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Murder on the Orient Express

Murder on the Orient Express

Everyone is a suspect.

2017114 minPG-13Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films
Director
Kenneth Branagh
Starring
Kenneth Branagh, Tom Bateman, Michelle Pfeiffer, Johnny Depp

Genius Belgian detective Hercule Poirot investigates the murder of an American tycoon aboard the Orient Express train.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Murder on the Orient Express?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Murder on the Orient Express streaming on Disney+ and HBO Max and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

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Highlights

What stands out about Murder on the Orient Express?

Murder on the Orient Express earns 7 badges, led by Star-studded and Crowd Pleaser.

  • Reception
  • Awards and box office
  • Cast

Reception

Is Murder on the Orient Express worth watching?

Murder on the Orient Express' Midcredits score is the 64th percentile of all films, from 945K ratings across 6 sources. 58% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

64th percentile

Better received than 64% of films

72nd percentile among Comedy64th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)63rd
Approval (how many liked it)63rd

65 /100

63rd percentile of all films

72nd percentile among Comedy63rd percentile among 2010s

Critics 52 · Audience 66

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.7 — solid but not unanimous.

58% liked it

63rd percentile of all films

70th percentile among Comedy64th percentile among 2010s
58% rated it 7–1042% rated it 1–6

Critics 60% · Audience 54%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 2 wins / 31 noms overall

94th percentile

945K ratings across platforms

94th percentile among Comedy94th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 13% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$55M
Opening weekend$29M
Domestic gross$103M
Worldwide gross$353M

Returned 6.4× its budget — 99th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps agree the film boasts a talented ensemble and lavish production values.

Fans praised

  • star-studded cast delivers solid performances
  • sumptuous production design and cinematography
  • accessible entry point for newcomers to the story

Detractors panned

  • Branagh’s Poirot strays from the source material with an inconsistent accent
  • adds action beats that feel out of character and unexciting
  • story feels old and lacks freshness

What stands out

Cinematography75

visually sumptuous with sweeping shots

ActingDivisive74

strong star cast but some underutilized

Atmosphere65

lavish settings but lacking tension

Pacing60

second act drags; action beats feel forced

Plot and storyDivisive55

faithful but old-fashioned narrative

Ending55

resolution feels rushed and unearned

CharactersDivisive45

Poirot’s characterization divisive; supporting roles thin

Originality30

rehash of a classic without fresh angle

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 7 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 4 points apart
  • Critics vs users 9 points apart
  • US vs non-US 6 points apart

Watch experience

What is Murder on the Orient Express like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Food for thought: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready to pay close attention and feel heavy feelings, and you want something to think about afterwards.

It is intense and leaves you thinking. Skip it when you want an easy night or you can only half-watch.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Your full attention and room for heavy feelings.

What it feels like

Food for thought.

Moods
MelancholicTense
Heaviest: late
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Melodramatic · 9% of films: Heightened emotion, played large.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film treats its classic whodunit premise with solemn gravity, emphasising Poirot's moral dilemma.
The rideThe film builds a steady tension through the investigation, with the heaviest emotional weight arriving in the final act when the conspiracy and its moral stakes are revealed.
StructureThe story is told in chronological order with a conventional beginning, middle, and end.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Thinking.

The answer rests on this: Thought-provokingBittersweet
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves the viewer wrestling with the tension between justice and law, and a bittersweet feeling about Poirot's compromise.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous endingTwist

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Mystery
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7% (this title): Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% (this title) · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Mystery: A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered. · Investigation: A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).

7% of films fit this archetype

Why this archetypeThe plot is driven by the question of who murdered Ratchett inside a sealed train, and the solution involves a collective vigilante execution.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfJusticeMorality
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16% (this title): Justice 13% (this title) · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% (this title) · Redemption 6% (this title) · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Morality

Justice · 13% of filmsGuilt · 3% of filmsRedemption · 6% of films: Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film interrogates whether extrajudicial justice can ever be moral, as a group of grieving souls conspires to punish an unpunished killer.
StanceThe film questions whether justice can be served outside the law, focusing on Poirot's personal moral crisis.

The world

Early 20th centuryIn transitWildernessRealistic
Orchestral modernSupportive music · original score · Patrick Doyle
SettingThe Orient Express train stranded by an avalanche in the Balkans, 1934.
MusicThe score blends classical orchestration with a haunting waltz motif that underscores the film's melancholy and mystery.

Content guide

Is Murder on the Orient Express okay for kids?

PG-13

Murder on the Orient Express is rated PG-13: “Rated PG-13 for violence and thematic elements” (MPAA). As of August 19, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at moderate (50/100), sexual content at minimal (13/100), language at mild (29/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (40/100) and frightening material at moderate (55/100). Overall it is heavier than 48% of PG-13-rated films.

Ratings in 41 other countries
  • UK12A
  • CanadaPG
  • AustraliaM
  • Germany12
  • FranceTP
  • Ireland12A
  • New ZealandM
  • JapanG
  • South Korea12
  • Brazil12
  • Austria12
  • CLTE+7
  • Czechia15+
  • Denmark11
  • FinlandK-12
  • GreeceK12
  • Hong KongIIA
  • Hungary12
  • ID13+
  • IndiaUA
  • IsraelAll
  • ItalyT
  • LTN-13
  • MexicoB
  • MOB
  • Netherlands12
  • Norway12
  • PhilippinesPG
  • Poland16
  • PortugalM/12
  • RO12
  • Russia18+
  • SingaporePG
  • South Africa13
  • Spain12
  • Sweden11
  • Switzerland12
  • Taiwan12+
  • TH13
  • Türkiye13A
  • UA12+
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 31% of all filmsHeavier than 48% of PG-13-rated films
Violence & Gore
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 54%
Sex & Nudity
None / Minimal
light for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 17%
Profanity
Mild
light for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 17%
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
heavy for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 82%
Frightening / Intense
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 64%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Nothing here is extreme. The strongest element is frightening material, heavier than 64% of PG-13-rated films.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Murder on the Orient Express have?

MovieCove's classifier found 7 depicted content warnings in Murder on the Orient Express: Addiction or relapse (moderate), Gore or body horror (mild), plus 5 withheld here because they would spoil the plot. Each is backed by a verbatim quote from the parents' guide notes; a missing warning is not a guarantee of absence.

ModerateAddiction or relapse
MildGore or body horror

Cast and crew

Who is in Murder on the Orient Express?

Cast

6 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Kenneth Branagh
as Hercule Poirot
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Tom Bateman
as Bouc
Breakout: Their highest-reaching film role at the time, and they went on to a career at least 3 times their standing then.
Michelle Pfeiffer
as Caroline Hubbard
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Johnny Depp
as Edward Ratchett
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Josh Gad
as Hector MacQueen
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.
Willem Dafoe
as Gerhard Hardman
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.
Judi Dench
as Princess Dragomiroff
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.
Derek Jacobi
as Edward Henry Masterman
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Leslie Odom Jr.
as Dr. Arbuthnot
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Daisy Ridley
as Miss Mary Debenham
newcomer then · star now

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Murder on the Orient Express?

Movies like Murder on the Orient Express include Death on the Nile (2022), A Haunting in Venice (2023) and Murder on the Orient Express (1974). Of the 7 closest matches, two are films written by Michael Green, and most are whodunits.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

Kenneth Branagh directed 3 of these 7. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Murder on the Orient Express?

932 other films share the rarest tag below, premise: closed circle. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.