The Netflix miniseries “Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials” presents a story filled with suspense, humor and complexity through three one-hour episodes. After growing up with David Suchet’s portrayal of Hercule Poirot in “Agatha Christie’s Poirot,” I was very interested to see another Agatha Christie adaptation, and it did not disappoint. Initially drawn in by the visuals, I stayed for the plot and characters. I will admit that I have not read the book this show was adapted from, so these insights will come only from the show.
Turn your clocks back to the year 1925, and head over to England! Meet Lady Eileen “Bundle” Brent (Mia McKenna-Bruce), a young woman who we learn very quickly is sharp, discerning and curious—a dangerous combination that is perfect for a detective. She lives with her mother, Lady Caterham (Helena Bonham Carter). Bundle’s brother, Thomas, died in the war, and her father, the late Lord Caterham (Iain Glen), died of the Spanish flu five years prior. This hardship turned Lady Caterham into a recluse, remaining isolated from the outside world.
It is when Lady Caterham rents her estate to Sir Oswald Coote (Mark Lewis Jones) for a party that things begin to go wrong. Gerry Wade (Corey Mylchreest), the man who may have proposed marriage to Bundle in a matter of days, is found dead in his bed the next morning after overdosing on a sleeping draught. Seven clocks are found on the mantle, their ring alerting everyone to the situation. It is deemed an accidental death, maybe even a suicide, but Bundle is not convinced. So begins the quest to figure out what could have happened before the bloodshed and the schemes escalate—or the perpetrator gets away with their plans.
The feeling of suspense is well maintained throughout the story; any long silence makes you wonder whether another person has died. While not gruesome, these deaths are depicted on screen, and our characters may be a little too friendly with guns. No character truly has plot armor, though Bundle seems to have some from the way she deftly avoids any physical conflict and survives jumping out of windows several times. We are also classically conditioned to associate the ticking of the clock with danger, hiding under the score and growing louder to build this suspense.
Perhaps as a result of this being a book adaptation, the story is sound and so much is told in these three episodes. We’re captivated until the very end as nothing was as it first seemed. One finds themselves yelling at the screen, “Well, what about this?” only for it to get answered in the most unexpected way. All of the scenes tie together quite neatly, and it’s very satisfying to see it come together.
Was some of the evidence rather convenient? Of course, but there’s only so much work you can have the protagonist of a mystery show do in a short runtime (that is, if you want to keep the story clear). There are some cliche mystery tropes, such as the curious amateur beating the very accomplished detective at his own craft despite being told several times to stay out of the investigation. The cliches do serve the story well, so I will not complain.
Another strength of the show is the characters, who are all complex in their own right. I honestly wish we got to learn more about them, but these gaps in knowledge make the story realistic and open to interpretation. McKenna-Bruce displays Bundle’s curiosity and the naivety that comes from her youth, as well as the desperation for answers arising from her grief. Helena Bonham Carter, in her depiction of Lady Caterham, added complexity to her character, allowing the perspective of the widow and grieving mother to shine through her humorous xenophobic tendencies.
It is this humor throughout the show that I have concern with. Though we meet charming characters who introduce random moments that make the audience laugh through the suspense, the humor sometimes seems contrived rather than chaotic. There are several chaotically funny scenes, but a lot of it just seems distracting, almost as if the characters don’t want to take things seriously. Some characters become flat, and we could have seen more of their character without the added humor.
The show has no narrator, and we see none of Bundle’s internal thoughts, so the only exposition we get is from what we directly see and hear. In each of the scenes, it’s as if the audience has the perspective of someone who follows Bundle around on her adventures, learning with her in real time. This prevents us from getting confused and having to pull out a notebook to keep track of everything. The focus remains on the story.
The show is also visually stunning and aware of that fact. There is a certain grandeur to the way everything was shot. Many of the scenes start with an overhead or wide shot, treating us to lush green gardens, tall buildings, long spiral staircases and dramatically suspicious alleyways. When there is a certain level of suspense, or we’re chasing Bundle around town, the camera “walks” behind her. Maybe I’m biased, but it did feel like the scenes could have jumped out of the book, solely based on how dramatic some of the angles were. Outside scenes are light and fairy-like, the night seems menacing and dinners are just the right combination of warm candlelight and dark corners.
Who or what is “Seven Dials?” Why is there a slightly suspicious detective following Bundle around during the investigation? How many men will propose to Bundle as she is otherwise occupied with a murder investigation? Discover all of this and more in this new Netflix adaptation of an old classic.