Kenneth Branagh’s film adaptation of “Murder on the Orient Express” hinges on suspense and mystery, keeping audience members biting at their nails as the tension grows and the film develops into a beautiful piece of art.

Full of intense moments, but having light hearted ones sprinkled throughout as well, the film is packed with incredible characters, lighting techniques and camerawork, making it more than just a story set to the screen.

A perfectionist detective named Hercule Poirot, played by Branagh, boards the Orient Express for a thrill-filled train ride he did not expect. When the cruel and hated Edward Ratchett, played by Johnny Depp, is murdered, Detective Poirot is forced to solve the case, taking viewers along with him on the murder mystery express.

The film is beautifully shot with little editing done, illustrating the incredible talent behind the crew who put it together. The camera angles themselves and lack of editing alone could take viewers on a wild ride.

Branagh used various camera techniques to display tone and disconnect, such as taking viewers high above the heads of the characters in the film, using overhead shots to give viewers an uncomfortable perspective.

The film features a star-studded cast with Daisy Ridley as Miss Mary Debenham and Josh Gad as Hector MacQueen. Gad, who usually plays highstrung comedic roles, plays Mr. Ratchett’s pitiful assistant, giving a vulnerable performance during emotional scenes. Ridley does a great job as well, displaying an independent, no nonsense woman and playing her role with ease and confidence.

The suspenseful atmosphere of the film comes across through the flawless set as well. Taking place on the extravagant train where the characters are stranded, the Express is the setting of the entire film.

This lack of scenery change adds to the tension of the film, as the mystery unravels and illustrates the passage of time in a more conventional manner than other techniques used such as the intricate lighting. A challenging thing to overcome, the film works well settling into one set.

The characters in “Murder on the Orient Express” are all a bit of a mystery themselves. Viewers get to meet every character on board and, through dialogue, they immediately make assumptions on who the passengers are, but things are not always what they seem.

Since there is a long list of characters in the cast, character development is not the film’s strong suit, leaving viewers with a hard time connecting and being sympathetic to them near the end. The film’s attempt at this is worthy of mention, but with so many characters it’s impossible for viewers to latch on to any single one of them.

“Murder on The Orient Express” is an entertaining mystery, with witty humor and intense scenes. The film is for people who aren’t just looking for mystery, but a beautiful film and piece of art.