Joyce Reynolds is a character featured in the 2023 film A Haunting in Venice, based on the 1969 novel "Hallowe'en Party" by Agatha Christie. She is portrayed by Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh.
Background[]
Joyce Reynolds is a wealthy and eccentric widow who lives in a decaying palazzo in Venice. She is a friend of Ariadne Oliver, a famous mystery writer, and invites her to a séance on Halloween night. During the séance, Joyce claims to have seen the ghost of her late husband, who was murdered by an unknown assailant. She also reveals that she knows the identity of the killer and that he or she is among the guests. Shortly after, she is found outside impaled on a pillar. Poirot decides to investigate the murder and discovers that Joyce had a dark and mysterious past, involving blackmail, betrayal, and revenge.
Role in the film[]
Joyce Reynolds is a central character in the plot of A Haunting in Venice, as her murder triggers Poirot's investigation and leads him to uncover a complex web of secrets and lies. She is also the catalyst for the revelation of the identity of the killer, who is revealed to be one of the guests at the party. Joyce's character is based on the novel "Hallowe'en Party" by Agatha Christie, where she is also a 13-year-old girl who claims to have witnessed a murder and is killed at a Halloween party. However, in the novel, Joyce is killed by being hit on the head with a marble slab, while in the film, she is found impaled on a pillar outside.
Trivia[]
- In the original book, Joyce Reynolds is a 13-year-old girl who witnessed a murder when she was younger, though she failed to recognize it as such. She is murdered, via drowning in an apple-bobbing bucket. This is referenced when Poirot is nearly drowned this way himself.
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