There's been a murder – and I'm not just talking about the plot of Agatha Christie's Seven Dials. In fact, I'm referring to the Netflix adaptation itself. The renowned crime author has sold between 2-4 billion copies of her work, yet the TV version of The Seven Dials Mystery feels utterly lacking.
Not to boast, but I consider myself somewhat of an expert here. Back in the 2000s, UK TV channel ITV dominated Poirot and Miss Marple adaptations, and I've grown up watching them. Along with classic films like Peter Ustinov's Death on the Nile and reading her books since I was 14, I’m practically ready to join the Agatha Christie fan club.
When comparing Agatha Christie's Seven Dials to the aforementioned adaptations, its must-miss quality stems from two main factors: the original novel and the changes made in the streaming adaptation.
However, don't let my initial negativity deter you too much. With a star-studded cast and a three-episode runtime, there is some merit to binging it... perhaps while doing some last-minute ironing on a Sunday afternoon.
The only person likely breathing a sigh of relief is Kenneth Branagh, whose trilogy of Poirot films received widespread criticism from both critics and audiences. Personally, I found A Haunting in Venice to be a complete disaster, but he certainly won't be the target of criticism after this.
The Seven Dials Mystery is the wrong Agatha Christie story to adapt for Netflix
I would confidently wager that you've never heard of The Seven Dials Mystery before. It’s not a major title like And Then There Were None or Murder on the Orient Express, and the novel it draws characters from, The Secret of Chimneys, was far more successful. The Seven Dials Mystery received mostly negative reviews upon release, and these factors do not bode well for an adaptation.
Is the original book truly one of Christie's best? I don't think so. While it has a more light-hearted tone, that only resonates if you were actually from the 1920s. The overarching mystery fails to stick, and it becomes overly complicated.
None of these shortcomings are Agatha Christie's Seven Dials' fault; rather, they highlight what it has to contend with. There were countless better stories for the largest streaming service in the world to choose from, especially if it aims to build a visual catalog of Christie's work.
Sparkling Cyanide, Crooked House, or Cards on the Table could have made for wise choices, particularly given their more robust narrative structures. However, this leads us to another issue.
If you've seen any recent TV adaptations of Agatha Christie over the past decade – whether for the BBC or directly to Britbox – you may have noticed a subtle decline in quality. From Kim Cattrall's Witness for the Prosecution to Anjelica Huston in Towards Zero, no new series has seemed to resonate with viewers.
So, are the glory days of adapting Agatha Christie for the small screen over? It certainly feels that way for standalone novels. A streaming service like Netflix could potentially score points with a Miss Marple reboot, but even that is a tall order.
The changes Agatha Christie's Seven Dials make to the original book don't work either
WARNING: spoilers for Agatha Christie's Seven Dials ahead.
When Murder, She Wrote and Columbo aired in the 1980s, viewers quickly realized that the biggest star in an episode was often the murderer – prompting creators to change their casting strategies. Clearly, we haven't learned from history, as the biggest stars in Agatha Christie's Seven Dials are the ones who reveal the mystery.
Without giving away the ultimate whodunnit (though you could just read the book for the answer), Lord Caterham has been changed to Lady Caterham in this adaptation, which poses a significant problem. Frankly, casting executives could and should do anything to have Helena Bonham Carter in their production, and she shines in her limited screentime.
However, she inadvertently reveals the secrets of the Seven Dials in a way that wouldn’t have occurred had the character remained a lord. This is a glaring oversight that undermines the storytelling, and I can't believe this decision came from the same individual who created Broadchurch.
If you want to maintain some mystery until the end, I would almost recommend skipping episode 2 entirely. You can deduce all the connections and logistics by the halfway point – something the Queen of Crime would never have allowed, even if it was one of her lesser stories.
So, what do I take away from this streaming experience? A sense of disappointment and a desire to see more of Bonham Carter. A shoutout to Martin Freeman, though, who appears to be thoroughly enjoying his role in this Netflix adaptation of Cluedo.
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