Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
An opulent beach resort provides a scenic background to this amusing whodunit as Poirot attempts to uncover the nefarious evildoer behind the strangling of a notorious stage star.
Evil Under the Sun is a competent and enjoyable Agatha Christie adaptation with a stellar ensemble cast (Peter Ustinov, Diana Rigg, Maggie Smith) delivering polished, witty performances. The Adriatic locations stand in beautifully for a glamorous resort setting with capable but unremarkable cinematography. The plot faithfully follows Christie's intricate puzzle structure with satisfying red herrings, though it offers little beyond formula for the genre. The ending delivers the expected Poirot drawing-room revelation with reasonable flair but no real surprises for Christie devotees. Novelty is low — it is a competent but thoroughly conventional entry in a well-worn cycle of star-studded Christie adaptations of the era.