Netflix’s Next Agatha Christie Mystery Shows Knives Out How It’s Done

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While the Knives Out films successfully introduced the excitement of classic mystery stories to a new audience, Netflix’s upcoming Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials has an advantage those films didn’t: it’s actually based on an Agatha Christie novel. The Knives Out movies were heavily inspired by Christie’s work, but weren’t direct adaptations.

The series features a unique detective, Benoit Blanc, who is clearly inspired by Agatha Christie’s famous Hercule Poirot. Like Christie’s novels, each film has a standalone mystery and a large ensemble cast. While heavily influenced by Christie, director Rian Johnson also drew inspiration from other lesser-known mystery films, like the 1973 movie The Last of Sheila.

Although the Knives Out films weren’t directly based on Agatha Christie novels, they were clearly influenced by her style. So, it’s great to hear that Netflix’s upcoming mystery series will include something from Christie’s writing that was missing from the Knives Out movies.

Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials Is A Period Murder Mystery Adaptation

Netflix is adapting Agatha Christie’s 1929 novel, Seven Dials, into a three-part miniseries. The show follows Lady Bundle Brent, played by Mia McKenna-Bruce, an unexpected detective who begins investigating after the mysterious death of a man she was interested in.

This new adaptation of an Agatha Christie story boasts a fantastic cast, including Martin Freeman and Helena Bonham Carter, rivaling the star power of the Knives Out films. However, it stands apart from the Knives Out series because it’s set in the past, offering a distinctly different atmosphere.

Just like the book it’s based on, Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials takes place in 1929, and the trailer really emphasizes this historical setting. It features large estates, elegant parties, and lots of details typical of the era, clearly establishing this as a traditional, old-style murder mystery.

Unlike traditional murder mysteries, the Knives Out films update the classic formula by setting the stories in the present day. While the detective, Blanc, shares some similarities with Poirot, the characters he investigates lead very modern lives, and the mysteries themselves often feel inspired by current events and real-life news stories.

Netflix’s Knives Out Movies Were Too Contemporary To Be Classic Christie-Style Murder Mysteries

Both Wake Up Dead Man and Glass Onion, part of the Knives Out series, clearly show they’re set in the present day. Unlike classic cozy mysteries that often take place in the past, these films focus their main mysteries on current social issues, pop culture, and politics.

Kenneth Branagh’s Poirot films were visually stunning historical dramas, but Rian Johnson’s Knives Out movies tackled current issues like American immigration, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the dangers of online extremism. This approach let Johnson use the mystery format to offer sharp social commentary, though it also made his films feel distinct from classic whodunits.

Agatha Christie’s novels, like those featuring Poirot and Miss Marple, strongly reflect the time period in which they were written. Interestingly, her books were initially seen as modern because the events within them happened around the same time they were published.

When Agatha Christie’s popular novels were made into films in the 1970s, the filmmakers chose to keep the stories set in the 1920s and 1930s, creating a distinct historical atmosphere. Over time, as more years passed between the books’ publication and the movies’ release, these adaptations became particularly well-known for their carefully recreated period details.

These days, the old-fashioned setting is a major draw for murder mystery fans. While the Knives Out films tried to modernize the genre, they couldn’t quite recreate the warm, comforting feeling of stories originally written nearly a century ago.

Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials Must Avoid One Major Netflix Murder Mystery Mistake

Fortunately, the upcoming series Seven Dials, based on Agatha Christie’s work, can tap into the current fondness for classic mysteries. However, it’s important that the show doesn’t overdo it with the nostalgia. Netflix’s previous mystery adaptation, though set in modern times, felt overly sweet and emotional, which didn’t quite work for a thriller.

I recently watched The Thursday Murder Club and, honestly, it felt a little too cute and overly sweet for me. It made me think about the new Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials adaptation, and I really hope it doesn’t fall into the same trap. This new series is about a murder, a serious crime, so it needs to feel grounded and suspenseful. The Thursday Murder Club felt a bit too light and comedic, and I’d prefer Seven Dials to lean into the mystery and drama instead.

The new show, Seven Dials, faces a tricky challenge. It needs to feel like a classic Agatha Christie adaptation, evoking that familiar cozy nostalgia, but also have a modern, darker tone. While the original book wasn’t a critical success, this actually gives the series a chance to refresh the story when it arrives as Netflix’s successor to Knives Out.

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2026-01-07 23:29