hendersoncontrell Review of Ten Little Indians

Ten Little Indians (1989)

If you can tolerate the overacting, it definitely has its charms

[6/10 · 10 January 2023]

I love Agatha and this story and this version can't be properly reviewed without comparing it to the others. The 1945 version is a classic and I LOVE the 1965 version so you'll hear no blasphemy on that from me. I'd place the 1989 version third, ahead of the 1974 one, which is generally poor. The 1989 version is tough to review because it's so uneven. It suffers from some very severe, laughable bouts of overacting, mostly by Paul L Smith, who I've never been a fan of because he, well, overacts. The caricature doctor and Herbert Lom also ham it up, possibly without knowing they are. The performances are borderline campy but the movie also takes itself very seriously. Donald Pleasance steals the show in a villain role he seemed destined to play. His Wargrave at the end is actually pretty chilling. He also DEFINITELY knows he's in a campier version because it's obvious along the way. I also enjoyed Sarah Thorp's Vera. I think her performance deserved a better film. The acting weak link is poor, wooden, generally talentless Frank Stallone who, thankfully, has very little screen time. Did they cast him as a favor to Sly? I liked Warren Berlinger's Blore. He has a really nice acting moment when he's confessing his crime against Landor. The major positive for the film is it's the best horror film version. 1965 has some great chills but 1989 amps up the creepy music, mood and, especially, the violence. There's more blood spilled in this one than the others combined. The film's weakness is its tone. It's so campy in so many places but it's taken so seriously! You get the feeling they thought they were making a dramatic masterpiece, which is a shame because there are several comedic moments which could have fit in nicely with the drama if they were acknowledged as such! Still, I think it's a fun watch if you love Agatha and the story and look for the positives.