Death on the Nile Movie Review | Safe for Kids? Parents Guide

Is Death on the Nile safe for kids? Is the new Disney Death on the Nile movie sequel OK for children to see? Death on the Nile Movie Review | Safe for Kids?, an honest parents guide to the 20th Century Studios live action book to screen film adaptation release. No spoilers! #DeathOnTheNile May contain commissioned links.

Death on the Nile Movie Review | Safe for Kids? Parents Guide

To re-film or not to re-film? That is the question.

Scandal. Chaos. Suspense. The reality is, Disney inherited a little more than bargained for with the 20th Century Fox merger, including one Death on the Nile movie. This already filmed and finished sequel to the 2017 Murder on the Orient Express landed in the magical lap of the mouse. Tainted with actor scandal surrounding star Armie Hammer, Disney sat on the film with discussions of recasting the role and re-filming his scenes.

Insert pandemic. 2-years later, here we are. But is the reality more salacious than the movie itself? In this Death on the Nile Movie Review | Safe for Kids, we explore the visuals, the story line (no spoilers!), and fully breakdown that PG-13 rating for parents, including my kids’ age recommendation for watching this film. Is this Murder on the Orient Express sequel about 2-years too late? And is Death on the Nile as kid friendly as the original?

The Visuals

Visually, the 20th Century Fox inherited film is wanderlust worthy. Featuring the sands of Egypt and the waters of the Nile, the splendor of ancient Egypt certainly doesn’t disappoint as a travel-worthy locale for this whodunnit story. While some of the CGI is rather cheesy (were the animals even needed?), the vibrant costumes, cast and landscapes certainly make up for a visually pleasing film.

The Story

Based on the popular 1937 Agatha Christie fiction book, Death on the Nile is the film sequel to Murder on the Orient Express movie (2017). While the original looked so promising with an all-star cast and big budget, with not enough plot, multi-dimensional characters or even comedy to stand on, this movie quickly de-railed – in more ways than one. However with a sequel already contracted and in the works, one could only hope that returning director and star Kenneth Branagh may have taken a “Clue” from his past murder mystery mistakes into filming Death on the Nile.

As far as sequel connection, Kenneth Branagh (“Thor” and “Cinderella“) returns as egotistical, quirky and mustache cursed Detective Hercule Poirot joined by returning cast member Tom Bateman (“Murder on the Orient Express“) in another 1930s based whodunnit murder mystery that takes place directly after Murder on the Orient Express. Death on the Nile boasts yet another new all-star cast including Annette Bening (“Captain Marvel“), Gal Gadot (“Wonder Woman“), Russell Brand (“Despicable Me“) and Letitia Wright (“Black Panther,” “Sing 2“).

Setting in the backdrop of Egypt and one of the Wonders of the World, the cast ends up in a pleasure cruise turned deadly as a murder mystery unfolds. And per usual, everyone is a suspect. With a diverse cast and a few headlining actors, Death on the Nile is certainly easy on the eyes and entertaining.

But if you were expecting the same kind of movie as with Murder on the Orient Express. Death on the Nile may leave you gasping for breath. Sexy and sometimes downright raunchy, this sequel takes a turn for adult audiences with dance moves that one would usually expect for the bedroom scenes. Certainly a shocking surprise for the mild mannered and more family friendly original. But also at times gruesome and gory, the borderline horror-like film scenes will shock, in more of a nightmare worthy way.

While there are a few plot twists and surprises, I can’t say that Death on the Nile is the most original and thought provoking murder mystery movie. In fact, at times I found it cringe-y, especially for some of the cultural/racial references that could be easily interpreted as derogatory. But with a more interesting plot line, character depth, a few laughs and more Detective Poirot quirks, this boat tour wraps up loose ends and won’t leave you sea sick.

That PG-13 Rating

A PG-13 20th Century Fox Studios/Disney movie? Should parents be concerned? Since the merge of Fox and Disney, the crossover of movies – perhaps vastly diverse in genres, story lines and parental guidelines – may be harder to predict for parents wanting to watch a film sequel under the Disney umbrella with the entire family. But is this inherited Fox movie safe for kids? What can parents expect from this PG-13 rating for Death on the Nile?

Is Disney’s Death on the Nile movie safe for kids? Skeptical? Because I am! It’s no secret that I am highly skeptical of all MPAA ratings (um hello, PG-13 Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker not disclosing any language??). With film ratings unpredictable these days, even PG ratings oscillating between Incredibles 2 intense to Christopher Robin calm, having fully disclosed parent guidelines can help determine if a movie is family friendly – and safe for the whole family to watch together.

