(Oblique spoilers follow!)
(Full Disclosure Note: I work for Agatha Christie Ltd., but my work agreement allows me to say exactly what I think about any adaptations of her work.)
Recent years have seen a steady stream of standalone adaptations of Agatha Christie’s work, featuring a wide variety of creators, performers, and perspectives. The end results vary dramatically– some are total disappoints, others are delightful gems. Murder is Easy falls into both camps. It features some terrific performances and quality production values, but it also features some alterations that distract from the mystery and create some unintentional mixed messaging.
Murder is Easy has been adapted for television multiple times before, always with radical changes, never for the better. The most recent adaptation’s first and most prominent change is actually kind of neutral. The main character, Luke Fitzwilliam, has had his background changed to an African working in England, with friends pushing him to join the fight for independence. David Jonsson is really good in the role, mostly because makes Luke care about the investigation and the fate of innocent people in every scene. It’s his passion for finding justice in a situation that others say doesn’t concern him that gives Jonsson’s performance heart and resonance.
The narrative features one of Christie’s highest body counts. As Luke is travelling, he meets Miss Pinkerton (a delightful Penelope Wilton), who, in the grand tradition of Christie’s ladies of mature years, is far shrewder and cleverer than society credits her for being. Miss Pinkerton believes that a multiple murderer is stalking her village, killing people, and making the crimes look either like natural deaths or accidents. It all seems far-fetched to Luke, but when Miss Pinkerton falls victim to a hit-and-run, he decides to investigate.
Most of the recent Christie adaptations have been three one-hour episodes, but Murder is Easy is only two. This was the right decision, as the narrative fits comfortably into this time frame with no obvious signs of excessive stretching.
Aside from Wilton, arguably the best of the supporting performances comes from the charismatic Mark Bonnar as Reverend Humbleby (catch Bonnar in the show Guilt if you haven’t already), but unfortunately Bonnar’s screen time is far too limited. Douglas Henshall’s Major Horton is another standout. Horton’s initial impression is meant to come across as a hostile bigot, but in a rather nice touch, he turns out to be a kind and likeable character and the first impressions are crafted to be misinterpreted. The rest of the cast is mostly pretty solid, but a couple of the male characters are made to look a touch too cartoonish and buffoonish.
Ultimately, the ending stumbles, harming a lot of the good work that came earlier. The killer’s motives have been altered in ways that aren’t properly foreshadowed, and when one really thinks about these changes, they really don’t work character-wise and all attempts to create sympathy actually seem shallow and unthinking. Furthermore, the ultimate fates of two prominent characters are meant to push one message but wind up creating a couple of less savory implications.
The novel Murder is Easy is a very good Christie mystery, and hopefully at some point there will be an equally superb adaptation of it. Murder is Easy is a mixed bag, succeeding in some aspects and falling short in others. Christie purists like myself may be displeased by certain miscalculations, but there are still a lot of worthy features to it.
Agatha Christie’s Murder is Easy
BritBox
2023-24
