Hercule Poirot is one of the most beloved fictional detectives of all time. He’s been the subject of countless short stories and television shows, and when the last novel was published about him in 1975, he received a real obituary in the New York Times. Sherlock Holmes has nothing on the Belgian bloodhound.
Poirot’s big screen presence has been less consistent than in literature or television, but the fact remains that his acute nature and often fussy personality has made him a compelling cinematic presence. There have been a dozen Poirot adaptations over the years, and given that the latest one, A Haunting in Venice, is set for release in September, we thought it’d be helpful to break down the proper order in which to watch them.
Austin Trevor series
Hercule Poirot debuted as a character in Alibi (1931). The film was adapted from the 1928 play of the same name by Michael Morton, which was in turn based on the 1926 Agatha Christie novel The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. Sadly, like so many films of the time period, Alibi has been lost, with only various stills and posters remaining.
Austin Trevor played Poirot in the film, and proved so successful at it that Twickenham Studios made two more with him at the helm: Black Coffee (1931) and Lord Edgware Dies (1934). The former was similarly lost, but Lord Edgware Dies has been preserved, and can be watched on YouTube (see above). Trevor’s status as the first Poirot was honored decades later, when he was cast in a small part in the film The Alphabet Murders (1965).
Standalone films
Poirot lay dormant for much of Hollywood’s post-war period, but he made a comeback with the aforementioned adaptation of The Alphabet Murders in 1965. Tony Randall took over the role, and while largely faithful to the plot of the novel that inspired it, The A.B.C. Murders, the film has an unexpectedly lighter tone. Critics felt that The Alphabet Murders were trying too hard to emulate the success of the Pink Panther franchise, and a sequel never materialized.
Murder on the Orient Express (1974) was a different story. Sidney Lumet had already established himself as a masterful director in Hollywood, and he convinced Agatha Christie that he would honor the source material in ways that previous films had not. He stayed true to his word. Murder on the Orient Express was a critical and commercial success, and earned five Oscar nominations including Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Actor for Albert Finney. It remains the standard by which all Poirot films are judged.
Peter Ustinov series
Murder on the Orient Express may have been a success, but Sidney Lumet and Albert Finney never intended to make a series. Instead, it was left to EMI Films and actor Peter Ustinov to keep things going with Death on the Nile (1978). The film was billed as a direct sequel to Murder on the Orient Express, but really, it marked a shift towards a lighter, more streamlined approach to the character.
Death on the Nile was another hit at the box office, and Ustinov would go on to play Poirot in five more films: Evil Under the Sun (1982), Thirteen at Dinner (1985), Murder in Three Acts (1986), Dead Man’s Folly (1986) and Appointment with Death (1988). Three of these were television films, but they maintained the same accessible appeal and remain entertaining adaptations.
David Suchet has a supporting role in Thirteen at Dinner, which is fitting given that he would go on to play Poirot in the television series Agatha Christie’s Poirot (1989–2013). Suchet has the distinction of playing the character longer than any other actor, and is considered by many to be the best.
Kenneth Branagh series
Poirot was relegated to TV during the first decade of the 21st century. There were a handful of TV movies starring David Suchet, and a 2001 TV adaptation of Murder on the Orient Express starring Alfred Molina, but things didn’t really change until Kenneth Branagh remade Orient Express in 2017.
The film drew critical praise for its ensemble cast and its production value, and proved to be a surprise hit at the box office, grossing $352 million on a $55 million budget. Death on the Nile followed in 2022, and while the critical response was more muted, the film still turned a profit and proved that fans were interested to see more of Branagh’s eccentric take on the character.
Branagh is back at it again with A Haunting in Venice, which will mark the first time that the novel Hallowe’en Night has been turned into a film. There have already been talks of a fourth film in the series, and according to producer James Pritchard, they may consider adapting The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. As was previously stated, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd was the basis for the very first (and now lost) Poirot film, so taking a second crack at it would bring the franchise full circle.
“If Ken wants to do more, and [screenwriter] Michael [Green] wants to write more, we’ll certainly do another,” Prichard told Total Film. “There’s a lot of material still to go, so we’re not going to run out of inspiration.”
Every Hercule Poirot movie, in order
As we’re sure you’ve already noticed, the Poirot films have been rebooted and remade countless times over the years. The continuity of a given series rarely carries over, so the only thing to keep in mind is watching films with the same actor in the order in which they were released (We’re excluding The Alphabet Murders and Orient Express [2001], since they’re standalone films). Here’s our suggested orders:
Austin Trevor series
- Alibi (1931) [LOST]
- Black Coffee (1931) [LOST]
- Lord Edgware Dies (1934)
Albert Finney/Peter Ustinov series
- Murder on the Orient Express (1974)
- Death on the Nile (1978)
- Evil Under the Sun (1982)
- Thirteen at Dinner (1985)
- Murder in Three Acts (1986)
- Dead Man’s Folly (1986)
- Appointment with Death (1988)
Kenneth Branagh series
- Murder on the Orient Express (2017)
- Death on the Nile (2022)
- A Haunting in Venice (2023)
You can watch the most recent Kenneth Branagh series of Hercule Poirot movies on most streaming platforms, like Apple TV.
However, if you run into any location-based restrictions trying to stream through any of your preferred platforms, you might want to consider using a VPN (or Virtual Private Network). VPNs allow you to alter your viewing location to another country and access more shows & movies across your preferred streaming platforms. The easiest way to get a VPN is by signing up for a paid VPN service, such as ExpressVPN or NordVPN. Even better, both options offer a 30-day money-back guarantee.
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