Crooked House (2018) – Underrated and Dark Agatha Christie Adaptation

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Ever since “giving in” to the pressure and finally watching the ITV adaptations of Marple, I’ve been an Agatha Christie fan. The lighthearted mysteries with a grandmotherly type sluether are as fun as it can be poignant. Eventually, this transitioned into watching other Christie adaptations, some of which include the recent Murder on the Orient Express, and most recently, Crooked House.

A dark, atmospheric drama set in the 50s, Crooked House inserts us into the lives of an eccentric (and sometimes bizarre!) family in the aftermath of the patriarch’s suspicious death. To investigate this mystery, a private investigator walks into their life. A P.I. who is retained by a former fling; a girl who also happens to be the victim’s granddaughter.

FILM REVIEW | The 39 Steps (2008) – Cozy Historical Mystery with Bittersweet Conclusions

Though interesting, this story is darker than the normal story from the queen of mystery. Christie’s Marple stories are “happier” in their conclusions, whereas, this underpins some dark concepts. Some of which do get explored and answered, others hang in the air and leave us to wonder, what does this mean? Fortunately, it isn’t as dreary as the recent BBC adaptation of And Then There Were None.

Crooked House
Nonetheless, the costuming is gorgeous as are the rare moments of romanticism. Equally marvelous is the cast which consists of a mix of veteran (Gillian Anderson, Glenn Close) and new British talent (Max Irons, Stefanie Martini). If you like mysteries, this is a good one to enjoy. It’s fast-paced and of course, writes a mystery for fans to puzzle over. The abrupt end dangles some questions, but also leaves us with some sense “better days” are ahead for these characters.

[sc name=”Disclosure Notice”] You can rent or own Crooked House digitally on Amazon Video or purchase on DVD.

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CROOKED HOUSE REVIEW

Boasting a quality cast and incredible sets, this small market adaptation of Agatha Christie’s Crooked House is worth a look-see. It’s flawed in ways that take a bit of adjusting to, but the flaws somehow fit in with the themes and nature of the film. Plus, it’s also a top-notch period piece that deserves the time of any avid whodunit fan. Continue reading on Silver Petticoat →


Content: There is some violence, implied and on screen, though nothing is graphic. A few instances of innuendo and profanity is also part of the script. The film is PG13.

About Rissi JC

amateur graphic designer. confirmed bookaholic. bubbl’r enthusiast. critical thinker. miswesterner. social media coordinator. writer.

15 comments

  1. I haven't seen this film yet, but I will sometime soon. I'm looking forward to it. I read the book and it is one of the few mysteries by Christie I solved! :)

    1. Awesome! I'm so glad you have fond memories of the book. Let me know what you think if/when you see this one. The atmosphere is amazing, and the cast fantastic. :)

  2. Ummmm how have I not heard about this? I recently saw Murder on the Orient Express and didn't care for it, but I LOVED And Then There Were None! I'm definitely adding this to my watch list!

    1. Cool!! Here's hoping this one follows more in line with your thoughts on And Then There Were None! Did you see the newer or earlier BBC adaptation of 'Orient'? I went and saw the new one and also bought a copy of the one with Jessica Chastain. Now I have to watch it. :)

  3. I'm terribly behind on all things Christie but I sure do love her work. I was interested in seeing the recent adaptation of And Then There Were None but it sounds like I'm better off skipping that. haha

  4. I haven’t seen this yet, but I really like some of the older Miss Marple & Poirot, think I read from your other Christie reviews you also like 2 of my favorites from Miss Marple: The Moving Finger & 4:50 From Paddington, not going to lie, I really enjoyed these 2 shows’ romantic story more than the actual murder mystery, lol. Have you read these 2 books? The Moving Finger actually is quite similar to the book (at least the romance arcs), while 4:50 From Paddington’s romance story did differ relatively significantly from the book (so I like the TV show more than the book since I like this show’s sweet ending), Poirot’s Death on The Nile (2004) is another favorite (again, mainly for the sad/romantic triangle arc, do you see a pattern, lol)? Again, always enjoy reading your many reviews, all so awesome! Thanks!

    1. I’m always all about a good romance in a Marple mystery. I’ve not seen as many of the oldie versions, but have seen the newer ITV adaptations multiple times. They’re always good re-watches. I haven’t read the books but feel like someday I should give a Christie novel a chance… just because I like the movie/TV show adaptations so very much. Good to know there are some that have similar story ARCs, and as I remember ‘The Moving Finger’ is one of my favorite (ITV) episodes. :)

      Thanks for your kind words, and comments!

  5. Hi Rissi: I personally wasn’t that keen on the classic 70’s/80’s BBC versions (actors tend to be older, romance arcs way too subtle, felt they were literally the books acted out with almost no changes, targeted to book fans), the 90’s-2000’s ITV versions were definitely my favorite (much younger/better looking actors, with more romantic subplots), besides the above mentioned The Moving Finger, 4:50 From Paddington, & Death on The Nile, I also thought ITV’s The Pale Horse and The Third Girl both had sweet (but somewhat brief) romance arcs. I’m definitely looking forward to the 2 new upcoming adaptations of The Pale Horse and Death on The Nile, so exciting.

    If you like mystery, I definitely recommend her books, all her books are quite short and easy reads (around 200-300 pages) – I’ve pretty much read all her books, but not keen on some of them as they are the classic “who-done it” step by step solving murder mystery which was bit boring to me. My 3 favorite books (in order that feature sweet/younger romance arcs) from her were The Moving Finger (1 of the heaviest emphasis on romance, with more than 1 romance), The Mystery on The Blue Train (has a little bit of gothic romance feel to it for a key scene/mystery development, sort of like “Rebecca”, & a love triangle), & The Secret Adversary (Tommy & Tuppence’s 1st novel, very fun wartime intelligence spy novel, not her typical murder mystery).

    Sorry for my long post, thanks for allowing me to share my enthusiasm (obsession?, lol) for Christie books/adaptations. Thanks again for your lovely reviews of the most recent Christie adaptations, unfortunately they were just too dark for me.

    1. I’m not a fan of any (or VERY few) the 80s versions I’ve seen that are classics. Mostly my experience consists of the Austen adaptations, all of which are most definitely NOT ones I plan to re-watch. I don’t think I’ve seen The Third Girl or if I have I’m drawing a blank. Either way, I agree. The ITV adaptations are superior. Oh, and me too! Cannot wait to see the newbie adaptations with Amazon.

      Really? I had NO idea her novels were so short. I love that as long books do intimidate me (part of the reason I never read classic lit). I love that they’re short. Definitely think I could read one of those! I’m all about a good romance subplot, so I’m glad to know about your favorites. :)

      No apologies. I’m always excited to chat with a fellow fangirl. Thank you for visiting and sharing. :)

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