Netflix has successfully captured the seductive allure of Britain's Roaring Twenties in its spirited new adaptation, Agatha Christie's Seven Dials. Released in January 2026, this three-part series transforms Christie's 1929 literary espionage novel into a crackling country house mystery, brimming with wit and escapist glamour.
A Ticking Clock in a Gilded Age
The story is haunted by the relentless passage of time. Clocks are a persistent motif, ticking on mantelpieces, in pockets, and most ominously, arranged in a circle of seven around a handsome corpse. This body, discovered after a lavish country house party, belongs to Gerry Wade (Corey Mylchreest). While the police dismiss his death as misadventure, his would-be lover, Lady Eileen "Bundle" Brent (Mia McKenna-Bruce), is convinced it is murder.
What unfolds is a narrative that is playful and lighthearted on the surface, yet deceptively shrewd. Adapted by Broadchurch creator Chris Chibnall, the series marks a departure from the more familiar Poirot mysteries. Chibnall resists the significant plot alterations that have drawn criticism for recent BBC Christie adaptations, instead faithfully mining the source material for a story that crackles with intrigue.
A Stellar Cast Brings the Jazz Age to Life
Director Chris Sweeney orchestrates the jazz-age pizzazz with aplomb, draping the production in glitzy, silk-and-sequin glamour. He proves adept at drawing nuanced performances from his cast, particularly the young lead.
Mia McKenna-Bruce, a Bafta winner for How to Have Sex, delivers a performance of caffeinated determination as Bundle Brent. She refuses to be sidelined as her investigation escalates from a domestic tragedy into a full-blown conspiracy involving Foreign Office secrets and international espionage.
The supporting cast is equally excellent. Edward Bluemel emanates louche ambiguity as the roguish Jimmy Thesiger, while Helena Bonham Carter is predictably brilliant in her eccentricity as Lady Caterham. Martin Freeman completes the coterie as the moustached, unflappable Superintendent Battle from Scotland Yard, who both helps and hinders Bundle's quest for the truth.
Where Seven Dials Stands Among Christie Adaptations
Christie adaptations are notoriously tricky to perfect. This series comfortably sits in the upper tier, avoiding the overwrought feel of Kenneth Branagh's recent Poirot films and leaning more towards the spry intelligence of Hugh Laurie's Why Didn't They Ask Evans?.
While the plot may creak slightly in places, Seven Dials is ultimately tremendous fun. Its self-awareness never curdles into smugness, and the camera luxuriates in sumptuous period detail, from country estate interiors to London's smoky nightspots, creating a world that is as seductive as it is unsettling.
It pulls off the difficult trick of feeling both nimble and reassuringly familiar—a perfect piece of escapist period caper. Exquisitely timed and wound to perfection, it is deadly on the hour.
