Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
A private investigator helps a former flame solve the murder of her wealthy grandfather, who lived in a sprawling estate surrounded by his idiosyncratic family.
Crooked House is a faithful and competent adaptation of one of Agatha Christie's own favourite novels, distinguished primarily by its genuinely shocking ending which Christie herself considered among her best. The whodunit plot is well-structured but fairly conventional in execution, and the ensemble acting is solid if unspectacular. The period cinematography is attractive but unremarkable for the genre. Novelty is limited as it follows the well-worn Christie adaptation formula, but the twist ending elevates the film above routine mystery fare and earns a strong mark in that category.