WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Death on the Nile, in theaters now.
Death on the Nile adapted Agatha Christie’s 1937 novel of the same name, focusing on a murder mystery as the Karnak barge trudged down the Egyptian river. At the heart of it was Kenneth Branagh’s Hercule Poirot, a world-renowned detective who fell into another case after the previous movie, Murder on the Orient Express.
He initially planned to vacation, but in due time, a string of deaths unveiled a massive conspiracy, all to secure someone’s big bank account. With that in mind, let’s dissect the three murders that formed Death on the Nile‘s bloody trinity, giving Poirot quite the mental workout.
Gal Gadot’s Linnet Ridgeway Was the Main Murder
Gal Gadot’s Linnet had a huge fortune, but she wasn’t the most virtuous person. Months before the main events of Death on the Nile, she stole Simon (Armie Hammer) from his fiancée, Jacqueline (Emma Mackey). Now, she was inviting a select party aboard the Karnak to celebrate their wedding. Little did she know Jacqueline was storming and secretly waiting for a chance to shoot her.
After everyone had a night out with drinks, Linnet finally launched a verbal tirade on Jacqueline. She didn’t regret stealing Simon, but she regretted hurting Jacqueline, which only served to rile her up. When Linnet retired to bed, Jacqueline argued with Simon, who insulted her, which got him shot in the foot. Bouc and the waking guests tended to him while securing Jacqueline to ensure she didn’t kill herself.
However, they didn’t realize someone had snuck into Linnet’s room and shot her through the skull while they were all running around busy downstairs. Louise, Linnet’s maid, found her the next morning, leaving Poirot scrambling, as many people on board wanted her inheritance.
Louise Was Ruled Out Via a Brutal Slash
As Death on the Nile progressed, Poirot was coming up naught because while everyone was a suspect, they still had alibis. The mystery took an even darker turn when the boat dredged up Louise’s body from the river. Her throat was slashed, but as her pale corpse was analyzed, they found money on her.
Earlier, Poirot suspected the maid of killing her mistress because of her sordid past with Linnet. Years ago, a shyster tried to marry Louise, but Jacqueline tested him by offering to pay off debts if he abandoned Louise. He did just that, and while Jacqueline proved a point, she didn’t realize how much she’d broken Louise’s heart.
Seeing as Jacqueline’s necklace went missing too — something Louise had always adored — the detective thought the maid was the culprit. However, the dollar bills hinted at blackmail, which was the case. Louise was on the balcony smoking when the killer ran in and out of Linnet’s bedroom. She tried to take a payoff, but the person slit her throat on the stairwell to prevent any chance of her snitching. They then dumped her body overboard.
Bouc Got Shot When Dark Secrets Emerged
As Poirot honed in on the failed extortion, he ended up suspecting his own buddy — the man who invited him to the party, Bouc. It turns out that Bouc’s mom, Euphemia, hired Poirot to investigate her son and his girlfriend, Rosalie, so Poirot wasn’t there by accident or luck. In his recon, he discovered Bouc was broke, which wasn’t that big a secret, as Euphemia controlled his funds.
When Bouc indicated he needed to inform Louise’s ex of her death, though, Poirot saw this as a red flag. He clued in on how Bouc didn’t rush to wake Linnet when Jacqueline shot Simon, only to figure out Bouc did go to her room. However, by that time, Linnet was already dead and he saw an opportunity to steal the necklace Louise admired. He planned to hock it so he wouldn’t need his mom’s money anymore to marry Rosalie. Bouc later saw who slit Louise’s throat, but when the blood splattered on his coat, he had to throw it overboard.
The absence of Bouc’s iconic garment had Poirot thinking Bouc did it to get rid of Louise’s blood, but Bouc confessed he was merely a witness. The reason he couldn’t snitch on the dead women was that he’d have to explain his shady movements prior. It would have confirmed him as a thief, causing Rosalie to dump him. Unfortunately, right as he was about to finally tell Poirot and Simon who killed Louise, someone outside the window shot him dead. Poirot failed to catch the shooter in a heated pursuit, but as he lamented his comrade’s death, he knew tracks were being covered up and he was getting close.
See these murders anchor the case in Death on the Nile, in theaters now.
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