My thoughts on Kenneth Branagh's 2022 adaptation of Agatha Christie's "Death on the Nile"

Poor Kenneth Branagh.

When I started the 2022 version of Death on the Nile, I was so hopeful for a good adaptation.

I mean, I know not everybody enjoyed his version of Murder on the Orient Express, but I really did. I felt like what was changed wasn't anything major, and it really felt like it was just telling the story without any sort of emotional additions that can happen.

I was thinking about it after I'd finished the 2022 Death on the Nile tonight, and I realized that the strangest thing happened.

While being a huge fan of David Suchet's performance as Hercule Poirot, I do not like the emotionalism and the moral conflict that he goes through in his version of Murder on the Orient Express. It is my least favorite version because it adds drama where it's not needed and where it was not in the original story by having Poirot be so conflicted about convicting murderers.

And that's probably why I loved Kenneth Branagh's version, because it pretty much is just, "here's the story, do with it what you will."

The reverse happened with Death on the Nile.

I absolutely love not only Agatha Christie's original novel, but also David Suchet's  movie of Death on the Nile. I think it is brilliantly filmed on location, in Egypt, with actual monuments and landmarks.

The casting was brilliant. You really can't beat Frances de la Tour, and I love that she played a major part in that story.

Then you have the 2022 Death on the Nile, and I actually forced myself to watch the entire thing start to finish.

I genuinely hated it.

And I hated it from the very beginning because I do not for one second believe that Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot has a mustache because he has a scar from World War I.

That theory is absurd and does not accurately represent Hercule Poirot, who is simply a fastidious and vain little peacock of a man. He has a mustache because it is important to his vanity. He has it because he loves it. He doesn't have it simply because he's hiding a scar.

So unfortunately the movie started off on the wrong foot for me.

And then of course you run into the issue of filming a movie called Death on the Nile, and you are not doing it on location, but almost entirely on a soundstage somewhere and using CGI to create the exotic location. That is almost a crime against Agatha Christie.

I mean, I have seen multiple versions at this point of Death on the Nile. Peter Ustinov's is also quite excellent, I would say. My favorite is the one with David Suchet. But what do those two films both have in common? It is that they were filmed on location in Egypt, on an actual boat on the Nile River.

Another issue are the 2019/2020 special effects that are, unfortunately, aging very badly. They make the film feel shiny and fake, where that would not be a problem if it had simply, say it with me, been filmed on location!

I understand that they were going for opulence and grandiose scope. I tend to be of the mindset that opulence begins with authenticity. And so filming on location would have done much more for the story than a soundstage could ever do.

 And speaking of the soundstage and the set, it's quite ghastly.

It's garish and modern in a way that is kind of jarring.

I don't believe for one second that they're on a riverboat cruise in the 1930s.

The riverboat just feels like it's too much, if that makes sense. It was overdone.

So, so far we have two things. One, the history of Poirot's mustache that is not accurate to Agatha Christie. And two, the lack of filming in Egypt and the fake pomposity of the set.

Another issue that I unfortunately have is the absurdity that everyone is on this river cruise to celebrate the newlyweds. I realize that it feels strange to have coincidences in terms of however many degrees of separation are between the main characters and the secondary characters. So it feels strange if people are accidentally on the same cruise and have connections.

But that is how Agatha Christie wrote her books.

Sometimes, like on Murder on the Orient Express, yes, everybody is actually in cahoots. Sometimes they are not.

And so the idea that this is one gigantic wedding party gone awry is just a very peculiar approach.

This is going to sound very prudish of me, but there was no need at all for the hypersexualization of the romance, the love triangle as it were.

We didn't need that. The audience did not need that.

We did not need to see **** dancing in what is supposedly supposed to be a 1930s kind of nightclub. I mean, if it's a low dive, maybe.

But if that is the case, then may I also ask why someone of Linnet's reputation and standing would be there in the first place?

I mean, I'm sure that she lives life the way she wants to, but the audience did not need to see it.

It made the story feel extremely cheap.

I won't go into the casting choices for the 2022 Death on the Nile because I think it's overall unnecessary.

We already know the scandal surrounding Armie Hammer and Russell Brand. We don't need to hash it out again.

It's just extremely unfortunate that the film was impacted so negatively because I know it was.

My dislike honestly had zero to do with either of those men or any of the other cast members and everything to do with the fact that it is a rubbish adaptation of Agatha Christie's novel.

