Evil Under the Sun

If you want a crime drama that treats its mystery as more than a puzzle, Evil Under the Sun is available in Australia on Rialto Amazon Channel, and in the US on Amazon Prime Video and Britbox Apple TV Channel right now. It knows exactly what kind of film it is from the opening scene, and never loses that thread. With 513 viewer ratings on TMDB, this is not a title flying under the radar. Peter Ustinov sets the tone, and the ensemble matches it scene for scene. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on Rialto Amazon Channel.

Evil Under the Sun is not trying to be everything to everyone, and that focus is exactly what makes it work. Evil Under the Sun treats its mystery as a means, not an end in itself. 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. Peter Ustinov and James Mason lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 1982. The plot mechanics of Evil Under the Sun never overwhelm the human cost underneath them. It knows exactly what it is, and does not try to be anything else.

Crime and mystery fans will find exactly what they are after in Evil Under the Sun. It has built its own audience without needing a direct comparison. The complete film is available and best experienced without too much prior knowledge of where it goes. Peter Ustinov carries scenes that would sink a lesser production. The resolution feels inevitable rather than arbitrary, which is rarer than it sounds.