Appointment with Death

Appointment with Death is currently streaming in Australia on Amazon Prime Video, and in the US on Amazon Prime Video and fuboTV, and its case-by-case structure never gets in the way of the bigger story. It says what it needs to say in one sitting, no filler. A 6/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Peter Ustinov leads a cast that carries the story without ever feeling mechanical. Start it on Amazon Prime Video whenever you need something guaranteed to land.

Appointment with Death is not trying to be everything to everyone, and that focus is exactly what makes it work. The plotting gives Appointment with Death its backbone, but it is the characters you come back for. Emily Boynton, the stepmother to three children, blackmails the family lawyer into destroying a second will of her late husband that would have freed the children from her dominating influence. She takes herself, the children, and her daughter-in-law on holiday to Europe and the Holy Land. At a dig, Emily is found dead and Hercule Poirot investigates. Peter Ustinov and Lauren Bacall lead a cast that never lets the mystery feel thin. Appointment with Death came out in 1988. What distinguishes the best crime dramas from the rest is whether the character work can carry scenes where the mystery takes a breath — Appointment with Death passes that test consistently. It knows exactly what it is, and does not try to be anything else.

Viewers who think they have seen every crime drama tend to find Appointment with Death proves them wrong. It has built its own audience without needing a direct comparison. A contained runtime means every scene is doing real work. Peter Ustinov carries scenes that would sink a lesser production. The resolution feels inevitable rather than arbitrary, which is rarer than it sounds.

Appointment with Death was released in 1988, directed by Michael Winner. The full 102-minute film is available to watch now. Find exactly where it's streaming below, and TV Butler Pro makes it effortless to track your progress as you go. Just search the name, and Butler finds it instantly, tells you which service has it, and remembers exactly where you left off.