Evil Under the Sun

1982 "Evil is everywhere. Even in paradise."
7| 1h57m| PG| en| More Info
Released: 05 March 1982 Released
Producted By: EMI Films
Country: United Kingdom
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Info

An opulent beach resort provides a scenic background to this amusing whodunit as Poirot attempts to uncover the nefarious evildoer behind the strangling of a notorious stage star.

Genre

Drama, Thriller, Crime

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Evil Under the Sun (1982) is now streaming with subscription on Britbox

Director

Guy Hamilton

Production Companies

EMI Films

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Evil Under the Sun Audience Reviews

Micitype Pretty Good
Afouotos Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.
Livestonth I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible
Frances Chung Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable
JimHaw The first 45+ minutes have nothing to do with the book except for location and character names. It should be described as "Loosely based on the novel of the same name." In the books, there is hardly any connection between the characters. In this movie there are deep connections. I guess if you did not read the book first, it would be a good movie but my advice is to forgo this movie and read the book.
aramis-112-804880 After the success of "Murder on the Orient Express" (1974) the producers decided to exploit the same formula for more Dame Agatha Christie on the silver screen: an exotic (or at least enclosed) location--the train in "Orient Express" or the ship in "Death on the Nile"; a cast of notable actors/stars and a clever, witty script.Paul Dehn turned in a sparkling script for "Murder on the Orient Express" that in subtle ways improved on the book while remaining remarkably faithful to it. When Dehn died at 63 before "Death on the Nile" he was replaced by Anthony Shaffer for "Death on the Nile." Anthony Shaffer ("Sleuth") was the younger brother of Peter ("Amadeus") and while his script is witty and charming (eliminating a lot of unpleasant characters and events to keep the story frothy) it tends toward the humor is often low (at one point a character is told "Go play with yourself." Shaffer's script also moves the action from a place off the coast of England to sunnier climes. And, in a wonderfully welcome change, he changes a tawdry heroine-smuggling subplot digression into a stolen-diamond caper more germane to the story.While Paul Dehn's improvements to "Orient Express" were for tightening and sparkle (he gave M. Bouc's character a line at the end Christie was a fool not to have thought of!), Shaffer's changes radically alter the book. They include a sex change, turning one character from a female to a flamboyant male character for Roddy McDowell. While Shaffer's story isn't bad and makes a fun movie, it's not Christie."Evil Under the Sun" is the third in the series kicked off by "Murder on the Orient Express" (1974) of glamorous, all-star Christies. But whereas "Orient Express" boasted luminaries like Sean Connery, Lauren Bacall, Ingrid Bergman, Michael York, Jacqueline Bisset and John Gielgud; and "Death on the Nile" was nearly as jam-packed with star names; "Evil Under the Sun" boasts an aging James Mason, the underrated Roddy McDowell, a radiant Diana Rigg, and a the then-rising talent Nicholas Clay.By this time, too, this Christie series was slowly turning into a stock company. This was the second outing for Maggie Smith and Jane Birkin from "Death on the Nile"); and for Denis Quilley and Colin Blakeley (from "Murder on the Orient Express").The biggest problem with "Evil" is Peter Ustinov. This was his second Poirot (Albert Finney was Poirot in "Murder on the Orient Express"), and he would go on to portray the Belgian detective an unbelievable four more times (all on television).Shaffer's story and character changes are damaging to Christie purists, but Ustinov bears no resemblance to Poirot. The best we can say is, he's a different detective with the same name.Giving Ustinov's clever but visually dissatisfying Poirot and the radical revamping of both the story and the character, "Evil Under the Sun" put an end to the hitherto promising Brabourne/Goodwin productions of Agatha Christie. And rightfully so. Fun as it can be, the movie detours from their original intention, from "Murder on the Orient Express" to do Christie "right." However good Shaffer's story is, its deviations from Christie are not insignificant.The diminishing of star talent in this series, and its gradually turning the movies in to a repertory company with fully half the actors returning from earlier movies--whether due to budgetary concerns or whatever--makes this the last, and least, of a once-promising line. Enjoy "Evil Under the Sun" for what it is, but don't rush out and read the book thinking it's the same. It ain't.
