8 Best Sherlock Holmes Adaptations to Watch While Waiting for Guy Ritchie's Show

With the release of Guy Ritchie's Young Sherlock set for March 4, 2026, there's no better time to delve into the rich cinematic history of the world's most famous detective.

For over a century, Sherlock Holmes has been portrayed in dozens of ways, ranging from classic interpretations to bold, modern takes.

1. 'The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes', 1984-1985

IMDb Score: 8.7/10

After a hard day's work, Dr. Watson returns home. He's ravenously hungry, but Sherlock Holmes has no time for dinner because an interesting and puzzling case has arisen.

A high-ranking guest, traveling incognito but quickly exposed, tells of a former lover trying to blackmail the king.

The guest is to marry a woman of equal rank, but the cunning and beautiful Irene Adler plans to publish a compromising photograph of him on the day of the engagement.

2. 'The Hound of the Baskervilles', 1988

IMDb Score: 7.8/10

While most modern adaptations try to bring a fresh perspective to the movies, the classics are timeless. One traditional Sherlock Holmes adaptation is The Hound of the Baskervilles, starring Jeremy Brett.

Any iconic character with a legacy spanning more than a decade can easily become a caricature. However, during his time on screen, Brett managed to preserve Holmes' image as a man with a brilliant mind and a big heart.

3. 'Sherlock', 2010-2017

IMDb Score: 9.0/10

After serving in Afghanistan, military doctor John Watson returns to civilian life in London, but he's plagued by nightmares and leg pain from a wound. Money is tight, so he decides to rent out a room.

Meanwhile, Sherlock Holmes is looking for a roommate. He is a very strange character: nervous, impulsive, unpleasant, and mysterious.

Holmes immediately draws Watson into a murder investigation, which isn't exactly what the doctor with PTSD needed.

4. 'The Spider Woman', 1943

IMDb Score: 7.0/10

A series of mysterious suicides among wealthy and influential men has shaken London. Sherlock Holmes deduces that, since all of the men committed suicide in the same way, by jumping out of a window, it must be murder.

He goes fishing with Dr. Watson in Scotland to relax. There, he unexpectedly tells Watson that he is tired of all these crimes and plans to commit suicide.

He throws himself off a cliff. His body was never found, but his hat was discovered floating down the river.

5. 'Mr. Holmes', 2015

IMDb Score: 6.8/10

Old Holmes lives out his days in a secluded house by the sea. He keeps a small apiary and is disinterested in any investigations. His only companions are his maid, Mrs. Munro, and her son, Roger.

His once-perfect memory is failing him more and more, and he searches for a way to stop the decline.

Struggling through lapses in his memory, the former detective attempts to write a story about the last case that led him to retire from the profession 30 years ago.

6. 'Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon', 1942

IMDb Score: 6.5/10

It's World War II. Sherlock Holmes smuggles Dr. Tobel, a scientist who is developing a new, highly precise bomber sight, out from under the Nazis' noses and into London.

The device produces excellent results during testing, inspiring the military. However, Dr. Tobel is soon kidnapped, and Holmes races to find him.

It emerges that the scientist had a premonition of what would happen and left a coded message for the detective in the form of dancing men just in case.

7. 'Elementary', 2012-2019

IMDb Score: 7.9/10

New York City, 21st century. Dr. Joan Watson is hired to be Sherlock Holmes's companion. Holmes has recently been released from a drug rehabilitation clinic.

For six weeks, Watson must monitor Holmes' every move to prevent him from relapsing. She attends all of the cases in which Holmes is involved as a consulting detective.

It all begins with the death of a young woman found hidden in a secret room. Although it looks like a burglary, Sherlock quickly uncovers clues indicating that the victim was closely acquainted with the killer.

8. 'Sherlock Holmes', 2009

IMDb Score: 7.5/10

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson prevent the murder of a young woman. The perpetrator, Lord Blackwood, was sentenced to death. Watson oversaw the execution and confirmed that the criminal was dead.

After a frenetic investigation, a lull ensues, greatly distressing Holmes, who hates inaction. Three months later, word arrives that the deceased Blackwood has risen from the dead.

The case is reopened, and Holmes must determine the connection between the cunning criminal Irene Adler and Blackwood's resurrection.