Sherlock Holmes may just be the world’s most famous fictional detective, with a profile rivaling even that of Batman, and more film and TV adaptations than just about any other fictional character. Fairly soon that stable of Sherlock stories will be adding one more name with the Netflix Original Enola Holmes, based on the books of the same name.
The movie promises to be a classic Sherlock Holmes’ style mystery for a younger generation, with all the investigation and charm one expects from the Holmes’ family. For those too impatient to wait until the film finally hits Netflix on September 23rd, however, here are a few modern Sherlock adaptations to flex your deductive skills in the meantime.
While Robert Downey Jr.’s stint as the iconic detective has been somewhat overshadowed by his concurrent run as Iron Man, Sherlock Holmes (2009) was a charming, lively take on the original stories. Unlike most Holmes adaptations, Sherlock Holmes sees the dynamic duo at a crossroads, with Watson looking forward to marriage and getting away from Holmes’ more obnoxious personality traits. RDJ’s Sherlock is hardly the composed, controlled detective of the original stories, indulging his every eccentric whim, annoying the people around him, and generally acting like a bit of a man-child; lashing out from a fear of being alone, but unable to communicate straightforwardly with the people around him.
Directed by Guy Ritchie, the 2009 film and its sequel, Game of Shadows, are dripping with personality and style, carefully balancing action, comedy, and investigation in an exaggerated depiction of 1890 London that feels truly alive. The films are also one of the earlier examples of Holmes being depicted with almost supernatural cognitive ability, with Sherlock being able to plot out an entire fight in his head and execute accordingly in an impressive, and well-remembered, action set-piece. Both films are worth the time to track down if you like Sherlock Holmes or RDJ, and with a third film reportedly on the way, it’s a good time to catch up on this iteration of the character.
As far as modern re-imaginings go, Sherlock is a pretty straightforward one, taking most of the important details of Holmes’ character and transplanting them into a modern day setting. Featuring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman as Holmes and Watson, the show aims to modernize a lot of the classic stories, while also focusing heavily on the rivalry between Holmes and Moriarty as the primary struggle of the show. Given Holmes’ importance to British culture the BBC took the opportunity to go all out with the production values, doing some impressive audio and visual effect work to make the audience feel as though they are seeing things the way Sherlock does. Important facts and details are highlighted with slick visuals and subtle audio cues that make for a very stylish production, carrying the audience through the mystery with pizzazz. On top of the that the show is just incredibly solid all around, well-acted, well-shot, and well worth giving a shot for anyone who likes Sherlock, Cumberbatch, or BBC dramas.
An unusual take on the character, Mr. Holmes sees an aging Sherlock, played by Ian McKellen, who is far past the days of his classic adventures. For a man renowned for his cognitive ability, Holmes is facing his greatest challenge yet: a failing memory. With most of his most famous associates long gone, Mr. Holmes, based on the 2005 novel A Slight Trick of the Mind, is a more intimate story about the man himself, and how to reckon with the loneliness of outliving your peers. It’s a story that shows the emotional side of a character frequently defined by his reverence for logical deduction, and explores the psychological toll of struggling to remember one’s own past. By daring to take such a well-known character and tell a story so far removed from the expected mystery is a truly bold decision that makes Mr. Holmes a stand-out among Sherlock Holmes adaptations, and worth watching if only to see a beloved character in a brand new light.
Set in New York with Johnny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu as Holmes and Watson, Elementary seems rather divergent from the source material, and yet it captures the spirit of the original stories better than most. While Elementary still has a couple of overarching plot points, mainly in the form of Sherlock’s recovery from drug addiction, the show sticks much closer to the serialized nature of the original stories. Most episodes are their own self-contained mystery, where Sherlock and Watson need to work together to crack the case.
Where Elementary shines is in the actual investigations and how they keep the audience invested. It can be hard to stay interested in a mystery when it feels so far over the audience’s head, but the show does a fantastic job of treating its viewers fairly, giving them enough info to make their own deductions. The conclusions reached by Sherlock and Watson don’t feel like super-genius predictions, but rather clever observations strung along point by point. When all the cards are on the table the viewer is left with the sense that they too could have put the clues together with enough care and attention, which was a hallmark of the original stories, and the sign of a well crafted mystery. Though Elementary doesn’t have quite the same profile as something like Sherlock, it’s undoubtedly one of the best modern adaptations of the original mysteries, and is worth a watch for those who want something familiar, but with a fresh coat of paint.
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