I respect Kenneth Branagh as a director. I have seen films that he has done which are excellent.

As I said, I like his Murder on the Orient Express. I like it the best of any adaptations that I've seen, and that's saying something.

I really wish that I had loved his Death on the Nile.

I wish that it had been different.

I wish that the screenwriter had approached it differently.

I wish that Kenneth Branagh had approached it differently.

But that isn't where we ended up.

So I'm glad I watched it, because at least now I can say with certainty that it is a rubbish adaptation of a brilliant Agatha Christie novel.

I don't care how pretty it is or how many beautiful people it has starring in it.

A rubbish adaptation is a rubbish adaptation.

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Reading Wuthering Heights - February 2026

My Brontë collection

In a fit of contrariness, I believe I shall read Wuthering Heights in February. Anyone who wants to chime in on the novel as I read and blog about it, certainly may. I have read this novel multiple times and its relational train wreck fascinates, but what with the release of the new film adaptation the day before Valentine's Day (YUCK!), I am revolting and declaring that this novel is not romantic but is instead a cautionary tale of obsession and addiction. Heathcliff is one of the nastiest men in all the classic literature I have ever read, not so much for his obsession with Cathy while she is alive, but because of what comes after. This book gives me serious misgivings, as it should everyone, and I already know that the new film is going to present them as some insane star-crossed lovers kept apart by prejudice, sexual awakening type of story. And I can almost guarantee you that, true to form, the last half of the story will not be present in this movie. The half that really shows Heathcliff as the psychopath that he truly is. I hate the movie already. So, instead of hate watching it, I will focus on the book and its moral lessons as I perceive them instead.

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January Knitting Goal: Visions of Sugarplums Sparkle Socks

 

For the first time, I actually knitted a pair of socks for myself! I finished this pair earlier in January. They are knit with a purple and lavender gorgeous colorway set from Potions and Purls on Etsy that I purchased in November 2024. I use the Ravelry Hermione's Everyday Socks pattern which I can practically knit in my sleep at this point. The yarn is soft and pliable with just the right amount of sparkle and keeps my feet nice and warm without overheating, a unique trait of wool socks. One thing I would do different is shorten the amount of rows I knit on the instep since they are a teensy bit long, but I also haven't washed them yet so they've stretched a little bit with each wearing. I'm really loving that I can wear a pair of hand knit socks 4 or 5 times before needing to wash them!

So ✓ off one pair of knitted socks completed in January! More shall be forthcoming!

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2026 Knitting Goals: So Much Sock Yarn!

My absolute favorite knitting projects are socks! I mean, knitting brings me joy regardless, but knitting socks with amazing yarn that just feels so gloriously soft is the absolute best experience. 

So let's talk about my fingering weight yarn stash!

So what I have is primarily Etsy seller hand-dyed fingering weight yarn, and I wouldn't have it any other way. 

I like buying bougie hand-dyed yarn from wonderful little shoppes on Etsy. It's a way for me to work with really quality yarn and also know that I'm supporting a small business owner who is doing what they love. Hand-dyed yarn is amazing and so fun because it is unique. No two skeins are going to be identical because that's just how the process works. I love knowing that what I'm working is uniquely individual AND also ethically sourced AND supporting a small business. It's just the best feeling.

Let's start with Potions and Purls.

I bought my first skeins of yarn from this shop in 2024, but didn't actually do anything with them until 2025, but oh my goodness, the yarn is so soft.

Yuletide sock yarn set from Potions and Purls on Etsy

I still have their Yuletide Carols sock yarn set from 2024, and I will knit up some socks with it, probably not until at least September in 2026. Just because it's obviously Christmas colors, but I love it and know it will be fun to work with. I have already finished a couple pairs of socks with skeins of yarn from this company and they have great quality!

Fast forward to November 2025 yarn purchases from Potions and Purls.

This year, I have bought two sock yarn sets from them, one for me and one for my sister.

Pink Peppermint sock yarn set from Potions and Purls on Etsy

For me, I bought this fabulous Pink Peppermint set that is just so pretty and girly. I love the mint green and the pink in the main skein and the mini skein is perfect for the cuff and toe.

Mulled Apple Cider sock yarn set from Potions and Purls on Etsy

And for my sister, I have this gorgeous Mulled Apple Cider in deep burgundy and brown with a few splashes of almost a muted yellow like fading leaves. It really feels very like autumn, which is perfect for my sister because her wardrobe is mostly in these colors.