Why is Death on the Nile rated PG-13? In this Death on the Nile Movie Review | Safe for Kids?, the new 20th Century Studios/Disney live action mystery thriller Death on the Nile is rated PG-13 for “sexual material, violence, and some bloody images.” I find it hard to believe that violence, gore and sex are the only focuses of this MPAA rating. Is Disney’s Death on the Nile safe for kids to see? Or is this Murder on the Orient sequel too scary for kids? Hint, they didn’t disclose it all. Parents who have allowed their kids to watch the original 2017 Murder on the Orient Express movie – be warned.

Let’s breakdown that PG-13 movie age rating in this Death of the Nile parents guide. Here’s what parents need to know before watching Death on the Nile with your children:

Language. Um…was anyone going to disclose anything about the bad language? While “h-e-double-hockey-sticks” and “d@m”n may not be considered swear words in some households, the numerous drops of these words throughout the film is certainly enough to make any parent wonder if the age MPAA age rating was off. I counted 8 uses of these two words alone.

There are also a few phrases with the word G*d, but mostly used in an appropriate manner, and not in vain. One “Good God” phrase that could possibly be interpreted as disrespectful. And one use of the word “freak.”

Adult Themes. I’d never thought I’d see the day when a Disney film gets a long adult theme section. But here we are. What a stark difference between this movie sequel and the original Murder on the Orient Express. Seems like the whole franchise turned the dial UP on the “sexy stuff.” While no nudity is actually seen on screen, there’s enough raunchy dance moves, kissing, grinding and heavy petting to make me uncomfortable in front of my 13-year old teen son. And this is with characters who are all wearing clothes. This is on top of the multiple conversations that the characters have about having sex and making love. Awkward.

Adult themes do not end there. There are also inferences to same sex relationships, heavy use of alcohol consumption and drug use, and cigarette smoking.

Violence. Holy violent movie, Batman! Remember Murder on the Orient Express? Now take that violence level and multiply it exponentially. Death on the Nile certainly dialed it up in the blood and gore. While many of the violent acts are implied off camera, this isn’t comedy “Clue” like punchline death. You’d almost think you’re watching a horror film.

Is Death on the Nile scary? Parents with young kids, beware. These murder mystery/thriller scenes are ingrained into the imagination, and what kids’ nightmares are made of. Massive blood, gore, death, interaction with dead bodies, disfigurement, gun and weapons usage, and very mild suspense also present. Uncomfortable? Because I am. This is not at all comparable to the original film.

What Death on the Nile Movie Age Rating is Recommended for Kids?

The Overall

There’s no de-Nile, this whodunnit film sequel IS actually better than the maiden voyage. But with the expectation bar set so low, Death on the Nile could only get better. While Murder on the Orient Express was overwhelmed with big names, big budget but not much substance, one would expect this pleasure cruise to be as boring as the original.

But it looks like Kenneth Branagh may have learned a few murder mystery movie lessons along his train ride. And this river cruise is certainly more entertaining than the original with a thicker plot, more laughs and a few twists. That’s not to say that Death on the Nile didn’t have it’s own problems.

But if you thought this Murder on the Orient Express sequel would be as family friendly as the original, I beg parents to think again. With the more violence, sexual content and grotesque imagery, I urge all parents to reconsider Death on the Nile for more mature audiences and to pre-screen Death on the Nile before letting little ones join you for a murder mystery movie night.

Death on the Nile turns up the heat on the murder mystery thriller. However, with a new diverse cast of characters, plot twists and enough eccentric Detective Poirot for a few stiff laughs, this 2-hour tour will not leave you lost at sea. But then again, you may be in de-Nile. (Jungle Cruise humor, shoot me.)

Follow Death on the Nile movie on social:

• Website: https://www.20thcenturystudios.com/movies/death-on-the-nile
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DeathontheNileMovie/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/DOTNMovie
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DeathontheNile/
• #DeathOnTheNile

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The all-new live action movie sequel, Death on the Nile, sails into theaters on Friday, February 11, 2021. Is your family excited for this book-to-screen adaptation film?

I was invited to screen this film in exchange for this Death of the Nile Movie Review | Safe for Kids? All photos courtesy of Disney. Be sure to follow Raising Whasians for more movie updates, celebrity interviews, entertainment and behind-the-scenes info!