Movie review
February 9, 2022 · 127 min · PG-13
Woke Score
Lower is better
Review
Death on the Nile (2022) adapts Agatha Christie's 1937 novel into a glamorous whodunit where Hercule Poirot solves a murder on a Nile river cruise during a wealthy couple's honeymoon. The core story follows jealousy, betrayal, and investigation among passengers in a classic closed-circle mystery. The film adds noticeable modern updates including race-swapped Black supporting characters, an interracial romance subplot with explicit family racial objections, and a secret lesbian relationship between two passengers. These identity elements appear as secondary subplots and do not drive or dominate the central puzzle.
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for Death on the Nile.
Woke representation / casting
Visible efforts include race-swapping key supporting characters to Black actresses and casting an Indian actor in another role, plus an interracial romance subplot that highlights identity.
Woke political dialogue
Occasional mild touches such as communist references and one racial comment appear but stay brief and non-preachy with no extended ideological speeches.
Identity-driven story themes
Added interracial romance with racial family conflict and a secret lesbian couple subplot foreground identity and relationships in ways not present in the source material and noticeable to viewers.
Western institutional / cultural critique
Almost none; the story stays focused on personal jealousy and greed with only passing period social notes and no modern systemic or activist framing.
Woke character or canon changes
Multiple updates to source material include race changes for the Otterbournes, a new lesbian relationship, and identity-infused subplots absent from the 1937 novel.
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
Limited viewer and reviewer notes criticize the diversity casting and lesbian addition as forced modern changes; no broad campaigns or major coverage treat the film as aggressively woke.
Creator track record context
Writer Michael Green has stated diversity is paramount to good storytelling and applied inclusive changes in prior adaptations; casting director Lucy Bevan pushes inclusion; other key figures show little such pattern.
Production
