'Young Sherlock' Is Guy Ritchie's Best Project in Years – Here's Why It Deserves Your Attention

Guy Ritchie is a well-known director, but in recent years, his work has been inconsistent. Alongside mediocre movies like Fountain of Youth and The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, worthy works like The Covenant and The Gentlemen have flitted by.

Ritchie's talent for action remains intact, but his scripts often disappoint. However, Young Sherlock is a pleasant exception. In the series he restores faith in his ability to surprise.

What Is 'Young Sherlock' About?

Sherlock Holmes is a 19-year-old rebel. Rather than poring over books, he commits petty crimes for fun and frequently lands in prison.

After one such incident, his brother Mycroft rescues him and finds him a job as a laborer at Oxford University. There, he meets James Moriarty and the Chinese princess, Shou'an.

Meanwhile, a mathematics professor is mysteriously murdered within the university walls. This is only the beginning of a series of British scientist murders that Holmes and his new friends investigate.

'Young Sherlock' Delves Into the Character's History We Haven't Seen Before – and Does So With Dignity

Sherlock Holmes has been adapted dozens of times, ranging from a modern-day sociopath to a drug addict in New York. However, he has never been portrayed as a young man. For the first time, the creators are fleshing out the detective's childhood, drawing on Andrew Lane's novels.

Here, the Holmes family is not just a backdrop but the source of the trauma that shaped the future genius. The death of his sister Beatrice haunts Sherlock in visions, his mother ends up in a mental hospital, and his father disappears on expeditions.

The family effectively fell apart, leaving Sherlock alone. This explains his isolation and obsession with justice far better than any deduction.

'Young Sherlock' Strikes the Perfect Balance Between Detective Work and Action, Keeping You Glued to the Screen

Young Sherlock sets a whirlwind pace from the first episode and never slows down. Murders, disappearances, and secrets from the past all intertwine tightly.

Ritchie's signature chic is evident in the staging of the action scenes, and the soundtrack featuring hits by Kasabian, The Cure, Placebo, and Radiohead sets the perfect mood.

Most importantly, the main characters are perfectly paired. For the first time in adaptations, Holmes works with Moriarty instead of Watson. James teaches Sherlock how to fight and hone his deductive skills.

Young Sherlock turns all the clichés about Conan Doyle adaptations on their heads, offering a fresh, bold take on a character we thought we knew inside and out.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Young Sherlock'?

• Young Sherlock has 84% from critics and 86% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the series has a score of 7.5/10.

Where to Watch 'Young Sherlock'?

Young Sherlock is available to stream on Prime Video.