Review: Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials on Netflix, lukewarm and bland

Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials is a British mystery miniseries consisting of three episodes. It was released on January 15, 2026, and is based on the 1929 novel The Seven Dials Mystery by the Queen of Crime, Agatha Christie.

Written by Chris Chibnall, known for his work on Broadchurch and Doctor Who, the miniseries is directed by Chris Sweeney. The executive production brings together a strong team led by Chibnall alongside Suzanne Mackie of Orchid Pictures, with contributions from Chris Sussman, Andy Stebbing, and Sweeney himself.

To ensure fidelity to the original work, the production team includes James Prichard, Agatha Christie’s great grandson and a representative of the author’s estate through Agatha Christie Limited.

The cast is led by Mia McKenna Bruce, Helena Bonham Carter, Martin Freeman, Corey Mylchreest, Edward Bluemel, and Iain Glen.

Synopsis

The lavish Chimneys mansion is the setting for a prank that ends in tragedy. To punish Gerry Wade for being a heavy sleeper, his friends hide eight alarm clocks in his room. However, the awakening never happens. Gerry is found dead, the apparent victim of an overdose.

The mystery deepens when only seven clocks are found lined up on the mantelpiece, while the eighth has been thrown outside. Refusing to believe it was an accident, the sharp witted Lady Eileen “Bundle” Brent launches an investigation that uncovers the existence of a secret organization known as “The Seven Dials,” linking the crime to a dangerous web of espionage and international conspiracy.

Official Trailer

The novel The Seven Dials Mystery was published in 1929 and is a transitional work in which Agatha Christie experiments with blending classic suspense with plots involving espionage and secret societies. It is also something of a sequel to the 1925 novel The Secret of Chimneys, but it can be read entirely on its own.

The plot departs significantly from the classics in which Poirot and Miss Marple usually serve as the detectives, featuring an acidic sense of humor and a brisk pace. It is often considered one of the author’s most entertaining works.

Celebrated as a vibrant 1920s comedy of manners, the novel captivates with the modernity of Bundle Brent, an independent protagonist who defies the social conventions of the time in a story filled with espionage and secret societies.

Although the narrative has a more uneven development, the impactful ending brings the experience together, prioritizing adventure and the characters’ charisma over the strict logical rigor of Agatha Christie’s traditional puzzles.

The Netflix adaptation made significant changes so the story would work on screen, focusing on character dynamics and emotional depth.

Protagonist and Family Dynamics

While in the book Bundle’s relationship with her parents is more secondary, the series greatly expands the role of Lady Caterham. In the original work, Bundle’s father, Lord Caterham, is the main source of comic relief. In the miniseries, the mother and daughter dynamic gains layers of drama and complicity, turning the investigation into a more emotional family affair.

Pacing and Narrative

The book has a youthful adventure tone and a slower pace, typical of mystery stories from the 1920s. Chris Chibnall’s version condenses the plot into three episodes, giving it a more agile, modern thriller rhythm. The investigation is more straightforward and the sense of urgency is heightened, focusing less on social outings and more on the danger posed by the secret organization.

Political and Social Context

The miniseries uses the 1925 setting to explore the political tension of the time, such as the rise of radical ideologies and industrial espionage. In the book, although these elements exist, they are treated in a lighter and almost caricatured way. Netflix opted for a darker tone, in which the implications of the assassination plot carry greater weight for national security.

Superintendent Battle

Unlike the book, where Inspector Battle is a behind the scenes figure who appears only to solve the mystery, the series places him at the center of the action from the beginning. With more screen time and detailed dialogue, the adaptation explores his working methods, creating a strong contrast between the pragmatism of Scotland Yard and Bundle’s impulsive nature. As a result, he stops being a luxury cameo and becomes the protagonist’s ideal partner.

