Set in 1934 on a train ride through many different countries in Europe, and based on Agatha Christie’s infamous novel, Murder on the Orient Express is a murder mystery that is suitable for all crime lovers. With many A-list celebrities such as Johnny Depp, Judi Dench, and Michelle Pfeiffer, this race to solve a crime while on a grand trip through Europe is fit for all audiences.

Played by Kenneth Branagh, the clever Belgian detective Hercule Poirot is the main character in this whirlwind of a puzzle. Poirot needs very little information to solve cases correctly in very little time, this one murder case being a slight exception. Even though he isn’t as big of a name as co-stars Johnny Depp or Judi Dench, behind a mustache, beard, and accent, Branagh’s performance pulled the movie together.

Judi Dench brings to life the stereotype of a wealthy woman in the 1930’s. Clad in a fur coat with two small dogs and an assistant, her impression of Princess Dragomiroff is spot on. Her preppy, stubborn, and all-around attitude is key for her character.  It persuades the viewer into thinking that she is very mean and rude, whereas the end of the movie suggests otherwise.  

Out of the many characters Johnny Depp has ever played, this is by far one of the favorites. Depp played the odd ball on the train, the American, Ratchett, who is a hard-working man and knows his way around this diverse group of people.

Michelle Pfeiffer was a good addition to the cast, and was even better behind the camera. Seemingly,  Pfeiffer did not have a huge role in the plot of the film, but at the end you start to think differently. Her role as a single, young, woman who has had affairs with many men was appropriate for her, and as her personality switches towards the end of the movie, she does just as well.  

With everyone on the train being a suspect of this murder case, no one is safe in their own skin. During the movie, the actors try to convince you multiple times that the perpetrator of this brutal crime was a different character, and it led to a surprise at the end. The brain-twisting plot is for anyone who loves a mystery to solve.