Given that the 1974 Murder on the Orient Express movie directed by Sidney Lumet and starring Albert Finney was a straightforward adaptation with only a few minor differences, emphasizing the darkness is a smart approach.
After all, this is a story about one or more killers aboard a train hidden in plain sight.
That’s tinged with horror, and as the story progresses, the unknown slowly dissipates as both Poriot and the audience start to see the full picture.
Assuring Murder on the Orient Express enthusiasts that he hasn’t drastically changed the source material, Kenneth Branagh, who is both directing the new movie and playing Hercule Poirot, informed EW that the remake is toning down the “drawing room mystery” aspect of the tale in favor of highlight the scarier elements.