Top 10 Best Sherlock Holmes Movies

Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law bring a completely new version of Holmes and Watson in this bombastic blockbuster. Instead of a calm, analytical detective, we get a scrappy, eccentric Holmes who's as good at bare-knuckle boxing as he is at deduction. With fast action, sharp dialogue and a gritty Victorian setting, Guy Ritchie's film is perfect for modern audiences, combining mystery with top-class British humor.

The sequel to the 2009 film takes everything up a notch. Holmes finally gets his ultimate opponent: Professor Moriarty. The battle between these two geniuses leads to a film full of clever strategies, epic fights and a nerve-racking game of cat and mouse. With more humor, better action and a rock-solid climax at the Reichenbach Falls, it's a worthy sequel.

Of all the adaptations of The Hound of the Baskervilles, Hammer's 1959 version is one of the most iconic. Peter Cushing plays a cool, sharp Holmes, and Christopher Lee shines as Sir Henry Baskerville. The gothic atmosphere and eerie, fog-covered moor make it one of the scariest and most atmospheric Sherlock films ever, and the first in color.

This film shows a different side of Sherlock. Director Billy Wilder takes the typical detective mystery and adds more emotion and humor. Sherlock is less invincible here, even a little vulnerable, making it a unique must-watch for fans who want to see Holmes in a different light.

What if Sherlock Holmes hunted Jack the Ripper? In this film, Christopher Plummer's Holmes takes on history's most notorious serial killer. The mystery is darker and grimmer than most Sherlock films, cleverly playing with real historical theories. The atmosphere is oppressive, and Plummer's Holmes is sharp, human and compelling.

What if Sherlock Holmes and John Watson met as teenagers at school? This film runs with that idea, turning it into an adventurous coming-of-age mystery full of secrets, deadly plots and even romance. The young Holmes and Watson investigate a series of mysterious deaths leading to an occult cult. A hidden gem, featuring the first fully computer-animated character in a feature film.

For many people, Basil Rathbone is the definitive Sherlock Holmes. This film, loosely based on William Gillette's stage play, is full of classic crime elements, with Rathbone in top form as the brilliant detective facing Moriarty. If you want the ultimate old-school Sherlock Holmes, this is it.

What happens when Sherlock Holmes grows old and starts losing his memory? Ian McKellen plays an elderly Holmes struggling with his fading mind as he tries to remember his final case. Slower and more philosophical, but beautifully shot and full of emotional depth. A Sherlock film like no other.

In this fresh Netflix film we get a different perspective on the Sherlock universe: that of his younger sister, Enola. Millie Bobby Brown plays a cheerful, clever and rebellious Enola, while Henry Cavill portrays a charming, less dominant Sherlock. The mystery is fun and playful, offering a lighter, modern twist on the classic stories.

Perhaps the most unusual Sherlock film ever. In this alternative version, Holmes is badly addicted to cocaine, and Dr. Watson arranges for him to be treated by none other than Sigmund Freud. At the same time, they become entangled in an international mystery in which Holmes must regain his deductive powers. A unique film showing how versatile Sherlock Holmes can be.