Want to know the best Sherlock Holmes movies? How about the worst Sherlock Holmes movies? Curious about Sherlock Holmes box office grosses or which Sherlock Holmes movie picked up the most Oscar® nominations? Need to know which Sherlock Holmes movie got the best reviews from critics and audiences and which got the worst reviews? Well you have come to the right place….because we have all of that information.
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional private detective created by British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. He first appeared in print in 1887’s A Study in Scarlet. The Guinness World Records lists him as the most portrayed literary human character in film and television history. This page will rank Sherlock Holmes movies from Best to Worst in seven different sortable columns of information. Are there some Holmes movies missing? Sadly, we were unable to find box office grosses on all of his movies. FYI. Television Sherlock Holmes were not included in the following tables, but a couple of those Holmes made the page via photos.
Sherlock Holmes Movies Ranked In Chronological Order With Ultimate Movie Rankings Score (1 to 5 UMR Tickets) *Best combo of box office, reviews and awards.
Year
Movie (Year)
Rating
S
Year Movie (Year) Rating S
2009
Sherlock Holmes (2009)
2011
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011)
1922
Sherlock Holmes (1922)
1924
Sherlock Jr. (1924)
1975
The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother (1975)
1939
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1939)
1986
The Great Mouse Detective (1986)
1939
The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939)
1976
The Seven-Per-Cent Solution (1976)
1943
Sherlock Holmes Faces Death (1943)
1979
Murder by Decree (1979)
1944
The Scarlet Claw (1944)
1943
The Spider Woman (1943)
1942
Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon (1942)
1943
Sherlock Holmes in Washington (1943)
1985
Young Sherlock Holmes (1985)
2015
Mr. Holmes (2015)
1970
The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970)
1944
The Pearl of Death (1944)
1945
The House of Fear (1945)
1942
Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror (1942)
1945
Pursuit to Algiers (1945)
1945
The Woman in Green (1945)
1946
Dressed to Kill (1946)
1959
The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959)
1946
Terror By Night (1946)
2020
Enola Holmes (2020)
Netflix
1988
Without a Clue (1988)
1965
A Study In Terror (1965)
2018
Sherlock Gnomes (2018)
1931
The Speckled Band (1931)
1929
The Return of Sherlock Holmes (1929)
1962
Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace (1962)
1978
The Hound of the Baskervilles (1978)
2018
Holmes & Watson (2018)
Sherlock Holmes Movies Can Be Ranked 6 Ways In This Table
The really cool thing about this table is that it is “user-sortable”. Rank the movies anyway you want.
- Sort Sherlock Holmes movies by who played Sherlock Holmes
- Sort Sherlock Holmes movies by adjusted domestic box office grosses using current movie ticket cost (in millions)
- Sort Sherlock Holmes movies by yearly domestic box office rank
- Sort Sherlock Holmes movies how they were received by critics and audiences. 60% rating or higher should indicate a good movie.
- Sort by how many Oscar® nominations and how many Oscar® wins each Sherlock Holmes movie received.
- Sort Sherlock Holmes movies by Ultimate Movie Rankings (UMR) Score. UMR Score puts box office, reviews and awards into a mathematical equation and gives each movie a score.
