Why Didn't They Ask Evans? (2022) User Reviews

A fine adaptation.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 8/10 · 14 April 2022]

I read the book prior to the release of this, and I have to say it isn't a favourite of mine, nor was the awful Marple adaptation some years ago.

Laurie has managed to make the story into a really enjoyable, watchable whodunnit. The acting was great, I thought most of the characters came to life.

The best element, the visuals, it looks incredible, great fashions and cars, plus some sublime location work, surely one of the most picturesque places in The UK.

Nowadays, it's advisable to approach Agatha Christie adaptations with a degree of caution, you have no idea whether you'll find Poirot taming lions, or Jane Marple making ice sculptures, but credit where it's due, it's a faithful adaptation, without any massive changes.

If I'm honest, I thought it dipped a little in the middle, but overall it was very watchable.

Let's hope we get more quality adaptations soon, this was very good, 8/10.

Who is Evans?

[bosporan · 7/10 · 17 April 2022]

Hugh Laurie has done a fabulous job deftly infusing humour into this script. The cinematography is delightful, with gorgeous costumes, lovely architecture and rugged scenery brought to life. A strong cadre of actors with the wonderful character of Frankie (Lucy Boynton) pulling all the strings, Boynton is in her element with this persona.

It is drawn out at some points, it would have benefited from shorter episodes, also some plot elements are overly contrived.

Watchable but fatally overlong; Lucy Boynton by far the best thing in it

[gridoon2024 · 7/10 · 24 April 2022]

This Agatha Christie story has a gripping, instant hook but a rather underwhelming resolution; by the time you finally learn who Evans is and why they didn't ask him, you may wish that you never wondered in the first place. Hugh Laurie aka Dr. House, who writes, directs and plays a supporting role, does not bring very much new to the table, apart from a flourish here and a photographic trick there, and Will Poulter is merely OK as Bobby Jones. But Lucy Boynton is magnetic as Frankie: beautiful, playful, witty (especially in the first of the three episodes), she really brings the character to life. On the basis of this performance, she totally deserves a regular spot in a possible future Agatha Christie series - one that, hopefully, will resolve its cases in fewer than 175 minutes. *** out of 4.

Evans Above !

[southdavid · 7/10 · 22 April 2023]

Having been produced for Britbox last year, Hugh Laurie's adaptation of the Agatha Christie story aired on ITV around Easter of 2023, which is when I saw it. There were aspects of it that I loved but I felt one fairly major failing too.

Bobby Jones (Will Poulter) and Lady Frankie Derwent (Lucy Boynton) investigate the 'accidental' death of a man, who fell from the cliffs of the small Welsh town they live in. Their light-hearted probe turns serious when there is an attempt on Bobby's life. They track a man who was in the village that day, Roger Bassington-ffrench (Daniel Ings) back to his family home and decide to go in undercover.

I liked the presentation of this. There's some lovely 1930's cars and clothes. Laurie calls in a few favours with the cast, including a single but impactful scene from Emma Thompson and a couple of scenes with Jim Broadbent as Lord and Lady Derwent. The rest of the performers are really good, and it feels like a classic ITV Agatha Christie ensemble. Morwenna Banks, Conleth Hill, Miles Jupp, Paul Whitehouse, Amy Nuttall and Alistair Petrie round it out. There's a great chemistry between Poulter and Boynton, and Boynton especially is magnetic throughout, funny, and charming and she's clearly a star.

I think the plot of the story is perhaps a little too complicated for the speed that it's run through though. I think I followed what happened and reading the plot of the story again on Wikipedia I did manage it. I do think that perhaps "show rather than tell" would be the way to go, as there are several scenes of Jones and Derwent putting together what happened that could have done with a bit more video explaining who they were talking about.

Unfortunately, I'd have though that with Marvel stardom coming for Poulter, and for Boynton already having a pretty busy film and TV career, were not likely to see the couple reunite for another adaptation, which is sad. What we have is a good, if not perhaps great time, but one that's worth going with, if only for the performances.

It started off really good and had great hopes for it ...

[Ziggy1965 · 6/10 · 14 April 2022]

... but by the 3rd episode it too fast, too confusing, just too convenient and silly and stupid.

I was really excited to watch this but I definitely prefer the 1980 version, which is also on BritBox, with Francesca Annis and James Warwick as it is a much superior production. Check it out!

Wonderful script. Enthralling drama.

[grahamstreek · 7/10 · 16 April 2022]

I was wary of watching this version of Agatha Christie's story after recent dreadful Sarah Phelps' penned dramatisations. Fortunately this screenplay was written by Hugh Laurie and he did a tremendous job. There is not a wasted line, every word, while not essential to the plot, adds humour and colour, and brings the characters to life. The drama is beautifully shot, and the character acting is top drawer.

