TV Review: Agatha Christie's Seven Dials (2026)

Agatha Christie's Seven Dials (2026) adapted for television by Chris Chibnall from Christie's novel

Hosting a swanky party at their dilapidating mansion in 1925, Lady Caterham (Helena Bonham-Carter) and her daughter Bundle (Mia McKenna-Bruce) wake up the next morning to discover one of the guests has died. Not just any guest, either, but Gerry (Cory Mylchreest), a bright young fellow working the Foreign Office and soon to propose to Bundle. Circumstances make it look like suicide to the bumbling junior detective called in. Bundle, who is clever and likes to ask questions, does not buy that interpretation and begins her own investigation. The clues are very mysterious, like the seven alarm clocks set up on the mantle in Gerry's bedroom (even though eight were planted throughout the room as a practical joke) and a mysterious half-written letter to his half-sister that mentions "Seven Dials" with no context. As Bundle follows the trail of clues and bodies, a grander conspiracy is exposed.

The story starts off very promising. Bundle is the sort of spunky young woman most parents hope their daughter grows into--she has enough self-will not to get steamrolled by anyone and she's smart enough not to be hoodwinked. Random clues are revealed and suspicion gets tossed around in the typical Christie way. Unfortunately, in the last half hour the explanation of what is going on comes and it is rather preposterous. The bigger conspiracy does not quite hang together and many bits of action at the end are very implausible. The story veers off from cozy mystery into international espionage, a transition that is very abrupt. The ending is a bit silly and opens up the possibility of sequels more in Ian Fleming's genre than Agatha Christie's.

Barely recommended--this is eight- or nine-tenths good, but failing at the end hurts a lot.

As I write this (January 2025), this is only available streaming on Netflix.