| R | Movie (Year) | UMR Co-Star Links | Adj. B.O. Worldwide (mil) | Review | Oscar Nom / Win | UMR Score | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R | Movie (Year) | UMR Co-Star Links | Actual B.O. Domestic (mil) | Adj. B.O. Domestic (mil) | Adj. B.O. Worldwide (mil) | B.O. Rank by Year | Review | Oscar Nom / Win | UMR Score | S |
| 1 | Sherlock Holmes (2009) | Robert Downey Jr. & Jude Law |
209.00 | 300.4 | 753.20 | 10 | 70 | 02 / 00 | 95.3 | |
| 2 | Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011) | Robert Downey Jr. & Jude Law |
186.80 | 254.0 | 741.50 | 9 | 65 | 00 / 00 | 93.7 | |
| 4 | Sherlock Holmes (1922) | John Barrymore & William Powell |
3.70 | 179.8 | 179.80 | 6 | 57 | 00 / 00 | 89.1 | |
| 3 | Sherlock Jr. (1924) | Buster Keaton & Kathryn McGuire |
1.80 | 76.8 | 76.80 | 15 | 87 | 00 / 00 | 88.4 | |
| 5 | The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother (1975) | Douglas Wilmer & Gene Hackman |
28.50 | 149.8 | 149.80 | 20 | 61 | 00 / 00 | 87.3 | |
| 6 | The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1939) | Basil Rathbone & Ida Lupino |
1.90 | 74.3 | 74.30 | 121 | 82 | 00 / 00 | 86.1 | |
| 7 | The Great Mouse Detective (1986) | Barrie Ingham | 25.30 | 73.6 | 73.60 | 37 | 76 | 00 / 00 | 83.2 | |
| 8 | The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939) | Basil Rathbone & John Carradine |
1.20 | 47.0 | 47.00 | 163 | 79 | 00 / 00 | 80.2 | |
| 9 | The Seven-Per-Cent Solution (1976) | Nicol Williamson & Robert Duvall |
11.80 | 59.8 | 59.80 | 56 | 71 | 02 / 00 | 78.6 | |
| 11 | Sherlock Holmes Faces Death (1943) | Basil Rathbone & Nigel Bruce |
1.90 | 67.2 | 67.20 | 117 | 69 | 00 / 00 | 77.7 | |
| 10 | Murder by Decree (1979) | Christopher Plummer & James Mason |
8.20 | 35.0 | 35.00 | 73 | 78 | 00 / 00 | 77.2 | |
| 12 | The Scarlet Claw (1944) | Basil Rathbone & Nigel Bruce |
1.40 | 46.0 | 46.00 | 132 | 74 | 00 / 00 | 76.8 | |
| 13 | The Spider Woman (1943) | Basil Rathbone & Nigel Bruce |
1.50 | 52.3 | 52.30 | 131 | 72 | 00 / 00 | 76.7 | |
| 15 | Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon (1942) | Basil Rathbone | 1.70 | 63.8 | 63.80 | 140 | 67 | 00 / 00 | 74.9 | |
| 17 | Sherlock Holmes in Washington (1943) | Basil Rathbone | 1.40 | 48.8 | 48.80 | 133 | 71 | 00 / 00 | 74.3 | |
| 18 | Young Sherlock Holmes (1985) | Nicholas Rowe & Directed by Barry Levinson |
19.70 | 59.9 | 59.90 | 46 | 66 | 01 / 00 | 74.1 | |
| 17 | Mr. Holmes (2015) | Ian McKellen & Laura Linney |
17.70 | 22.7 | 37.50 | 100 | 79 | 00 / 00 | 74.0 | |
| 16 | The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970) | Robert Stephens & Christopher Lee |
4.50 | 31.6 | 31.60 | 59 | 76 | 00 / 00 | 73.8 | |
| 19 | The Pearl of Death (1944) | Basil Rathbone & Nigel Bruce |
1.00 | 33.8 | 33.80 | 148 | 74 | 00 / 00 | 72.6 | |
| 20 | The House of Fear (1945) | Basil Rathbone & Nigel Bruce |
1.20 | 36.7 | 36.70 | 135 | 69 | 00 / 00 | 68.4 | |
| 21 | Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror (1942) | Basil Rathbone | 1.40 | 51.8 | 51.80 | 155 | 63 | 00 / 00 | 66.5 | |
| 22 | Pursuit to Algiers (1945) | Basil Rathbone & Nigel Bruce |
1.00 | 32.7 | 32.70 | 139 | 67 | 00 / 00 | 63.1 | |
| 23 | The Woman in Green (1945) | Basil Rathbone & Nigel Bruce |
1.40 | 43.3 | 43.30 | 131 | 63 | 00 / 00 | 62.3 | |
| 25 | Dressed to Kill (1946) | Basil Rathbone & Nigel Bruce |
0.90 | 27.7 | 27.70 | 145 | 66 | 00 / 00 | 59.0 | |
| 24 | The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959) | Peter Cushing & Christopher Lee |
0.40 | 7.8 | 7.80 | 164 | 72 | 00 / 00 | 58.6 | |
| 26 | Terror By Night (1946) | Basil Rathbone & Nigel Bruce |
0.80 | 23.1 | 23.10 | 147 | 67 | 00 / 00 | 58.2 | |
| 27 | Enola Holmes (2020) Netflix |
Henry Cavill & Millie Bobby Brown |
0.10 | 0.1 | 0.10 | 161 | 73 | 00 / 00 | 57.0 | |
| 28 | Without a Clue (1988) | Michael Caine & Ben Kingsley |