A delightful caper

[rory-56048 · 10/10 · 19 April 2022]

I don't understand the complaints here. I found this one of the most satisfying Christie adaptations. In fact I watched it twice, more or less back to back. There's a lightness of touch and a wry amusement that I find refreshing compared to the older versions, which take themselves, and the story, so seriously. This is just a delightful caper.

Again, contrary to others, I think the leads have great chemistry and Lucy Boynton is particularly charming. Daniel Ings is a deliciously seductive villain and Jonathan Jules a great cheeky partner-in-crime. Can't really fault any of the other casting either. Would have been nice to see more of Emma Thompson and Jim Broadbent. One gets the feeling everyone had fun making this! And the sets, costumes and locations are stunning.

Agreed, the plot of WDTAE is contrived and overly complex - but, hey, people it's AGATHA CHRISTIE. Sheesh. And agreed, the confession/resolution at the end does feel rushed. But the excellent dialogue helps rise above the heavy plotting. The throwaway lines and asides, especially, are a ton of fun, and I had to skip back several times to catch them. Some of them - "Good breakfast, was it?" - feel like adlibs.

All in all, a brilliant adaptation.

Lucy Boynton. Lucy Boynton. Lucy Boynton.

[levybob · 7/10 · 9 July 2022]

O.k. I gotta fess up. I'm giving this mini-series 7 stars for having the smarts to hire and feature Lucy Boynton as its female lead. She is everything you want and infrequently get from a lead. The viewer falls for her. And once fallen the viewer cares and cares a great deal about her welfare. And the more peril her character - Lady Franky - is in, the more involved the viewer is. I might not have fully understood everything that's going on, but I fervently hoped that the series would keep Lady Franky safe.

A man is found dead at the bottom of a cliff. Another is found hanged in his home. What is the connection, if any, between these two apparent murders? There is, in fact, an answer. And along the way to that answer there are (a) other deaths (b) look-a-like-ladies (c) photos purloined and (d) hospitals for the mentally unfit.

All well and good. But the problem (for me) was this.

Huh? So much happens and happens so fast that I simply could not keep up. Worse still the climactic scene(s) happens in the dark, an ill-advised decision when the complex story would be hard enough to follow in broad daylight.

And, yes, I could have re-watched the 3-part series before writing this, I could have made notes and put the pieces together. I could have. But isn't that asking too much? Yes, I think so.

So then, I'm saying, See this series if only for the sake of actress Lucy Boynton. And stick around for the story. Maybe you'll be luckier, and more astute, than I.

Maybe you'll 'get it'.

I loved it

[bowieec · 9/10 · 15 April 2022]

Compared to the initial reviews, it appears I'm in the minority. I thoroughly enjoyed the three episodes and binged them in one night. I found the whole thing fun, charming and a hoot. I loved all the performances as well as the lush locales and cinematography and the performances. Hugh Laurie's direction is smooth. Not everything adds up, but this isn't Agatha Christie's best story, and that's okay overall. There are always too many suspects and shoehorning for things to make sense in the plot. As long as you understand who did it and the basic why in the end, you're good. Just go along for the ride. Pay attention to the clues as they come and you can probably solve it before they do. Sure, there are tons of red herrings and subplots to nowhere that distract, but again, it's lesser Agatha Christie. What do people expect? It's only confusing if you let it overwhelm you. And it needn't. Enjoy!

Colorful and appropriate rendition with usual Agatha Christie clockwork mechanisms.

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 29 July 2023]

A partially faithful adaptation of the book, although it rearranges certain lines of dialogue, and changes certain conversations up to include bits of the prose that weren't verbalized by the roles . The opening titles shows characters running through a maze , subsequently the vicar's (Alistair Petrie) son Bobby Jones (Will Poulter) and Dr. Alwyn Thomas play a round of golf, Bobby slices his ball over the edge of a cliff. His ball is lost, but on the rocks below he finds the crumpled body of a dying man. With his final breath the man opens his eyes and gasps, 'Why didn't they ask Evans?'. Becoming convinced the man's death may have been a murder , Bobby and his socialite friend Lady Frances "Frankie" Derwent (Lucy Boynton) set about solving the mystery.