ma-cortes Big-name cast as suspects of a murder committed in a luxurious touristic place and Ustinov trying to unravel the killer . Suspense and intrigue with Poirot on holidays in Albania . This whodunit deals with Hercule Poirot (Peter Ustinov) as the Belgian sleuth man in he case of killing a rich , unpopular actress in an island during a luxury vacations . It is set in the kingdom of Tyrania , but it is a fictional land which was based on the country of Albania , the isle setting of Daphne's Island was also fictional . As trying to find how a millionaire (Colin Blakely) wound up with a phony diamond brings Hercule Poirot to an exclusive island resort frequented by the rich and famous . When a murder is committed, everyone has an alibi . He investigates the tourists and numerous suspects , all support cast (Jane Birkin , Nicholas Clay , Maggie Smith , Roddy McDowall , Sylvia Miles , James Mason , Denis Quilley , Diana Rigg) . Who is the killer? , can he find the guilty ? . After the clues have been shown we will get a chance to give the answer with Poirot finding out about the culprit at a twisted finale with outstanding surprises but are taken the murders from different viewpoints of everyone which it makes a little bit boring, pedestrian , endless and overlong.The film is a detective story in which you are the detective . In the picture there is mystery , emotion , suspense , actors's interpretation are first-rate and wonderful outdoors from Majorca , Spain and the rout on the cruise ship . Interesting plot by screenwriter Anthony Shaffer , he once said of this : "The location is important , the island should be a star , just as the Nile steamer Death on the Nile (1978) and the Orient Express in the Murder on the Orient Express (1974) were stars" . Being second of three produced screenplays from novels by Agatha Christie written by Anthony Shaffer , the others were Death on the Nile (1978) and Appointment with death (1988) . At one point this movie was mooted as being the follow-up Agatha Christie film to Murder on Orient Express but the picture eventually arrived fourth in the Brabourne-Goodwin series after Death on the Nile (1978) and The crack mirror (1980) . The film relocates the provincial North Devon, England setting on Smuggler's Island off the Devonshire Coast from the Agatha Christie source 'Evil Under the Sun' novel to an island in the Adriatic Sea "somewhere west of Suez", a setting played by the exotic Spanish island location of Majorca . This location also was at the time the home of the film's director Guy Hamilton . The movie gets a lush costume design by Anthony Powell and adequate production design by Elliot Scott . Colorful and sunny cinematography by excellent cameraman Christopher Challis . Sensitive and atmospheric musical score by the classical Cole Porter . Magnificent performances from all-star-cast , a number of the cast had appeared in the earlier'producers Brabourne-Goodwin Agatha Christie movies . And Peter Ustinov acting is similar to Albert Finney (Murder on the Orient Express) . Ustinov starred various Hercule Poirot films such as : ¨Death on the Nile¨(John Guillermin) , this ¨Evil under the sun¨ (Guy Hamilton), ¨Appointment with death¨ (Michael Winner) and for TV in low budget as : ¨Murder in three acts¨,¨Dead man's folly¨ and ¨Thirteen at dinner ¨; but the best considered is Death on the Nile . ¨Evil under the sun¨ was made and released about forty-one years after Agatha Christie's source novel of the same name was first published in 1941 , being selected to be the 1982 Royal Film Performance ; this movie was the first ever filmed version of this story, it being remade with Poirot: Evil Under the Sun (2001) with David Suchet . This film was professionally directed by Guy Hamilton though contains some flaws , poor edition and sometimes results to be slow moving. Being second and final Agatha Christie adaptation directed by Guy Hamilton , his first was The crack mirror (1980) . Rating : passable and acceptable , well worth watching . The flick will appeal to suspense lovers and Agatha Christie-Poirot novels buffs .
AaronCapenBanner Guy Hamilton took over directing duties on this third cinematic Hercule Poirot film, adapted from the Agatha Christie novel. Peter Ustinov does return however, investigating a case of a fake diamond for an insurance company that leads to an exotic Adriatic resort where a group of rich and famous people have gathered. When a scandalous woman(played by Diana Rigg) is murdered, there is(of course) no shortage of suspects, and Poirot must determine who did it... Ustinov improves as Poroit, though David Suchet owns the role after filming the entire canon for his TV series, Peter is helped by a fine supporting cast and beautiful location filming, giving this a nice atmosphere that is appealing.