REVIEW: ‘Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials’ is an Uneven but Entertaining Ride from Netflix and Chris Chibnall
- Emma Fisher
- 13 minutes ago
- 4 min read
This article contains spoilers for Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials.
Launching on Netflix on 15 January, Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials is a three-episode adaptation of the 1929 novel The Seven Dials Mystery, starring Mia McKenna-Bruce, Helena Bonham Carter, Martin Freeman, Corey Mylchreest, Nabhaan Rizwan, and Ed Bluemel, among others.
Created and written by Chris Chibnall, the series marks his return to television following his tenure as Doctor Who showrunner between 2018 and 2022. While many will associate Chibnall with time travel and alien invasions, Seven Dials is thematically closer to his ITV series Broadchurch, in which the first season explored the brutal murder of a schoolboy in a fictional Dorset seaside town. For many viewers, myself included, Broadchurch remains the pinnacle of modern British television drama, and Chibnall’s return to the genre with a murder mystery naturally raised expectations. Unfortunately, Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials only begins to justify that anticipation in its final episode.
At the heart of the drama is Lady Eileen ‘Bundle’ Brent (McKenna-Bruce). Bundle is spirited, curious, and wholly unimpressed by being told to mind her own business by those around her. The series wisely centres her perspective, allowing the mystery to unfold through her grief, suspicions, and relentless questioning after a death occurs in her home following a party. McKenna-Bruce brings an earnestness to the role that makes Bundle an engaging guide through an increasingly convoluted mystery, even if some of her more overtly dramatic moments feel overstretched.
The supporting cast, however, is where Seven Dials first stumbles, despite many worthwhile performances. While the ensemble features numerous intriguing personalities, the sheer number of characters, many of whom enter episodes with minimal introduction, can make the story feel overcrowded. More than once, you may find yourself struggling to remember who someone is, let alone why you should suspect them of any wrongdoing. This is also where the writing falters. The series is full of ideas, ranging from a secret organisation and political intrigue to scientific ambition and the topic of war. Still, its three-episode runtime is not enough to explore them all with clarity or depth. Chibnall’s ambition is admirable, but restraint might have served the story and its characters better.
Pacing is another area where the series will divide opinion. The first episode is full of promise, setting up the mystery in both the past and the present, but the second episode slows considerably, bogged down by exposition. By the time the third and final episode is reached, the story regains momentum, delivering twists and confrontations designed to make you gasp. It’s entertaining, but not one you’ll remember by the time the next Netflix release or Agatha Christie adaptation rolls around.
What Seven Dials succeeds at is atmosphere. From its opening death in a flashback to Ronda in 1920, to its second in the present day at Chimneys in 1925, there is a constant sense of unease. The mystery encourages viewers to play detective even as it withholds key information, which can be frustrating, particularly when you realise how little time is spent with certain victims or suspects, but it remains engaging nonetheless.
Visually, the series is a treat. The production revels in its 1920s setting, from lavish country houses and masked ball attendees to sweeping shots of the British countryside. Those familiar with Chibnall’s era of Doctor Who will remember his fondness for bold title cards announcing time and place that fill the screen, a stylistic choice he continues here.
Martin Freeman is a highlight as Superintendent Battle, even if many of his early scenes are spent watching Bundle from afar. Their interactions are among the strongest in the series, and it’s hard not to wish the show had invested more time in this dynamic as they (begrudgingly in the case of Battle) work together to uncover the many secrets at play. Helena Bonham Carter fares well as Lady Caterham, particularly in the final episode opposite McKenna-Bruce; yet it’s Ed Bluemel who proves the most entertaining as the charming and unpredictable Jimmy Thesiger.
Overall, Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials is an uneven but entertaining ride. While it never achieves the cohesion of Christie at her best, it offers enough suspense and late-stage payoff to make the journey worthwhile, provided you’re willing to wait for it to find its footing.
About Agatha Christie's Seven Dials
Premiere Date: 15 January 2026
Episode Count: 3
Executive Producer/Showrunner: Chris Chibnall, Suzanne Mackie, Chris Sussman, Chris Sweeney, and James Prichard
Writer: Chris Chibnall
Director: Chris Sweeney
Production: Orchid Pictures for Netflix
Cast: Mia McKenna-Bruce, Helena Bonham Carter, Martin Freeman, Corey Mylchreest, Nabhaan Rizwan, and Ed Bluemel
Synopsis: England. 1925. At a lavish country house party, a practical joke appears to have gone horribly, murderously wrong. It will be up to the unlikeliest of sleuths - the fizzingly inquisitive Lady Eileen ‘Bundle’ Brent - to unravel a chilling plot that will change her life, cracking wide open the country house mystery.