This TV movie happens to be a murder mystery in three episodes dealing with dying man's enigmatic last words send vicar's son, Bobby Jones, and his socialite friend, Lady Frankie Derwent, on a crime-solving adventure . It is very well-made, actually looking authentic without being too heavy on scenarios including gorgeous photography , as well gowns and sets that are both sumptuous and brilliant . There are some enjoyable elements to this story, Lucy Boynton and Will Poulter drive the film , they literally are pretty good for the material and script they're given . The dialogue is faithful to Agatha Christie and helps to make the mystery interesting throughout, and the story, while paced slowly but adequately, is both suspenseful and intricate , if seemingly implausible on first viewing . This is a fine decision, as it fits better with the TV format than the novel's version of the scene would . As a result this adaptation is quite good, but there are some problems dragging it down. "Why Didn't They Ask Evans ?" is three hours long, and it really doesn't need to be . There are numerous scenes that could have easily been trimmed . There are a lot of scenes where the camera is just aimlessly surveying its surroundings, or characters are taking forever in walking/sneaking around . The acting in ¨Why Didn't They Ask Evans?¨ is all good , the actors are all British giving sympathetic interpretations , such as : Will Poulter, Lucy Boynton , Daniel Ings, Alistair Petrie , Jonathan Jules , Nicholas Asbury , Richard Dixon and director Hugh Laurie himself , among others .

This nice adaptation with some mistakes was professionally written and directed by Hugh Laurie. This notable actor , producer and director is known for playing : House series (2004), Catch-22 (2019) , Tomorrowland (2015) , The Flight of the Phoenix (2004) , Stuart Little (1999) . And he has written produced or directed various films or television movies , such as : Chance ,The Night Manager , Live On The Queen Mary , The Laughing Prisoner , The Crystal Cube and various episodes of House.

There're other versions about this story : ¨Why Didn't They Ask Evans? (1980) with Francesca Annis , John Gielgud , Bernard Miles , Eric Porter , Leigh Lawson. And Why Didn't They Ask Evans? (2009), which was episode 4 of Season 4 of Marple directed by Nicholas Renton with Julia McKenzie , Samantha Bond , Richard Briers , Rik Mayall , Rafe Spall , Natalie Dormer , Warren Clarke , Mark Williams .

I loved it!

[luckyribka · 9/10 · 15 April 2022]

I salute you, Hugh Laurie.

A bit stretched and some minor plotlines were added, but overall, delightful.

It is so much better and closer to the plot than Marple's version. Magnificent sceneries.

Fun puzzle of a mystery!

[KamMcQ · 7/10 · 12 September 2022]

I really enjoyed this mini-series and have a new appreciation of Will Poulter's acting skills. I am used to him playing a goofball, but he was brilliant as a serious main character.

Lucy Boynton was great as the female lead. She was very convincing as 1930's feisty, independent and brave Lady Derwent.

Miles Jupp's character was a very difficult man, and that was fun to see the contrast between that and his usual light-hearted, funny personality. I kept expecting him to say something funny, but he was believable as a serious character.

The miniseries has many twists and turns, and I didn't solve the mystery until the end. It was a fun binge watch!

I hope Hugh Laurie creates another Agatha Christie mini-series - he did a great job with this one!

What did they do with Badger?

[Ffrenchey · 3/10 · 18 February 2023]

Having just finished the book I was looking forward to seeing this adaptation. What a disappointment - it should be called 'What happened to Badger?' Political correctness has taken over and 1930's Britain reduced to an irritating farce. The 3 stars are awarded as - apart from Badger - the 1930's was beautifully presented and the scenery stunning. Emma Thompson should be ashamed of herself - her ridiculous rendition of Frances' mother was completely unnecessary and not at all funny. Lucy Boynton's performance was average and why did they extend the role of the doctor so much, quite unnecessary! And, to try to kill off characters that were untouched in the book! Why? It didn't add to the suspense - just provided a lot of unnecessary violence to a story which in its original form in the book, was gentle and charming with added wit.

Why do series continually try and change history?

[jay8888 · 7/10 · 20 April 2022]

Non whites were barred in upper white class community pubs in the 1930's. Housing would be refused as well. To many TV series are changing history without facts.

Hugh Laurie to the rescue!

[paul2001sw-1 · 7/10 · 14 April 2023]

I generally find Agatha Christie more appealing as an idea than in reality. Her work features ingeneous but preposterous plots, cardboard characters and, in many recent adaptations, has been made worse by contemporary moralising and the imposition of modern values where they feel very out of place. But I rather liked this Hugh Laurie-penned adaptation of one her less well-known stories. Laurie's dialogue is sparkling and actually feels more Christie-esque than the real thing, but thankfully no attempt is made to inbue the story with a seriousness it cannot bear. There's also a good cast in action (including Laurie himself); Paul Whitehouse is the pick (albeit in a minor role), hilarious though playing it almost straight. Laurie can't altogether save the ropey plot; but without that, would it be Christie at all?

