Chris Connor reviews Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials…
Agatha Christie adaptations come thick and fast, from Kenneth Branagh’s big screen adventures as Hercule Poirot to a string of BBC versions. The latest small screen take on the Queen of Crime’s work is Netflix’s Seven Dials, based on the 1929 novel of the same name. This version comes from Chris Chibnall (Broadchurch, Doctor Who) in one of his strongest projects in some time.
Seven Dials is a fast-paced, witty miniseries that takes some liberties but gets to the heart of Christie’s source material. It is anchored by a magnetic lead turn from Mia McKenna-Bruce as Lady Eileen ‘Bundle’ Brent, and she is ably assisted by Helena Bonham Carter and Martin Freeman in a stacked cast.
It is refreshing to see a Christie novel that has not been adapted to death and thus will have less familiarity with audiences. The series takes place in 1925 yet feels strikingly contemporary while honouring much of the novel and making clever adjustments here and there that suit the format. As with the novel, we follow Bundle, sleuthing her way through a series of murders that appear linked and a wider conspiracy regarding the titular seven dials.
Bundle is quite the amateur detective, crossing paths with real law enforcement in the shape of Martin Freeman’s Superintendent Battle. Mckenna-Bruce and Freeman are a brilliant duo, Freeman’s stoic Superintendent a far cry from his turn as Doctor Watson in Sherlock.
For the mixed response to his tenure as Doctor Who showrunner, Chibnall – as he also has with his debut novel Death at the White Hart – once again shows he is a dab hand at crime fiction, being of course behind the smash hit Broadchurch. Here he delivers a sharply written, energetic caper that balances plenty of humour with the drama and tension you’d associate with Christie. There are of course twists aplenty delivered well and keeping the audience engaged across the three episodes.
Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials is a memorable small-screen take on the beloved novel; nearly a century on from its publication, it is still a timely story and one that will no doubt be given a boost by this new take. The cast are pitch perfect with Chibnall’s writing striking a perfect balance between suspense, comedy and drama in a richly rewarding series that will rank as one of the best recent Christie adaptations.
Chris Connor
