The ABC Murders

Agatha Christie is still one of the world's most popular authors. Characters, particularly those revolving around fictional detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple are as iconic today as they were when they first entered the public arena.

With 66 detective novels as source material, it's no wonder that so many tv movies and series have been adapted, including The A.B.C. Murders.

What Is The A.B.C. Murders About?

A three-part tv series from the BBC, it's the turn of John Malkovich to take on the iconic role of Hercule Poirot.

It's 1933, and Poirot has been blacklisted from helping the police with their investigations. However, when a killer decides to contact Poirot directly, he has no choice but to dust off his detecting skills and get to work.

It all starts with a letter detailing an upcoming murder in a town beginning with the letter A.

Despite bringing it to the attention of Inspector Crome (Rupert Grint), he is unceremoniously dismissed. Undeterred, he locates the murder victim and the cat and mouse chase begins.

The serial killer is targeting people using the ABC railway guide. In each case, both the victim's name and the town they live in begin with the same letter.

So we have Alice Asher in Andover, Betty Barnard in Bexhill and Sir Carmichael Clarke in Churston.

But what do they all have in common? Hercule Poirot.

It soon becomes clear that he is the common link between all of the victims and the towns they live in.

But can Poirot unravel the mystery and bring the killer to justice?

The ABC Murders Trailer

Is The A.B.C. Murders Worth Watching?

This is yet again another famed Agatha Christie mystery. Although The ABC Murders liberally adapts from the original book.

From the outset, we are led to believe that a certain character, Alexander Bonaparte Cust, is indeed the murderer and that Poirot simply needs to put the pieces together to find him.

Clearly, he wants to be found, otherwise, why send letters threatening murder?

It's another great mystery, as all of them are, so it comes down to the actual production.

Initially, I was reluctant to fully embrace John Malkovich as the once great detective. My personal favourite has always been David Suchet, and even Kenneth Branagh really doesn't do it for me in the likes of Death on the Nile.

However, this is a much grittier look at the Belgian detective. It's definitely creepier and more violent and explores Poirot's otherwise vague backstory.

Malkovich really embraces the darker side of Agatha Christie's famous detective and inhabits Hercule Poirot with less pep and fewer quirks than other portrayals.

Ultimately, he humanises Poirot, which I wasn't expecting. So overall, The ABC Murders, is a really interesting take on another mystery where Poirot attempts to get justice for the victims of a sadistic killer.

Where To Watch The ABC Murders?

If you haven't already seen The ABC Murders, you can watch it on Amazon Prime Video.

As it was originally a BBC production in the UK, you may also be able to watch it on the BBC iPlayer or on Britbox, depending on where you live.