Death on the Nile 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Death on the Nile 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov January 21, 2026

John Guillermin's "Death on the Nile" (1978) arrives on 4K Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the disc include vintage interviews; archival audio commentary by critics Howard S. Berger, Steve Mitchell, and Nathaniel Thomson; and original trailers. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

In the prologue, the wealthy heiress Linnet Ridgeway (Lois Chiles, Broadcast News) meets her good friend Jacqueline de Bellefort (Mia Farrow, Rosemary's Baby), and promptly steals her fiancé, Simon Doyle (Simon MacCorkindale, The Riddle of the Sands). Before they marry, the lovers choose Egypt as their honeymoon destination.

On board the paddle steamer S.S. Karnak, however, someone kills the wealthy heiress. Luckily, the famous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot (Peter Ustinov, Lola Montes) happens to be there together with his good friend Colonel Race (David Niven, The Guns of Navarone). Armed with patience, the two begin searching for the killer.

The tone and atmosphere of John Guillermin’s Death on the Nile seem a lot more appropriate for a classic film about the extravagant Belgian detective. There is still plenty of the exotic flavor that is present in Sidney Lumet's Murder on the Orient Express, but the murder case is approached with a degree of seriousness that makes the many different characters look a lot more credible.

While Poirot and his friend speculate about the identity of the killer, the murder case is examined from a variety of different angles, and the viewer is led to believe that everyone on board the S.S. Karnak had a good reason to want the wealthy heiress dead. However, when Poirot begins studying these reasons, the viewer is forced to reevaluate various conflicts that are introduced earlier in the film. In other words, the ‘logical explanations’ are frequently adjusted, as more and more information becomes available.

The case is solved without the pomposity from Murder on the Orient Express. Here, Poirot’s reconstruction of the events leading to the murder is shorter and better balanced, making it easier to believe that he is a real human being. Only the seemingly mandatory fake French/Belgian accent remains quite distracting.

The large supporting cast is predictably good. Bette Davis is the somewhat annoying Mrs. Van Schuyler, Maggie Smith is Miss Bowers, Jane Birkin plays the rather unusually elegant and madly in love maid Louise Bourget, the beautiful Olivia Hussey is Rosalie Otterbourne, Jon Finch is the anarchist Mr. Ferguson, Andrew Pennington is an American lawyer on a mission, Jack Warden is the German doctor Ludwig Bessner, and Angela Lansbury is the slightly mysterious novelist Mrs. Salome Otterbourne.

Death on the Nile was lensed by the legendary cinematographer Jack Cardiff (Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s The Red Shoes, John Huston’s The African Queen). There are many notably beautiful panoramic sequences throughout it, but the one where Linnet and Simon climb the pyramid looks truly extraordinary. The various terrific costumes were designed by Anthony Powell (Roman Polanski’s Tess, Franklin J. Schaffner’s Papillon), who won an Oscar Award for his work in 1979.

The lush soundtrack was created by the great Italian maestro Nino Rota (Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather, Federico Fellini’s Amarcord).

Death on the Nile 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Kino Lorber's release of Death on the Nile is a 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray combo pack. The 4K Blu-ray is Region-Free. However, the Blu-ray is Region-A "locked". Please note that some of the screencaptures included with this article are taken from the 4K Blu-ray and downscaled to 1080p. Therefore, they do not accurately reflect the quality of the 4K content on the 4K Blu-ray disc.

Screencaptures #1-26 are taken from the Blu-ray.
Screencaptures #31-39 are taken from the 4K Blu-ray.

This combo pack release brings to America StudioCanal's new 4K restoration of Death on the Nile. In native 4K, the 4K restoration can be viewed with Dolby Vision and HDR grades. I chose to view it with HDR. Over the weekend, I also viewed the entire 1080p presentation of the 4K restoration on the Blu-ray.

In the United Kingdom, the 4K restoration was released on 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray last year. We reviewed StudioCanal's 4K Blu-ray release here.

I have numerous older DVD and Blu-ray releases of Death on the Nile in my library, and the 4K restoration is without a shadow of a doubt the all-around best, most satisfying presentation of the film that you can get on Blu-ray or 4K Blu-ray. You just need to decide whether you want the former or the latter. I like how the 4K restoration looks in native 4K and 1080p. However, now that I have seen the entire 4K restoration in 1080p -- StudioCanal provided only the 4K Blu-ray release for review -- I like how the film looks on Blu-ray a little bit better. It is because during several outdoor sequences, primary colors, a few nuances, and especially highlights are a tad better balanced and more pleasing. Still, the native 4K and 1080p presentations are equally easy to like, especially when viewed on a large screen, where the superiority of the new 4K restoration over all previous presentations becomes undeniable. There are no traces of any problematic digital corrections. Image stability is excellent.

Death on the Nile 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

While revisiting Death on the Nile on 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray, I did not encounter any issues to report, so I am reposting my comments from our review of StudioCanal's 4K Blu-ray release.

The lossless track is outstanding. I assume it is the same track that was included on the previous release of Death on the Nile, but if something new was done to enhance parts of it, I could not tell. Nino Rota's music sounds fantastic, and all exchanges are exceptionally clear and easy to follow. I did not encounter any encoding anomalies to report. This said, I wonder whether a new 5.1 track, like the one that was created for Murder on the Orient Express, would have opened up some parts of the film better.

Death on the Nile 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

4K BLU-RAY DISC

• Commentary - this archival audio commentary was recorded by critics Howard S. Berger, Steve Mitchell, and Nathaniel Thomson. It initially appeared on Kino Lorber's Blu-ray release of Death on the Nile.

BLU-RAY DISC

• Commentary - this archival audio commentary was recorded by critics Howard S. Berger, Steve Mitchell, and Nathaniel Thomson. It initially appeared on Kino Lorber's Blu-ray release of Death on the Nile.

• The Making of Death on the Nile - this archival program features raw footage from the shooting of Death on the Nile, as well as clips from interviews with various cast and crew members. In English, not subtitled. (24 min).

• Interview with Peter Ustinov - in this archival interview, Peter Ustinov discusses his contribution to Death on the Nile and his famous character, Monsieur Poirot. In Spanish and English, with printed English subtitles where necessary. (9 min).

• Interview with Jane Birkin - in this archival interview, conducted by a Spanish TV reporter, Jane Birkin quickly addresses her involvement with Death on the Nile. In English, not subtitled. (5 min).

• Trailer - vintage U.S. trailer for Death on the Nile. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Teaser Trailer - this is not a teaser trailer. It is a highlight from Death on the Nile. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• Cover - reversible cover with vintage poster art for Death on the Nile.

Death on the Nile 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I find John Guillermin's Death on the Nile to be better balanced than Sidney Lumet's Murder on the Orient Express. Both films have the appropriate exotic flavor, but Peter Ustinov's Hercule Poirot is far more convincing, and as a result, the supporting cast also looks better. Kino Lorber's combo pack release brings to America StudioCanal's excellent new 4K restoration of Death on the Nile, which will remain its definitive presentation. I prefer how the 4K restoration looks on the Blu-ray, but the 4K Blu-ray produces gorgeous visuals as well. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.