The game is still afoot, Watson.
About 130 years after the initial publication, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes lives on. The consulting detective and his partner in (solving) crime, John Watson, solve murders across London, and with his expert deductive skills, Holmes quickly captured readers’ attention.
Holmes first appeared in print in 1887’s “A Study in Scarlet,” and from there, Doyle published short stories in The Strand Magazine. The stories were fun and clever. Despite the famous address 221B Baker Street not existing in Doyle’s time, fans believed Holmes was real. To this day, the address, which is now a museum, receives letters seeking the detective’s help.
Doyle’s famous character is an icon of British culture. But appeal is widespread, across cultures, mediums and generations.
Holmes has been played by over 75 different actors in film and TV. He is the most portrayed human literary character. The top overall number of portrayals for a literary character goes to Dracula, though he is technically classified as non-human because he is a vampire.
In children’s films “The Great Mouse Detective” and “Sherlock Gnomes,” Holmes is depicted as a mouse and gnome, as the titles suggest.
Beyond film and TV, Doyle’s detective has been adapted for the stage and is featured in many novels written by authors other than Doyle. Holmes even has his own board games.
Regarding film and TV adaptations, countless versions exist of “The Hounds of Baskerville,” “The Final Problem” and Doyle’s other works. Basil Rathbone plays an incredible version of Holmes in a not-as-incredible film series, produced by 20th Century Fox and Universal Pictures.
The highly praised Granada TV show “The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes” is the most faithful adaptation to date. Jeremy Brett is also regarded as the best Sherlock Holmes for his ability to capture all of the character’s facets: his wit, humor, agility and intensity.
The late-19th century sleuth still finds footing in modern day. Multiple adaptations have been released in the last 20 years, and despite some being more worthy than others, these releases are indication that Sherlock Holmes is an ever-changing, adaptable character who can find an audience in each generation.
TV and Film Adaptations Ranked
6. “Holmes and Watson”
The 2018 film starring Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly is a comedic take on the literary pair of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson. Doyle’s original stories certainly have charm and the space for humor, and I’m sure a comedic adaptation could be good. This one just wasn’t.
This film could possibly appeal to fans of the Ferrell and Reilly duo, but it still doesn’t level with some of their other work together. Certainly, for Doyle fans, it misses the mark.
5. “Enola Holmes”
Netflix’s 2020 film “Enola Holmes” is the most recent Holmes adaptation, and perhaps the furthest removed from Doyle’s original work. Enola is the 16-year-old sister of Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes, and the film follows her journey to find her mother, save her new friend Tewkesbury and prove her abilities as a young female detective.
The film was cute and a good addition to Doyle’s stories. Seeing Mycroft and Sherlock as brothers, not only to each other but to Enola, provided extra dynamics to their characters, despite them not having much screen time.
For young audiences, “Enola Holmes” could be a great introduction to the Holmes universe.
4. “Elementary”
The American drama series “Elementary” ran on CBS from 2012 to 2019. It featured Jonny Lee Miller as Sherlock Holmes and Lucy Liu as Dr. Joan Watson. The show brings a fresh take to the pair’s dynamic, especially with Holmes’ history of drug abuse and Watson’s loss of her medical license. They solve crimes alongside the New York Police Department, in beat with typical cop shows.
In a fun twist, the show also adapts professor Moriarty’s character to be the hidden personality of Irene Adler, played by Natalie Dormer. Liu and Dormer’s characters bring a much-needed female presence to stories that are often portrayed as all-male.
Overall, the show is a decent take with an American spin, keeping Holmes relevant in the 21st century.
3. “Sherlock Holmes” and “A Game of Shadows”
Guy Ritchie’s 2009 and 2011 films are action-packed and full of fun. The movies are set in Victorian London, and with an expert score by Hans Zimmer, the atmosphere is great. Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law play Holmes and Watson, and they may be the greatest Holmes and Watson pair to date.
These films highlight Holmes’ physicality as a character more than anything, highlighting his intelligence through fighting styles and scenes. Ritchie’s idea to slow down certain scenes with Holmes’ narration on top allows the audience to see Holmes’ thinking and the speed at which he processes. Holmes fans are used to seeing his case deductions unfold, so the spin on illustrating his fighting is unique.
A third film is set to release in December 2021.
2. “Sherlock”
The BBC’s modern adaptation, starting in 2010, is a popular favorite starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman. The show throws Doyle’s Victorian detective into modern London, latent with cell phones cybertechnology. The writing is witty and provides slight variations to texts so well-known by fans.