Next up we have Wild Poppy Yarns.

These were also purchased in 2024 and I haven't done anything with them. I have set knitting goals for myself in 2026, one of which being to make a dent in my sock yarn stash, so I'm excited to work with these yarns.

Violet Lights sock yarn from Wild Poppy Yarns on Etsy

The first is Violet Lights, a super feminine purple, lavender, and white sparkle sock yarn. I know it's going to make some gorgeous socks, and I am restraining myself from starting on it without actually finishing some of my WIPs first.

Bluebell sock yarn from Wild Poppy Yarns on Etsy

Next is Bluebell, such beautiful shades of blue from a bright robin's egg blue to more of a denim shade. This is also going to be absolutely gorgeous when knitted up. It's a good thing I haven't caked this yarn yet or I might have dived right into starting a new set of socks.

Next is Gabies Knit Goodies.

Glitter Bomb sock yarn from Gabies Knit Goodies on Etsy

I only bought two skeins of the same yarn, called Glitter Bomb. It's gorgeous with pops of bright pink against a denim blue, also with sparkles! Yes, this is another one from 2024, but I already have it in my planner for January goals so I know I'll be using this yarn sooner rather than later. I have one skein caked already and just need to cake the other one.

It's dangerous looking at this shop because the owner has Van Gogh and Monet inspired sock yarn sets and those would be so incredibly fun to work with! But no, I must resist until I've actually used up a good portion of my stash.

Next is Sinful Yarns.

Black Sapphire sock yarn from Sinful Yarns on Etsy

I bought their Black Sapphire skein in September 2025 for my sister. She's a Wednesday Addams fan so I thought this would be fun to make for her. The yarn feels amazing, but I am curious about how it will knit up in terms of design. There's a lot of black and not a ton of grey in the skein so there may not be a really visible color change affect in the socks. It does feel amazing, so I know it'll be a dream to knit with regardless.

Last but not least is Stitchin with Yarn.

Heirloom Ornaments sock yarn set from Stitchin with Yarn on Etsy

I love, love, love this sock yarn in the Heirloom Ornaments colorway! It is breathtaking! I just purchased from them this November and I likely won't knit up socks with this until Fall 2026, but oh my goodness, so beautiful! This shop is dangerous because I adore their designs and could so easily buy one of each!

It's also super sweet that they sent me a mini skein as a bonus! That will be so fun to use for the next holiday season!

I do have an order of yarn coming from a new-to-me company on Etsy, called Falling Leaf Fibers. Her colorways feel like they came out of my soul! I restrained myself so hard with this shop and only bought two sock yarn sets, although I did sign up for her January Books Yarn Mystery box and her January Mystery Colorway set too. The sock yarn sets that aren't part of the mystery boxes will come sometime in mid January so those will be fun to unveil!

I wish you all a cozy and restful winter, and may you find delight in your hobbies.

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Child Privacy Laws Compared: Why Nordic Nations Lead and the U.S. Lags

My childhood experience is already slightly different from that of others because I was homeschooled. But, as a kid, growing up in the 1990s, one thing I knew for sure was that any embarrassing anecdotes or photos were going to be shared only with my immediate and extended family. The baby bath pictures are in our family photo albums, not online. As are the awkward dance videos, preserved forevermore on VHS, not with an indelible digital footprint. Social media wasn't a thing in 1995 when I was 11-years-old! I never had to worry about my identity being shared with total strangers where my parents had no control over who viewed the information.

But today’s kids aren’t so lucky. From ultrasound announcements to viral TikTok dances, the lives of American children are broadcast, monetized, and archived before they can even tie their shoes. As debates over child privacy laws heat up, Nordic nations like Sweden and Norway are setting global standards with strict safeguards, while the U.S. scrambles to catch up. In this post, we’ll explore why Scandinavia’s proactive laws—rooted in collective responsibility—are shielding children in ways America’s reactive system still struggles to match, and what it means for parents navigating a world where childhood has become content.

Here are some key differences between Nordic (or EU in general) approach vs the U.S. approach to child privacy laws.

