I’ve always been a fan of Agatha Christie murder mysteries since I was a kid, and so a year ago when I saw Murder on the Orient Express had been re-done, I was excited to see a new take on it. I ended up not seeing it in the theaters, and then never got around to watching it on rental until the other night. My wife had seen it on a plane recently and really enjoyed it, so I went in with high expectations.

One of the benefits of not having read or seen this movie in decades was that I had completely forgotten about the plot twists. Since this is a Hercule Poirot mystery, it’s best to always go in knowing as little as possible, since the unraveling of the mystery is often brilliant and fun to watch. Therefore, I’ll keep this review short and spoiler free.

The main thing I wanted to comment on was the cast. This ensemble was amazing. Led by Kenneth Branagh, the cast put on one of the best performances I’ve seen in a long time. Penélope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Judi Dench, Johnny Depp, Josh Gad, Derek Jacobi, Leslie Odom Jr., Michelle Pfeiffer, and Daisy Ridley all created an environment that was beautiful and believable. I love movies like this where an ensemble is stuck together and gets to play off of each other. These actors do an amazing job, and it shows how incredibly talented they all are.

I’ll end this review here, as to not give anything away, but I highly recommend renting this one and sitting back with a bowl of popcorn and watching as the twists and turns of the mystery unfold around you. It’s a wonderful film, and well worth your time.