A Haunting in Venice

Hercule Poirot, after retiring in Venice, is pulled into a mysterious case when a séance performed at the house of Rowena Drake, a former opera singer, reveals a hidden past full of tragedy. The séance seems supernatural, with Reynolds, the psychic, typing answers as if guided by spirits, but Poirot quickly exposes her tricks—she and her assistants had faked the paranormal activity. As Poirot investigates, he uncovers that Rowena’s daughter Alicia died a year earlier, pushed from the balcony by her mother to hide the truth. Alicia’s death was the result of a tragic scheme involving a hallucinogenic honey formula designed by Rowena to suppress her daughter’s romantic feelings for a man she disapproved of. When Alicia’s death was discovered, Rowena faked the ghostly marks to cover it up and threw her daughter’s body from the balcony to make it seem as if she was haunted by spirits.

Throughout the film, Poirot also uncovers Rowena’s series of murders—she had killed her psychic and her family doctor, Dr. Leslie Ferrier, to keep her secret safe. Rowena’s fear of being exposed and her desperation to cover her crimes drove her to commit these murders, further revealing her need for control and her guilt. Her final act takes her to the mansion’s tower, where she admits to killing her daughter and, in a moment of hysteria, is pushed off the balcony by the ghost of Alicia—seen by some as a supernatural retribution or a hallucination caused by her own hallucinogenic poison. In truth, Poirot concludes that Rowena’s death was most likely a suicide driven by guilt, although some might interpret the supernatural presence as real due to the haunting atmosphere of the house. The story ends with Poirot returning to his home, now open for more cases, signaling his renewed readiness to re-engage with detective work, and the haunted house standing quietly in the aftermath of the female’s destructive secrets.

Last Updated: June 25, 2025 at 09:01