Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- wistful
- gentle
- melancholic
- lazy sunday
- quiet evening
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film a gentle, moving, and thoughtfully acted reinterpretation of Sherlock Holmes, with Ian McKellen's performance as its central strength.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Retired Holmes can recall only fragments of a thirty-year-old case and must reconstruct what happened despite his failing memory.
The film presents Sherlock Holmes in retirement, emphasizing frailty, domestic life, and the gap between his public image and private reality.
Holmes lives in a Sussex village with his housekeeper and her son while confronting memories from his former career.
Holmes develops a bond with Roger, the young son of his housekeeper, as he works through his memories.
Films like Mr. Holmes, and why
The Remains of the Day
Both are reflective literary mysteries centered on aging investigators, memory, and the emotional cost of revisiting unresolved cases.
The Dig
Both combine an English period setting with restrained drama, private regret, and a protagonist confronting the limits of memory.
The Limehouse Golem
Both are thoughtful detective dramas that humanize an iconic investigator through melancholy, intimacy, and questions of truth.
The Sense of an Ending
Both explore late-life identity and recollection through elegant period filmmaking and emotionally subdued mystery.
Movie Details
- Director
- Bill Condon
- Release Date
- 2015-06-19
- Runtime
- 104 min
- Rating
- 6.5 / 10 (2005)
Cast
- Ian McKellen
- Laura Linney
- Milo Parker
- Hiroyuki Sanada
- Roger Allam
- Frances de la Tour
- Hattie Morahan
- Phil Davis
- Patrick Kennedy
- John Sessions
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Mr. Holmes about?
- A retired Sherlock Holmes struggles through failing memory to recover the human truth behind a case that refuses to stay buried.
- What is Mr. Holmes like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Mr. Holmes as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Mr. Holmes violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Mr. Holmes.
- What did critics think of Mr. Holmes?
- Critics broadly found the film a gentle, moving, and thoughtfully acted reinterpretation of Sherlock Holmes, with Ian McKellen's performance as its central strength.
- Which films are like Mr. Holmes?
- Films with a similar feel include The Remains of the Day, The Dig, The Limehouse Golem, and The Sense of an Ending.
- How long is Mr. Holmes?
- Mr. Holmes runs 104 minutes.
- Where can I watch Mr. Holmes?
- In United States, Mr. Holmes is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
In Ember's collections
Movies like Mr. Holmes
- Sherlock: The Abominable Bride2016
- Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows2011
- The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson: The Twentieth Century Begins - Part 21988
- Galileo: Forbidden Sorcery2022
- Sherlock Holmes in the 20th Century1987
- Touch2024
- The Father2020
- Murder on the Orient Express2017
- A Haunting in Venice2023
- Suspect X2008