The Agatha Christie estate is managed by Agatha Christie Limited (ACL), the company that has held the worldwide rights to her works since 1955. Today, management is led by the author’s great grandson, James Prichard, who serves as CEO and executive producer of several contemporary adaptations.

The family maintains an active and symbolic role in overseeing the works. Most of ACL’s shares now belong to RLJ Entertainment, a subsidiary of AMC Networks, which acquired a majority stake in 2012 to expand the brand’s global reach.

The heirs’ stance on flexibility has changed profoundly over the generations. During the period when Mathew Prichard, the author’s grandson, led the business, the estate was known for strict protection and for demanding absolute fidelity to the original texts.

However, under James Prichard’s management, there has been a strategic opening toward modernization. The estate began authorizing film and television adaptations with substantial changes to plots, settings, and character profiles, as seen in recent productions directed by Kenneth Branagh and in new projects.

This new phase of flexibility also extends to the use of technology and new formats. In 2025, the family authorized the use of Artificial Intelligence to recreate the author’s presence in educational projects, reflecting an effort to keep Agatha Christie relevant for digital generations.

On January 1, 2026, classic works originally published in 1930 entered the public domain in the United States, allowing new publishers and producers to create versions of those specific works without having to pay royalties or seek permission from ACL, although the “Agatha Christie” brand and the rights to later works remain protected.

In addition to the Netflix adaptation, there was another version released in 1981, which premiered in the United Kingdom with Cheryl Campbell as Bundle Brent and Harry Andrews as Inspector Battle, and also featured the legendary John Gielgud in the cast. It is known for being an extremely faithful adaptation of Agatha Christie’s original text.

The adaptation focuses on humor and social satire of the British aristocracy, maintaining the classic “country house mystery” structure, and is essential viewing for fans who prefer the author’s original vision without the major dramatic changes of the current version.

Watching the new version of The Seven Dials Mystery brings an uncomfortable feeling. It is as if they used a golden frame to display a painting that simply does not match it. Even going in with low expectations, as a devoted Agatha Christie fan, disappointment was inevitable. The production showcases lavish visuals and a star studded cast, but fails to capture the essence of the work, delivering a result that feels artificial and disconnected from the original material.

It is frustrating to see such a strong cast and a beautiful aesthetic in service of a script that does not know what it wants to be. The series suffers from an obvious identity crisis. It feels as though the director was afraid to be faithful to the original work and tried to force artificial relevance onto the narrative. Agatha Christie’s classic cleverness is smothered by an empty pursuit of style, turning what should have been smart entertainment into something pretentious and devoid of the book’s essence.

The shift toward a heavier espionage tone does not work well. In the book, there is a lightness, almost a youthful “mystery club” adventure, but in the series everything becomes a political thriller that takes itself too seriously at times and not seriously enough at others. This indecision wore me down, especially in the second episode, which turns into narrative padding where nothing seems to move forward.

Turning a classic mystery conclusion into a hook for a shared espionage universe felt very forced to me. I missed the pleasure of seeing the pieces fall into place organically, without the need to create a franchise.

For me, in the end, the series is beautiful to look at, but empty of soul for those who truly love the atmosphere of the Queen of Crime.

The reception has been quite lukewarm, despite the production making Netflix’s Top 10 in its first week.

Rotten Tomatoes: 69% approval from critics and 50% approval from audiences.

IMDb: 6.2/10 from 8.8 thousand ratings.

If you are the type who values fidelity and looks for the kind of mystery typical of the author’s works, the short answer is: prepare to be disappointed.

Even though the Netflix production looks good and features a strong cast, with highlights including Mia McKenna-Bruce, Helena Bonham Carter, and Martin Freeman, it suffers from an identity crisis that may bother fans of Christie’s classics.

The miniseries earns a 6/10 and ends up closer in style to Enola Holmes or Bridgerton than to a traditional detective mystery. For those seeking the fidelity and comfort of a classic adaptation, this 2026 version misses the mark by a wide margin.

See you next time!