Scandinavia/EU Proactive Enforcement

• Proactive Monitoring:
• GDPR violations (e.g., collecting data on minors without consent) can trigger fines up to 4% of global revenue. National agencies actively investigate complaints (e.g., France’s CNIL fined a family blogger €20,000 in 2023 for failing to secure a child’s data).
• Norway and Sweden audit high-earning family channels to ensure earnings from child-focused content are held in trust.
• Public Accountability: Cultural norms discourage monetizing childhood, leading to social pressure and reduced viewership for violators.
• Content Restrictions: Commercial use of minors under 12 in ads or sponsored content is often prohibited.
• Right to Erasure: Children can petition to have content removed once they reach legal adulthood.
  

In Norway, a 2023 government study found that two-thirds of family content creators avoid showing children’s faces, reflecting both GDPR compliance and cultural discomfort with monetizing childhood.

U.S. Reactive Enforcement Challenges

• Reactive and Limited:
• COPPA fines (e.g., $170 million against YouTube in 2019) target platforms, not individual creators. Family vloggers rarely face penalties unless they directly violate data-collection rules.
• State-level trust laws (e.g., Illinois’ 2024 Child Influencer Act) rely on self-reporting; enforcement is sparse due to limited resources.
• Labor Law Gaps: Only extreme cases (e.g., 8-year-old “YouTube star” Ryan Kaji’s parents facing FTC scrutiny in 2025) draw attention, but most content falls into unregulated “family business” exemptions.

While Illinois and California have passed laws to protect child influencers’ earnings, experts estimate fewer than 15% of eligible families comply due to lax enforcement and low awareness.

Viewing Child Protection through a Biblical Lens

Scripture frames parenthood not as ownership but as sacred stewardship. “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it” (Proverbs 22:6) calls parents to guide with wisdom, ensuring a child’s path aligns with their God-given identity—not a parent’s agenda. Yet modern family vlogging often inverts this principle, treating children as content commodities rather than image-bearers of God (Genesis 1:27). The Apostle Paul sharpens this accountability: “Anyone who does not provide for their relatives… has denied the faith” (1 Timothy 5:8). To “provide” here transcends material needs; it includes safeguarding a child’s emotional, digital, and spiritual well-being. Exploiting a child’s likeness for profit—without regard for their consent or future—violates this mandate, trading stewardship for selfish gain.

The Nordic emphasis on societal safeguards mirrors Paul’s charge to “carry each other’s burdens” (Galatians 6:2). While Western individualism often isolates families, Nordic laws reflect a communal ethos—ensuring corporations, platforms, and neighbors share responsibility for protecting childhood. For example, Norway’s trust fund requirements for child influencers operationalize the biblical ideal of “storing up treasures” for the next generation (Matthew 6:20), not exploiting their labor. Similarly, GDPR’s restrictions on harvesting minors’ data align with Proverbs 31:8–9’s call to “speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves.”

Nordic policies, though secular in origin, inadvertently reflect a theology of collective care—one that challenges America’s idolization of parental autonomy. Scripture never grants parents absolute rights but instead charges them with temporary guardianship (Psalm 127:3). By legally prioritizing a child’s privacy and economic future, Nordic nations model a practical outworking of “love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31)—treating all children as a shared trust. For Christians, this invites a sobering question: Does our defense of parental freedom serve the child’s flourishing, or our own comfort? True stewardship, as modeled in the Gospels, sacrifices control for the sake of another’s wholeness.

This biblical framework doesn’t demand mimicry of Nordic secularism but calls believers to lead the charge in crafting systems—and family habits—that honor the sacred weight of shepherding the next generation.

My Personal Takeaway

As a kid in the 90s, the mistakes I made were in private and could fade away into grace. Strangers didn't know me, didn't harangue on my "failings," and didn't have any clue about my fluctuating weight or acne problems. I was free to be awkward and grow up organically, without fear of a phone being pointed in my direction, broadcasting my image for all the world to see, and worse, to comment on. The idea of a child enduring the reality of digital permanence in American culture breaks my heart. That's not how childhood should be. 

While I doubt that America would ever allow itself to go to the level of Nordic restrictions, however healthy I consider them, I do hope that, as a society, we eventually realize that children should not only be allowed to be children, but socially required to have a childhood free of the digital footprint. American parents today need to take into consideration the right to privacy that their children should have, just as we did when we were kids. And one of the biggest steps we can take is to stop engaging with child influencer or family vlogger content.

Disclaimer: All thoughts are my personal opinions and I encourage readers to do their own research into failures and successes on child privacy laws in the United States.

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The Agatha Christie Project Update

I know, I know, it's been forever since I've added anything to The Agatha Christie Project page!