Likeable

[phippysma · 7/10 · 17 April 2022]

This Agatha Christie adaption is a refreshing break from her better known detective stuff and could be described as an enjoyable 1930s romp. Hugh Laurie;s screenplay and the wonderful cars and fashions gave it a great light feel. My only criticism would be that the dialogue was sometimes unintelligible and taken too fast in what was a convoluted plotline. (Subtitles would have been useful!)

Absolutely Fantastic!

[timwest-66412 · 10/10 · 12 September 2022]

I've seen the previous movie "Why Didn't They Ask Evans," which was excellent, but this adaptation is fantastic! My reviews tend to be more or less centered on why it was or wasn't good and I leave in-depth reviews about storyline, acting, directing, etc. Up to the professionals.

Why Didn't They Ask Evans was beautifully done. The actors were all outstanding, especially Will Poulter and Lucy Boynton. The scenery wonderful and the story flowed seamlessly. It was a perfect mix of drama, intrigue, mystery and a touch of comedy.

This adaptation was a pure pleasure and if you love Agatha Christie as much as I do, you will not be disappointed. I'm sure you'll enjoy it as much as I did!

Good & fun to watch

[brainwerx-1 · 7/10 · 18 April 2022]

The 3 parter is certainly enjoyable (I'm a fan of Agatha Christie titles), if a bit slow. It was overall well done, and the the acting is excellent. As I would expect. But, honestly, it could have easily been done in 2 parts...

Unexpected find!

[jlitty-50057 · 10/10 · 9 June 2022]

Casually browsing one Tuesday night, I happened upon gem. I was done by Wednesday. I love a good murder mystery and this one had the added bonus of being fun and witty. I loved all the characters but thought the actress that played Frankie was fantastic. I wish there were more episodes. What to do now...

Great leads, rushed at times & fatal plot whoopsie!!

[eleanorgraceuk · 6/10 · 18 May 2023]

Spoiler alert!

The two main leads were excellent, especially Lucy Boynton (I last saw her as Margaret Dashwood in the BBC Sense and Sensibility adaptation, she played a similar plucky heroine character here!)

It was beautifully shot and exciting, however at times a little garbled and confusing, with periods shot in such low lighting it was impossible to work out what was going on.

My main bugbear was with a major problem at the end, how could Mr Angel have been contracted to kill the doctor when Angel had already been dead several days?! That in itself would be a feat of ingenuity fit for Agatha Christie!

... simply-enjoyably-entertaining

[bjarias · 8/10 · 17 April 2022]

... with the look of someone could be ten years older & possibly even that much younger, Lucy Boynton really helps make thus short miniseries what it is... truly capturing the period, all actors fit in exceptionally well to the storyline... would it be turned into a running series it could easily go on for several years... anyway, now we've at least got three enjoyable episodes.

My Review

[chrismacboston · 19 July 2022]

Hugh Laurie has done a fabulous job deftly infusing humour into this script. The cinematography is delightful, with gorgeous costumes, lovely architecture and rugged scenery brought to life. A strong cadre of actors with the wonderful character of Frankie (Lucy Boynton) pulling all the strings, Boynton is in her element with this persona.

Too Slow

[tjkrbrown · 6/10 · 20 April 2022]

I love the Grand Dame of Mystery, and am a huge Hugh Laurie fan, especially due to his involvement in the lovingly re-made Jeeves and Wooster, but this one was just too slow. Perhaps two installments instead of three? Not Christie's best, and hasn't aged especially well. Laurie gets a lot of slack from me, and I hope he gets involved with more classics, but this one was a bit turgid.

What happened in episode 3 ?

[mohebedmon-708-810767 · 5/10 · 12 June 2022]

The plot, the mystery and the acting were really good for me for the first two episodes, and the scenery was great as well..then the last episode happened. I think it's one of the most confusing/badly executed episodes in the history of TV. It's like they condensed 10 episodes into one. It was just a collection of one quick cut after the other, specially in the last 20 minutes. The pace, the plot and the acting was very strange and rushed..it ruined the series for me.

Shallow and boring

[pressian · 6/10 · 14 April 2022]

I felt no chemistry at all between the two main leads. I couldn't feel any atmosphere or tension - it all felt boring and rather dull. The scenery is nice and the costumes are OK, but those can't compensate for the lack of good script and coherent storytelling. The viewer is constantly confronted with various side characters, which play no significant role at all. The ending feels forced and anti-climactic. By that time you're neither interested in the case, nor in the resolution. The final scenes are the last nail in the coffin. Put together just to give it a closure of some kind. But that's not enough at all. In conclusion I can only say - "Skip this one! Go watch the 2015 "And Then There Were None" if you're craving for some Christie!" 6/10 for me i.e. Watchable but nothing more.