Evil Under the Sun

PG

1982

1 hr. 42 min.

Mystery & Thriller

List

92%

12 Reviews

Tomatometer

73%

5,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Agatha Christie's Belgian sleuth, Hercule Poirot (Peter Ustinov), solves the murder of an actress at a Balkan resort.

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Aender S

Peter Ustinov is just great as Hercule Poirot.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

04/16/24

Full Review

Audience Member

Peter Ustinov is another one of the many actors to portray Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot Evil Under the Sun is another one of the many who-dun-it stories with a case for the world's greatest detective Here he stars next to Maggie Smith, the late Roddy McDowall, Diana Rigg, and the late Sylvia Myles A stage actress dies on her honeymoon in the Adriatic It's up to Poirot while working on a case for an insurance company regarding an important diamond, finds out that it was bought for her He narrows down his list of suspects as he finds that the diamond was a fake Is it me or did this feel more like a 1950s film? Some of the music choices are a bit odd It does take a while for the murder-mystery to take place like the other adaptations but the caliber of actors weigh things nicely as well as the beauty of the backdrops Ustinov makes for a good Poirot making the last 15 minutes very juicy with the details of the crime This did feel like it belonged to another era of cinema yet Christie's stories make for good capers since their inception

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/06/24

Full Review

Jeff M

With the recent popularity of KNIVES OUT and the remake of MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS, not to mention the upcoming remake of DEATH ON THE NILE, I considered this a perfect time to highlight one of my personal favorite whodunnits that doesn't get near the attention it deserves. I've often talked about my HBO-filled childhood, and this is one of the titles I watched incessantly in between viewings of SAVANNAH SMILES, SUPERMAN II and THE LAST AMERICAN VIRGIN (don't tell anyone else about the last one - that's just between you and me). Smart, stylish, sophisticated, and filled with incredibly beautiful island scenery, this tends to rely more on the comedic side of Agatha Christie's ouvre, and the whole movie is just a delight. Those who only know Maggie Smith from DOWNTON ABBEY and the late great Diana Rigg from GAME OF THRONES will have a treat seeing them here, and their banter together is among the biggest highlights of the movie. Ustinov will always be my ultimate Hercules Poirot and it's because of this movie! It also holds a special place in my heart because of a character named Linda Marshall, which was the name of my late mother. I got the biggest kick out of watching the end credits and seeing my mom's name - something I will never forget.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/11/24

Full Review

Alec B

Poirot as a fish out of water works very well plus the cast of potential murderers and victims are even more colorful than normal.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/05/24

Full Review

Marco M

Enchanting and entertaining Agatha Christie movie, the 2nd with Peter Ustinov as Poirot and the best of the six he made. Great acting by the famous cast who obviously had the time of their lifes making it. Turning Cole Porter's songs into a film score by John Lanchbery is simply brilliant. It should have been at least nominated for best adaptation score with the Oscars.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/13/23

Full Review

Paul G

A light film, perfect in its quiet way: Myra Gardner (Sylvia Miles) wears a series of over-the-top costumes designed by Anthony Powell, and delivers caustic lines such as "More like a sudden attack, of gold-digging," with paint-peeling acidity. Peter Ustinov's Poirot uses an orchestra of tones, from piccolo, when advising a starchy British secretary to pronounce his name "as if about to bestow a kiss," to basso profundo: "Or, that you are lying." Each aspect of this production, from Hugh Casson's elegant title watercolors to Christopher Challis's cinematography (the shot of the clifftop with "no one there" pausing long enough for us to hear wind through the pines) to John Lanchbery's unobtrusive but virtuosic Cole Porter arrangements, so exceed its predecessor, the serviceable, dull "Death on the Nile," that this film seems to emanate from a golden age.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/17/23

Full Review

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Guy Hamilton

Director

Peter Ustinov

Hercule Poirot

Colin Blakely

Sir Horace Blatt

Jane Birkin

Christine Redfern

Nicholas Clay

Patrick Redfern

Maggie Smith

Daphne Castle

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Dwight Brown

Sepia

Agatha Christie fans will be pleased.

Aug 10, 2022

Full Review

Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

There are delicious moments in the final fifteen minutes of Evil Under The Sun, but what I especially liked about this Christie were the opening scenes the setup.

Rated: 3/4

Oct 23, 2004

Full Review

Kathy Fennessy

Seattle Film Blog

Evil Under the Sun is more a product of the expansive time it was made than the more austere time it was written, and that's a big part of its appeal: the 1980s in full, indulgent flower.

Rated: 3/4

Jun 7, 2022

Full Review

Frank J. Avella

Edge Media Network

Evil Under the Sun is a lush, clever, and entertaining gem that is more than worth the sit.

Rated: A-

Sep 25, 2020

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

After Death on the Nile and Evil Under the Sun, Ustinov would return to the role of Poirot for three made-for-TV movies and a chintzy 1988 theatrical release.

Rated: 3/4

Sep 6, 2020

Full Review

Larry Vitacco

Philadelphia Gay News

Evil Under the Sun, the latest Agatha Christie murder mystery adapted for the silver screen, offers the escapist moviegoer a hell of a good time.

Rated: 3/4

May 27, 2020

Full Review

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Synopsis

Agatha Christie's Belgian sleuth, Hercule Poirot (Peter Ustinov), solves the murder of an actress at a Balkan resort.

Director: Guy Hamilton
Production Co: EMI Films Ltd., Titan Productions
Rating: PG
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 27, 2009

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