John Malkovich might not be the first actor you’d think of to embody Agatha Christie’s fastidious Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot. But he does just that in The ABC Murders. Watch the trailer below.
This new three-part adaptation of the murder mystery novelist’s 1936 book finds the idiosyncratic sleuth (previously played for decades on TV by David Suchet) late in his career, shunned by the police he once worked alongside.
This sadder, wrong-footed Poirot is a good fit for Malkovich’s acting style, while Harry Potter’s Rupert Grint proves he’s more than just Ron Weasley as Poirot’s sceptical antagonist, young gun Inspector Crome.
Christie purists may not like the divergences from the novel, but those who have never considered watching a Poirot mystery might enjoy this darker variety, with a murderer who seems to kill according to the alphabet. (Episode 1 on iView. Continues Sun., May 12 at 7.40pm; ABC) 3.5 stars
