Crooked House (2017)

"Sometimes people don't know what they know."

Business tycoon Aristide Leonides (Gino Picciano) is found dead in his study.  His granddaughter Sophia (Martini) thinks he was murdered.  She asks private investigator Charles Hayward (Irons) to come to the family estate and dig into the death.  He consults with Chief Inspector Taverner (Stamp) of Scotland Yard and decides to take the case.

The entire Leonides family lives on Aristide's estate.  They resent Charles presence, but allow him to ask questions.  Aristide was a commanding presence in his business and family, giving him enemies at work and home.  Only his trophy wife, Brenda (Hendricks), and Sophia seem upset by his death.  His sister-in-law, Lady Edith de Haviland (Close), hated him.  His oldest son Philip (Sands), is a cigar-smoking academic and married to self-absorbed actress Magda (Anderson).  Their children, other than Sophia, did not impress Aristide.  Eustace (Nyman) is brilliant, but limps due to a bout with polio.  Josephine (Kneafsey) loves detective stories and enjoys spying on the family and recording their secrets to use later.  Younger son, Roger (McKay), runs the family business and resents his father's control.  His wife, Clemency (Abbington), is a scientist and hates the family.

Can Charles find the murderer before anyone else is killed?


This film is based off of Agatha Christie's novel "The Crooked House," published in 1949.  The novel was very popular and was reported to be Christie's favorite.  It remains on the list of Christie's best works.  In February 2008 it was adapted to 30-minute radio broadcasts for BBC Radio.

The story moves at a leisurely pace.  It takes the time to introduce and flesh-out the characters and their motivations.  The story is interesting and keeps you guessing, like any good mystery.  Director Gilles Paquet-Brenner keeps the integrity of the story, only making a few changes from the book.  Everything looks beautiful and cast is excellent.  Glenn Close is a standout, but all of the performances are great.  It is an interesting film and makes me want to read the book.

I'm also intrigued about the other 2017 Agatha Christie adaptation, Murder on the Orient Express.

Crooked House (2017) 115 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for thematic material and some sexual content
Director: Gilles Paquet-Brenner
Starring: Glenn Close as Lady Edith de Haviland
Terence Stamp as Chief Inspector Taverner
Max Irons as Charles Hayward
Stefanie Martini as Sophia Leonides
Julian Sands as Philip Leonides
Honor Kneafsey as Josephine Leonides
Christian McKay as Roger Leonides
Amanda Abbington as Clemency Leonides
Gillian Anderson as Magda Leonides
Christina Hendricks as Brenda Leonides
Preston Nyman as Eustace Leonides
John Heffernan as Laurence Brown