The truth is that I just haven't been very motivated to put my bookish thoughts online for quite a few years now. But I am going to try and get the ball rolling on this project again, this time, without an end date. I hate deadlines in all aspects of my life, so we'll just not have one for this project and I'll get books reviewed as I get around to them.

One thing is for sure, though, I am saving up to add to my Christie collection of hardbacks. I've realized that I only want to collect books that I love so the bookcases need to be weeded. But for those beloved authors, I will go out of my way to buy special copies of their books. With designs that I love and that I feel add to the mystique and adventure promised within the pages. Christie is one of those authors, and I am enjoying the experience of adding pretty editions to my sadly lacking bookshelf bearing her name.

When do you read Agatha Christie? Do you have a season when you want to just reach for her books, or is it an all-year-round thing?

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No, fans have not turned on Keira Knightley

 

Photo Credit: Keira Knightley at Netflix The Woman in Cabin 10 London News Photo 

 

First of all, can we just admire how beautiful Keira Knightley still is at 40. There is such grace and poise in how she is aging, so much sparkle, and I hope and pray that other actresses feel like they can follow suit. That it is okay to enter different seasons of your life and to allow your body and your face to change. If Helen Mirren can do it (here's an interview with Helen on Allure), so can every other actress out there, and it would be such a healthy thing for society rather than having so many women absolutely run from natural aging.

Back to the topic at hand. 

In case you haven't heard, Keira Knightley was hijacked during an interview about her latest film, where the interviewer grilled her about her knowledge of JK Rowling's pro-woman views and if she knew about them before agreeing to be cast as Professor Umbridge in the full-cast audiobook series of Harry Potter that's about to be released. Yes, that's a long sentence. But it completely changes the perspective of the reader by phrasing it as Rowling having a "pro-woman" stance instead of "anti-trans." 

Keira, bless her, responded with a laugh showing the absurdity and misplacement of the question, and graciously called people to figure out how to get along with one another because we are a diverse group of beliefs and opinions and mutual respect is important. I'm paraphrasing.

She's right. We will never move forward as a society if we cannot agree to disagree and move on from topics of contention.

But that reasonable response has resulted in a bit of a Keira Knightley witch-hunt and reinvigoration of the "boycott Rowling" crowd. Both of which are completely uncalled for and extremely dramatic, something that frustrates me as I grow older because drama is just so absurd.

But I did just think of something else that is bothering me.

Why Keira? Is it just because she was "to hand" in an interview? Or is it because she's the most well-known female in the audio cast (from my perspective)? Or . . . what? Because I see famous male names like Hugh Laurie, Matthew Macfadyen (now that's kind of funny that they're in the same audiobook series!), Kit Harrington, Simon Pegg, James McAvoy, and Riz Ahmed (maybe not everybody knows his work, but I do) in the cast but it doesn't seem that they were pressured the same way as Keira.

How is that okay? Now that I'm really thinking about it, I am quite upset that she was jumped like that, out of the blue, when it seems none of her male costars have had to put up with the same absurdity or endure the same online witchhunt. She was simply being diplomatic in her response! Or are these people only upset if someone doesn't voice their disdain for Rowling, not if they are acting in a Harry Potter production? I wouldn't be surprised if that was it. They're fine so long as the actor hates Rowling.

TikTokers and Redditors are not the majority of people. They're just not. Are they the most vocal, oh yes, but do they reflect the beliefs of every single person, absolutely not. So they really should just be viewed as the vocal 1% and treated as such. A flash-in-the-pan knee-jerk response of online rage isn't going to impact my love and admiration for Keira Knightley and her varying roles in the slightest. And I can guarantee you that she has a ton of fans IRL who will never know about this "controversy" and wouldn't care even if they did because they are not chronically online. What next? A call to boycott the PotC franchise? I don't think so. The rage echo chamber is getting old and it's showing how little the 1% actually spend amongst the rest of us.

Now, back to the actual reason for the Rowling question in the first place, the Harry Potter full-cast audio book series! It sounds amazing!

I look forward to intense pangs of hatred and loathing for Professor Umbridge that I know Keira's voice acting will deliver. And, wow, give me my Hugh Laurie as Dumbledore! He's an absolute fav of mine from waaaaaaay back in the 90s, yes, I am that old! I truly hope the full-cast audiobooks of Harry Potter live up to the hype!

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