8.50 | 22.4 | 22.40 | 99 | 62 | 00 / 00 | 48.9 | |
| 29 | A Study In Terror (1965) | John Neville & Robert Morley |
0.70 | 7.1 | 7.10 | 140 | 65 | 00 / 00 | 44.6 | |
| 30 | Sherlock Gnomes (2018) | Johnny Depp & Michael Caine |
43.20 | 51.2 | 102.80 | 69 | 41 | 00 / 00 | 24.0 | |
| 31 | The Speckled Band (1931) | Raymond Massey | 0.20 | 7.7 | 7.70 | 207 | 53 | 00 / 00 | 20.5 | |
| 32 | The Return of Sherlock Holmes (1929) | Clive Brook | 0.80 | 23.3 | 23.30 | 132 | 48 | 00 / 00 | 20.3 | |
| 33 | Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace (1962) | Christopher Lee | 0.10 | 2.1 | 2.10 | 139 | 51 | 00 / 00 | 15.2 | |
| 34 | The Hound of the Baskervilles (1978) | Peter Cook & Dudley Moore |
0.30 | 1.6 | 1.60 | 144 | 43 | 00 / 00 | 6.2 | |
| 35 | Holmes & Watson (2018) | Will Ferrell & John C. Reilly |
30.60 | 36.2 | 47.90 | 89 | 29 | 00 / 00 | 4.3 |
Check out Steve’s Arthur Doyle You Tube Video….which has a ton of Sherlock Holmes movies
Check out Sherlock Holmes’ movie career compared to current and classic actors. Most 100 Million Dollar Movies of All-Time.
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The game’s afoot! Sherlock Holmes eh… and about time too! 😉
I’ve seen 29 of the 34 films on the chart. Favorites include the Basil Rathbone Sherlocks, Hammer’s Hound of the Baskervilles, Murder by Decree, Young Sherlock Holmes, The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes, The Great Mouse Detective, Sherlock Holmes (2009) and Sherlock Holmes Game of Shadows.
I can’t remember what I had at the top of my video chart, probably Basil’s Hound or was it Hammer’s? Anyway topping the UMR critics chart is a classic Buster Keaton comedy which doesn’t actually feature the great detective, Buster dreams of being Sherlock Jr.
Topping the box office and UMR chart is Robert Downey Jr’s ‘different’ rendition of Sherlock, which was a big hit and I did enjoy. But Basil remains my favorite Sherlock.
Good stuff Bruce and thanks for the share. Vote Up!
Quick Watson, the needle!
Top of your chart was Jeremy Brett’s Grenada TV series
Jeremy Brett is my favourite Sherlock Holmes of all time. I have a signed photograph of his second Watson Edward Hardwicke and of Poirot actor David Suchet.
I have seen 14 of these Sherlock Holmes movies.
The HIGHEST ranked movie I have seen is Sherlock, Jr.
The highest ranked movie I have NOT seen is Sherlock Holmes 2009.
Favourite Sherlock Holmes Movies:
Sherlock, Jr.
Sherlock Holmes 1922
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Murder By Decree
The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes
The Woman in Green
Terror By Night
Dressed to Kill
Without a Clue
Other Sherlock Holmes Movies I Have Seen;
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes’ Smarter Brother
The Seven-Percent Solution
Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon
Sherlock Holmes in Washington
Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror
You will have noticed that I have not seen a version of The Hound of the Baskervilles. I have seen the Jeremy Brett version that was faithful to the book. However, big screen adaptations have included a spider in them that was not in the book. Therefore, I haven’t seen them.
Hey Flora….thanks for checking out Sherlock Holmes page. I have seen 11 of the movies….only one of them with Basil Rathbone. I have seen 2 of your favorites….and 1 of your “other” movies. I remember that you have that Jeremy Brett autograph. I did not notice that you had not seen any of the Hound Holmes movies. That is actually the only Basil Holmes movie I have seen….plus I saw the awful Dudley Moore Hound version. Good stuff as always.
Great UMR Page.
FYI
I will send you box office data on 1932 Sherlock Holmes movie soon.
Hey Mike. I will add in the 1932 movie when you send the box office data. Thanks for the kind words on this page.