The ABC Murders (2018) - BBC One

The ABC Murders (2018) - BBC One

Directed by Alex Gabassi

Witten by Sarah Phelps

Starring John Malkovich, Rupert Grint, Andrew Buchan and Tara Fitzgerald.

The thing that makes Christmas for me is the Agatha Christie adaptations by the BBC, and this one certainly did not disappoint.

For the past few years my favourite BBC adaptation of Agatha Christie’s novels had been the 2015 series adaptation of “And Then There Were None”. This series however, was just on a whole other level.

One thing I always adore with the BBC’s adaptation of Agatha Christie are their visually stunning opening sequences, but that wasn’t even the best part! Each episode was practically cinematic, the cinematography was absolutely stunning and to such a high level of quality it would have put La La Lands cinematography award to shame.

I think within about the first 10 minutes of the first episode I was hooked. I am aware that the plot was changed from the original book, however I admire Phelps’ ability to adapt and change the original plot into something dark, tense and uncomfortable. Along with the  increasing tension and gore in each episode, I was left wishing I could look away from the television but didn’t in fear of missing something important.

If I ever make it into the industry, I hope one day I can work on an Agatha Christie production written by Sarah Phelps.

The ABC Murders plot is gripping and full of twists and turns. I certainly was not expecting those few final plot twists in the final episode. I especially appreciated how all of the murders were connected and linked to Poirot.  

Something that I thought was extremely clever writing was the subplot of the rise of fascism in Britain in the 1930s and how it linked to Hercule being a refugee, but also linking to many topics that surround Brexit and immigration in today’s society.

Furthermore, I thoroughly enjoyed Rupert Grint’s performance. It was great to see him in a role besides Ron Weasley. This was the first role I had seen Grint in since he had been in the Harry Potter franchise. It was great to see him play a much darker, meaner and more obnoxious character. I hope to see him in some more gritty BBC drama shows in the future.

Additionally Malkovich’s performance as the infamous Hercule Poirot was excellent. His understated performance combined with, Poirot’s new much darker backstory, was fresh new take on a much loved Agatha Christie character.

Honestly, I can not fault this show. Perhaps if I had read the book and knew the original plot, I would think of some critiques. But I haven’t so I can’t.  

Whether you are a fan of these adaptations or not, I really think that everyone should watch this show. It is a wonderfully dark, gritty, gory and twisted take on a well known and loved story.

Overall, I was entertained and on the edge of my seat. This is by far one of the best adaptations of an Agatha Christie novel and I can’t wait to see how they top this one next Christmas.

Feel free to leave a comment below your thoughts on the show. You can also contact me via twitter (@niamhcrawley_), instagram (@crawley.filmandtv), facebook or, you can email me at crawley.filmandtv2000@gmail.com.