellar - but as a person who has nothing to compare it to outside of other movies I do enjoy these movies. That whimsically fantastic mustache, the creepy atmosphere and keep-you-guessing supernatural elements all combined with that logical process of elimination through facts provided and clues found makes it easy to follow but also entertaining and mysterious, and I had a good time with it. Well done acting, well put together scenes and story - It’s a fun time that’ll let you use your brain and get those low-level spooks at the same time!