Summary
- "Poison" is a short, suspenseful, and claustrophobic adaptation of Roald Dahl's story, allowing the actors to dig into the tale and showcase Wes Anderson's style.
- Benedict Cumberbatch plays the protagonist Harry, who must remain still to avoid waking a deadly snake. He brings impressive credentials to the role.
- Dev Patel, another newcomer to Anderson's movies, plays Woods, who helps Harry in the story.
Poison tops off Wes Anderson's series of short Netflix movies based on Roald Dahl's short stories, and stars a very small, all-English cast. The story explores the stomach-flipping scenario of a man becoming trapped, with any movement meaning death, after a deadly snake falls asleep on him. As a short, suspenseful, and claustrophobic short story with few characters ― and set entirely in the unfortunate man's bedroom ― Anderson's adaptation of Poison is set to allow the actors to really dig into the story, and make the most of the director's stylish dialogue and intricate set-pieces.
A very short tale that seems straightforward but becomes more enigmatic, Poison was written by Roald Dahl in 1950. It had a big impact and was later even adapted by Alfred Hitchcock, but remains less well-known than Dahl's children's novels, such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The stars in Poison originally got together as the The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, but aside from their parts in Anderson's first Netflix Dahl adaptation, these actors are new to the director's movies generally. However, all three bring impressive credentials to Poison, a tale more taut and less playful ― for the most part ― than Henry Sugar.
Benedict Cumberbatch As Harry
Cumberbatch plays Henry in The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, the first installment of Wes Anderson's Netflix series of Roald Dahl books, and he's working with the director again ― as another Henry no less ― as Poison's protagonist Harry. In Dahl's tale, Harry is a British man in India, who finds himself frozen in bed when a deadly snake slithers onto his stomach while he is reading. Harry must keep himself as still as possible to avoid waking the venomous reptile under his sheets. Initially fairly calm about his predicament, he becomes irritable and panicky. It's up to his friend Woods to help him.
Aside from playing paranormal gambler Henry Sugar, Cumberbatch is new to Wes Anderson movies. The English actor is probably best known as the titular consulting detective in the BBC's Sherlock. Close behind is his recurring role as Marvel's Doctor Strange, and he's further shown his speculative fiction chops by voicing Smaug in The Hobbit and playing iconic Star Trek villain Khan in Into Darkness. Cumberbatch also got to flex his American accent as Phil in the beautifully tense eerie and claustrophobic Oscar-winner The Power Of The Dog.
Dev Patel As Woods
Dev Patel was another newcomer to Wes Anderson's movies in Henry Sugar. In Poison, he plays Woods ― also the original tale's narrator ― who calls a doctor for Cumberbatch's Harry. In Dahl's original Poison story, Woods ires Harry and thinks him "very refined," before becoming disillusioned. Patel has risen rapidly from his screen debut on teen show Skins to become a formidable leading man. His movie breakthrough came as Jamal in 2008's Slumdog Millionaire. More recently, Dev Patel was in The Personal History of David Copperfield, and played Gawain in The Green Knight: the wonderfully strange adaptation of a Medieval poem.
Ben Kingsley as Dr. Ganderbai
In Henry Sugar, Ben Kingsley plays Khan, who is studied by Patel's doctor. In Poison, though the men have switched roles, with Kingsley playing Dr Ganderbai. He comes to the rescue armed with medicine and ideas, and takes no nonsense from Harry, while an uncomfortable power dynamic hovers between the two. Academy Award-winner actor Ben Kingsley famously starred as Ghandi in 1982's three-hour epic and had roles in Shutter Island and Schindler's List. He's also Cumberbatch's MCU colleague, playing Trevor Slattery, the false Mandarin from Iron Man 3.
Ralph Fiennes as Roald Dahl
Capping off the Henry Sugar returnees is Fiennes. Continuing the role he takes in Anderson's other Dahl films, as Roald Dahl himself, Fiennes is presumably set to provide some more narration or asides. Unlike his co-stars, Fiennes is not an Anderson newcomer, playing M. Gustave in The Grand Budapest Hotel. He is also Kingsley's co-star as horrifying villain Göth in Schindler's List, but perhaps best known as Harry Potter's nemesis Lord Voldemort. Kingsley, Patel, and Cumberbatch sharing the screen with Fiennes for Poison and Wes Anderson's other Dahl projects is a pleasant surprise ― raising hopes they will the indie director's roster of regulars.
