Agatha Christie's Seven Dials review - A Misguided Attempt at Period Drama
The latest adaptation of Agatha Christie's classic whodunit, Seven Dials, hits Netflix with a clunky, uninspired take on the beloved author's works. Director Chris Chibnall and writer have taken the richly complex world of period drama and reduced it to a shallow, predictable exercise in plot-driven television.
The show's opening scene, in which Iain Glen is brutally murdered by a bull in Spain, sets the tone for a production that prioritizes contrived twists over genuine tension. The introduction of Lady Eileen "Bundle" Brent (Mia McKenna-Bruce), the daughter of the house where the murder takes place, is equally underwhelming, with her character's supposed wit and charm feeling forced and unconvincing.
As Bundle begins to investigate the murder herself, the show plods along with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer, relying on lazy plot devices and convenient coincidences to keep the viewer engaged. The Cootes, a pair of northern industrialists who have rented the house from Lady Caterham (Helena Bonham Carter), are paper-thin villains with motivations that feel like they were pulled straight out of a bad novel.
The arrival of real detective Supt Battle (Martin Freeman) is the only glimmer of hope in an otherwise dreary production, bringing a welcome sense of credibility and authority to the proceedings. However, even his presence cannot elevate the show's overall tone or reduce its lack of flair.
Seven Dials feels like a misfire, a misguided attempt to recreate the magic of period dramas without putting in the effort to truly understand what makes them tick. With its shallow characters, contrived plot twists, and complete lack of subtlety, this adaptation is a disappointment that fails to deliver on even the most basic levels.
In short, if you're looking for a genuine Agatha Christie experience, look elsewhere. This show may be perfect for fans of Downton Abbey and Paddington Bear - but that's about it.
The latest adaptation of Agatha Christie's classic whodunit, Seven Dials, hits Netflix with a clunky, uninspired take on the beloved author's works. Director Chris Chibnall and writer have taken the richly complex world of period drama and reduced it to a shallow, predictable exercise in plot-driven television.
The show's opening scene, in which Iain Glen is brutally murdered by a bull in Spain, sets the tone for a production that prioritizes contrived twists over genuine tension. The introduction of Lady Eileen "Bundle" Brent (Mia McKenna-Bruce), the daughter of the house where the murder takes place, is equally underwhelming, with her character's supposed wit and charm feeling forced and unconvincing.
As Bundle begins to investigate the murder herself, the show plods along with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer, relying on lazy plot devices and convenient coincidences to keep the viewer engaged. The Cootes, a pair of northern industrialists who have rented the house from Lady Caterham (Helena Bonham Carter), are paper-thin villains with motivations that feel like they were pulled straight out of a bad novel.
The arrival of real detective Supt Battle (Martin Freeman) is the only glimmer of hope in an otherwise dreary production, bringing a welcome sense of credibility and authority to the proceedings. However, even his presence cannot elevate the show's overall tone or reduce its lack of flair.
Seven Dials feels like a misfire, a misguided attempt to recreate the magic of period dramas without putting in the effort to truly understand what makes them tick. With its shallow characters, contrived plot twists, and complete lack of subtlety, this adaptation is a disappointment that fails to deliver on even the most basic levels.
In short, if you're looking for a genuine Agatha Christie experience, look elsewhere. This show may be perfect for fans of Downton Abbey and Paddington Bear - but that's about it.
I just watched Seven Dials on Netflix and honestly, it was like they took all the magic out of period dramas. The plot is so predictable and the characters feel like cardboard cutouts 
. And don't even get me started on the bull in Spain scene... what a weird way to start off a show 
. I'm not gonna lie, Martin Freeman is always awesome as Supt Battle, but even he can't save this mess. If you're looking for a good Agatha Christie adaptation, keep looking 
!!! director chris chibnall must have been having a rough day when he cast martin freeman as supt battle tho, bc even his iconic face cant save this mess 
. anywayz, if u r a fan of agatha christie u should probs skip this one and watch something else 
I mean, come on... 7 Dials is like the ultimate missed opportunity. They took this amazing story and turned it into a lazy, predictable snooze fest 
. The acting's okay, I guess... Helena Bonham Carter's always a treat to watch 
, but even she can't save this trainwreck. And don't even get me started on the plot... it's like they took every cliche from a period drama and mashed them all together into one big mess 
.
, and I'm so underwhelmed 
. The whole thing feels like a lazy cash-grab – they took this iconic book and turned it into a shallow, predictable TV show 
. The only good thing about it is Martin Freeman as detective Supt Battle... but even he can't save this trainwreck 
.
I mean, Agatha Christie's works are all about misdirection and red herrings, so maybe this show is trying to subvert expectations in a weird way? But then again, the Cootes' villainy does feel super unconvincing... Can't they just make them more nuanced or something? 
! I loved the original Seven Dials mystery by Agatha Christie... what went wrong with this Netflix adaptation? 
. The part about Iain Glen getting killed by a bull is just wild and needs to be taken out of the show, it's just too over-the-top! 
. I swear, the only thing that saves this show is Martin Freeman's Supt Battle character 
. Without him, it'd be a total snooze fest 
I don't think this adaptation really did justice to the original story... The whole thing felt like they took all the best parts (the characters, the mystery) and threw them into a big messy pot with some watered-down soap opera stuff added in for good measure. 
It's like they're phoning it in. I give it 2/10, would not watch again 
. What did you guys think of the show? 
. The show's got all the tension and flair of a snore fest 
, especially Lady Bundle - I couldn't really get on board with her character development 
the plot just felt like they were throwing in random twists to keep us guessing and honestly it felt kinda lazy 
i mean who kills someone with a bull in spain in the first scene?