★★★☆☆

As a clock strikes twelve, a man in a white suit enters a ring, the gates close, and he’s charged and killed by a bull. Thus commences a mystery that sees Lady Eileen ‘Bundle’ Brent (Mia McKenna-Bruce) investigating seemingly unrelated murders. There’s a reason why Agatha Christie, in her autobiography, called this novel light-hearted and easy to write; viewers of the series adaptation will undoubtedly find that it translates as such on screen. However, deviating from the 1929 novel isn’t likely to serve audiences, despite the show currently sitting at number two on Netflix.

In 1925, Lady Eileen ‘Bundle’ Brent attends a masquerade ball—five years after the first murder—and is met by Gerry Wade (Corey Mylchreest), a man whose lips quiver with a marriage proposal that never comes. The next morning, the household she shares with her mother, Lady Caterham (Helena Bonham Carter), is interrupted at breakfast by a fleet of alarm clocks that won’t turn off. Investigating the noise, Lady Brent discovers Wade’s body in his bed. An overdose of sleeping draught seems the cause of death. A practical joke gone wrong, a terrible accident, suicide, or murder? It’s Christie, so there’s no reason it would be anything but the latter.

Throughout the series, we rely on Lady Brent’s curiosity and hunger for the truth regarding Gerry’s death, rather than any particular skill, to suss out the killer. Along the way, we encounter narrative elements designed to puzzle us: threatening notes, indestructible pocket watches, sleeping draughts laced with poison, and gatherings of cult-like figures in clock-faced masks. These elements are enough to arouse suspicion, but the question remains whether there’s something deeper and more compelling to this Christie mystery.

Although the series is well presented at times, some viewers may find it occasionally at odds with itself. The decision to deviate from Christie’s novel—such as replacing Lady Brent’s parents (in the book, her mother is deceased and she lives on her father’s estate)—does little for the narrative. Instead, the change merely facilitates a performance by Helena Bonham Carter as Lady Brent’s mother, while leaving us with little sense of Lord Caterham’s character, played by Iain Glen.

Technically, the series is striking; the shots of gardens and period set pieces capture the era well. However, the production can feel self-conscious. Director of Photography Luke Bryant’s shallow focus and stylised lighting provide a ‘prestige’ gloss that sometimes clashes with the simple pleasures of a clean, clue-driven whodunnit. While the ambition to create a specific atmosphere is admirable and occasionally effective, the series struggles to bridge the gap between the traditional British mystery (Christie with a dash of Dorothy L. Sayers) and more modernised, American-produced interpretations like the Knives Out franchise. Much of the series captures the novel’s quirkiness while attempting to showcase how heavily modern writers borrow from Christie’s catalogue.

The supporting cast largely offers the bare minimum to justify their presence in the plot. As Lady Brent hunts for Gerry’s killer, she is aided mainly by Jimmy Thesiger (Edward Bluemel). Lorraine Wade (Ella-Rae Smith) and Bill Eversleigh (Hughie O’Connell) make appearances, but their characters won’t be topping anyone’s fan-favourite list. Nevertheless, the performers manage to keep the proceedings afloat.

Mia McKenna-Bruce and Martin Freeman (Sherlock)—who plays Superintendent Battle—do just enough to bring their characters off the page, though only slightly, considering what they have to work with. McKenna-Bruce’s portrayal of ‘Bundle’ is what’s expected of a lead role: despite her small stature, she comes across as extremely sassy, intelligently fierce, and undeniably determined. Freeman’s portrayal of the authority figure is one of the key aspects holding the series together, especially during the conclusion. But he doesn’t have enough screen time to develop his character, despite this technically being a Superintendent Battle adaption.

However, it’s Helena Bonham Carter’s Lady Caterham who strikes the right notes at the climax, although she’s more absent throughout the series than we’d like. Most notably, a carriage scene between Lady Caterham and her daughter stands out; Bonham Carter’s delivery taps into that darker register always available beneath the surface of Christie’s worlds when handled by the right interpreter. Both actresses play well off each other, ensuring that not all of the author’s characters are wasted in the transition to screen.

Some viewers may find this particular novel too predictable or ‘lighthearted’ as source material, but this is to be expected. Christie’s novels have become formulaic after 105 years of publication. How can one create something new when Christie said everything there is to say about the genre? Since her first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1920)—which introduced Hercule Poirot, the poster child of detective fiction—filmmakers from the BBC to Hollywood have jumped at the chance to adapt her work. At this point, it’s become akin to piranhas smelling blood in the water. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing where Christie is concerned.

There’s good reason to adapt her stories, and audiences will always relish anticipating the next mystery. Director Chris Sweeney, whose work on Liar (2017-2020) and The Tourist (2022-24) proved he can spin character drama with great cinematography and flares of comedy, delivers a production that is less And Then There Were None and more Apples Never Fall. This will either delight or deflate you, depending on your appetite for light-hearted drama.

With over two billion books sold and The Mousetrap holding the record for the longest-running stage production in history, Christie’s oeuvre certainly contains its fair share of diamonds. Whether The Seven Dials Mystery is one of them is up to viewers, but the final scene suggests Netflix is likely to profit from a few more seasons. This could open the door for more of Christie’s characters to be explored in a broader, more intricate world—perhaps a ‘sandbox’ style similar to Stephen King’s Castle Rock. One can dream of such an outcome.

Ultimately, Seven Dials may lack the darkness that other recent Christie adaptations have provided for the modern viewer. The BBC’s And Then There Were None (2015) and Ordeal By Innocence (2018) succeeded immensely on all fronts, from pacing and acting to the music score. Both were written and produced by Sarah Phelps, who seems as adept an interpreter of Christie as Kenneth Branagh is of Shakespeare. Still, it would be a missed opportunity should a second season be halted by cancellation.

UK | 2026 | 3 EPISODES | 2.20:1 | COLOUR | ENGLISH

Cast & Crew

director: Chris Sweeney.
writer: Chris Chibnall (based on the novel ‘The Seven Dials Mystery’ by Agatha Christie).
starring: Mia McKenna-Bruce, Edward Bluemel, Martin Freeman, Ian Glen & Helena Bonham Carter.