Each season only has three episodes. This allows for longer episodes, but sometimes, the seasons feel rushed. The show definitely peaked with the season two finale. On top of that, seasons three and four are not great adaptations. They are still entertaining, but they feel so removed from the original stories, which was part of the show’s charm to begin with. However, the first two seasons are fun and action-packed, while maintaining Sherlock’s deductive capabilities as the highlight of his character.
1. “Mr. Holmes”
Potentially a strange pick for the top slot, this 2015 film is an underrated gem. It is based on Mitch Cullen’s “A Slight Trick of the Mind.” It is not a direct adaptation of one of Doyle’s original stories, but an adaptation nonetheless.
The story follows a 93-year-old Sherlock Holmes, played by Ian McKellan, as he battles his aging mind. It is poignant and surprisingly emotional for a Holmes story.
The detective has always been heralded for his mental prowess, but throughout the film, Holmes has to face the reality of that ability slipping. He is not a superhero or invincible, near-flawless detective. He’s human, like the rest of us. It’s an incredible realization for him as a character and for the fans who have idealized him as this mental giant.
Overall, it continues Doyle’s character in a natural way, but it also builds upon him. We see Holmes in an entirely new light, but it is just as believable and in-character.
Holmes Portrayals Ranked
6. Will Ferrell
Ferrell fails to capture the essence of Sherlock Holmes, along with missing the various sides the detective displays throughout his literary tenure. This is most likely due to the film’s script and approach, but it leads to a detached adaptation. Ferrell is Holmes by name alone.
5. Henry Cavill
Despite appearing for a limited number of minutes, Henry Cavill’s depiction of Holmes is superior to Ferrell’s. “Enola Holmes” is without question about Enola, but she has a special relationship with Sherlock that provides Cavill the opportunity to explore familial connection.
Sherlock’s relationship with Enola is incredibly different from his with Mycroft, and it is an interesting contradiction. With Enola, Cavill explores the sentimental side of Sherlock, dipping into the emotions that many portrayals of the detective don’t include. The emotion is not that apparent on its own, but in comparison with Mycroft’s treatment of Enola, Sherlock is far warmer.
Again, this adaptation is not about Sherlock, but Cavill still uses the limited screen time to develop Sherlock’s familial relationships and the care he has for his siblings.
4. Robert Downey Jr.
Downey is one of the more comical portrayals, and with the emphasis on action in the script, he is also one of the most physical. This seemed to be the focus for the character across the two movies he was in. Of course, he was working within the confines of the script, but he was still a great Holmes.
This version of the character had a more “experimental” aspect involved, in that Holmes was constantly trying new things or literally experimenting. Many adaptations stick to the crime solving, but Downey brought a “mad scientist” quality to Holmes—unruly hairstyle included.
The highlight of Downey’s portrayal lies in his relationship with Jude Law as John Watson. Their partnership is laden with banter and good humor. Yet, their true friendship is apparent.
3. Jonny Lee Miller
As one of the modern adaptations, Miller had to bring Holmes into current relevance. He did that and more. Miller’s Holmes is witty, per usual, but also incredibly quirky, made even more so by Watson’s demeanor. Miller also creates a more emotionally attuned Sherlock, which adds more dimension.
Miller adds to Doyle’s character, while keeping the core of Sherlock’s character intact. Best of all, the audience can watch Sherlock develop throughout the show. His emotions become more predominant, and he is aware of his relationships with people. Miller manages to balance the consuming passion for his work with “human things” Sherlock is typically known for struggling with.
2. Ian McKellan
McKellan had the most difficult portrayal of Holmes due to the added element of age. Even though “Mr. Holmes” is based on a book, it is not directly connected to Doyle’s original stories. McKellan basically had to create the vision of Holmes as an old man, instead of going off the typically held character understanding the other actors had.
Even so, McKellan is compelling and believable. He does a great job portraying the struggles of old age, along with capturing the still-youthful side of Holmes during the flashbacks.
In his relationship with Roger, McKellan also explores Holmes’ relational capacity. He cares for Roger as a mentor and grandfather figure, and these are new roles for the detective. Yet, McKellan handles it well, creating a natural progression for Holmes as a character.
1. Benedict Cumberbatch
Out of the modern Holmes adaptations, Cumberbatch provides the most dynamic rendering of the famous sleuth. The series starts with Sherlock as a rude, childish and arrogant young detective, but as it continues, Holmes’ increased understanding of emotions, relationships and humanity shapes him into a better character. Cumberbatch captures this throughout his performance.
The highlight of Cumberbatch’s portrayal is the intellect. Many of his deductions are spoken at break-neck speed and always perfectly within character. Of course, this is a compliment to the show’s writing, but Cumberbatch brings an air of charm—and chaos—to the role.
Maddie Peters can be reached at pete9542@stthomas.edu.