I’m a sucker for a murder mystery, so I was excited when I saw that the BBC would be adapting Agatha Christie’s The ABC Murders.
This three-part series stars John Malkovich as famous detective Hercule Poirot, alongside Rupert Grint as Inspector Crome.
Malkovich is fantastic as the Belgian detective, and this series makes the bold decision of exploring the character’s past, which has led to a mixed reception from Christie fans. It’s something that may bother you if you’re attune to the source material, but for the casual audience I don’t think it will be a big deal, it merely helps to flesh out the character and adds another layer to what is a fairly straightforward story.
Staying on the topic of the source material, this series isn’t afraid to diverge away from the original Christie novel, but the overall story remains mostly the same, so there’s nothing here that is going to surprise you if you’re already aware of the tale. Thankfully, despite knowing the story, I didn’t find myself switching off or losing interest, I was still watching with intrigue and this is mainly thanks to the excellent performances from the entire cast. If you don’t know the story, then there should be enough here to keep you on your toes, because as is the case with any good murder mystery, things aren’t as obvious as they appear to be.
This is a very well made drama, that I would definitely recommend to anyone who is a fan of murder mysteries or Christie’s works. I do believe there is a risk of some people getting a bit bored by the slower pace of the episodes, and the inclusion of a secondary storyline exploring Poirot’s past may not be welcomed by some audiences. But thankfully, as it’s only a three parter, it’s not a painful slog, and it’s well worth seeing through to the end.
I give The ABC Murders a 7.5/10 and it’s available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
Wado Reviews 