10 Best Agatha Christie Adaptations Full of Murder and Mystery

There are certain pieces that make a great murder mystery stand out: a cast of complex characters, clues and red herrings, and plenty of suspense before the murderer is finally revealed.

No author has known how to do that quite like Agatha Christie, whose stories transcended the genre and have been adapted into movies and television shows for decades. They’ve also inspired other modern murder mysteries like the Knives Out movie series starring Daniel Craig or the TV series Only Murders in the Building with Martin Short, Steve Martin, and Selena Gomez.

But there is still only one Queen of Crime who continues to keep up guessing until the very end of these amazing film and television versions of her works. Can you figure out whodunnit by the end of these entertaining adaptations?

1. Murder on the Orient Express (1974)
2. Death on the Nile (1978)
3. A Haunting in Venice (2023)
4. The ABC Murders (2018)
5. Witness for the Prosecution (1957)
6. And Then There Were None (2015)
7. The Mirror Crack’d (1980)
8. Crooked House (2017)
9. Agatha Christie’s Poirot and Agatha Christie’s Marple

Murder on the Orient Express (1974)

The 1970s adaptation of Murder on the Orient Express is probably the first Christie adaptation most movie fans think of, and for good reason. The film starred a who’s who of big-name actors, all vying for the title of “murderer” on a train that gets stuck in the snow on the way home from Istanbul. And with any good murder mystery, the final whodunnit may be quite the surprise to anyone not familiar with Christie’s classic novel.

The movie starred Hollywood legends like Ingrid Bergman, Lauren Bacall, Vanessa Redgrave, and Sean Connery, with Albert Finney as Hercule Poirot, a private detective who shows up in a series of Christie’s murder mysteries. Bergman’s performance stood out in particular, earning her an Oscar for her role in the film.

Death on the Nile (1978)

Four years later, Peter Ustinov stepped into the shoes of Poirot to solve the murder of a wealthy heiress while traveling down the Nile on a steamer packed with intrigue and a boat full of suspects. But in this adaptation, like the book, the drama doesn’t end when the murderers are revealed.

Like its predecessor, Death on the Nile packed a superstar punch with Bette Davis, Maggie Smith, Mia Farrow, and Angela Lansbury among the cast. Perhaps the experience led Lansbury to catch the murder mystery bug, leading her to Murder, She Wrote, a show about a mystery writer who solves crimes.

A Haunting in Venice (2023)

Hercule Poirot also made an appearance in more recent years with A Haunting in Venice, although the title was changed from the book to the movie, with Christie’s story Hallowe’en Party serving as the basis for this feature film.

The film was one of a series of movies featuring Kenneth Branagh as the famous detective that have come out in recent years, and, like previous Christie adaptations, this one was also packed with big names. The guests at a séance that becomes a murder mystery include characters played by Michelle Yeoh, Tina Fey, and Jamie Dornan. 

The ABC Murders (2018)

If you haven’t seen enough of Hercule Poirot, you can also check out The ABC Murders with John Malkovich in the role as he hunts down a serial killer who leaves distinct clues following the alphabet.

Unlike some of the other titles on this list, The ABC Murders is actually a limited television series, allowing Christie fans to follow Malkovich’s Poirot over four episodes to track down who the murderer is before it’s too late.

Witness for the Prosecution (1957)

The legendary Marlene Dietrich starred in this classic film based on a short story by Christie. The film’s turns keep viewers on edge to the point that you may not expect the big twist that Christie is known for by the time you get to the end of Witness for the Prosecution.

The film may be decades old now, but it still stands up for fans of the murder mystery genre. In fact, it has a 100% rating from reviewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

You May Also Like:

Add Mental Floss as a preferred news source!

And Then There Were None (2015)

Some Christie fans need more than just a movie to enjoy one of her murder mysteries from start to finish, which is why you should try this three-part miniseries about 10 strangers lured to a remote island where guests are killed off one by one.

Actors on the mysterious guest list included Sam Neill, Charles Dance, Miranda Richardson, and Aidan Turner.

The Mirror Crack’d (1980)

This film adaptation of the book The Mirror Crack’d From Side to Side gave Angela Lansbury another crack at a Christie adaptation, this time with Elizabeth Taylor portraying a glamorous actress who may have been the intended victim of a murderer.

The film, which also starred Kim Novak, Tony Curtis, and Rock Hudson, featured Taylor portraying Mary, Queen of Scots, while Lansbury was decked out in extra makeup to age her up to play the role of Miss Marple.

Crooked House (2017)

Julian Fellowes, who is best known for his work on Downton Abbey, adapted this Christie story about a family dealing with the murder of their patriarch, with big names like Glenn Close, Gillian Anderson, and Christina Hendricks starring.

Like many of Christie’s novels, Crooked House has its own surprise ending—one that was so shocking, her publisher wanted her to change it before the book was released. She kept it as is, giving a final twist in an already twisty murder mystery.

Agatha Christie’s Poirot and Agatha Christie’s Marple

Christie created two beloved detectives with her books: Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. But if a few movie adaptations aren’t enough time for you to spend with these characters, dig into two British television series to get your fill.

The Poirot series featured David Suchet in the title role for 70 episodes from 1989 to 2013, while Geraldine McEwan led the cat for the Marple series from 2004 to 2013, with 23 episodes for Christie fans to enjoy.