Mr. Holmes

Critics Consensus

Mr. Holmes focuses on the man behind the mysteries, and while it may lack Baker Street thrills, it more than compensates with tenderly wrought, well-acted drama.

89%

TOMATOMETER

Total Count: 184

70%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 32,422
User image

Tap to review this movie

  • User image

    Super Reviewer

    Rate this movie

    Oof, that was Rotten.

    Meh, it passed the time.

    It’s good – I’d recommend it.

    Awesome!

    So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

    What did you think of the movie? (optional)

  • You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.

  • User image

    Super Reviewer

    Step 2 of 2

    How did you get your ticket?

    • Fandango

    • AMC (Coming Soon)

      We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

    • Cinemark (Coming Soon)

      We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

    • Regal (Coming Soon)

      We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

    • Bought somewhere else

    By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie.

    You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.

  • User image

    Super Reviewer

    Rate this movie

    Oof, that was Rotten.

    Meh, it passed the time.

    It’s good – I’d recommend it.

    Awesome!

    So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

    What did you think of the movie? (optional)

  • How did you get your ticket?

    • Fandango

    • AMC (Coming Soon)

      We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

    • Cinemark (Coming Soon)

      We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

    • Regal (Coming Soon)

      We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

    • Bought somewhere else

    By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie.

Mr. Holmes Videos

View All Videos (3)

Where to watch

Mr. Holmes Photos

View All Photos (8)

Movie Info

MR HOLMES is a new twist on the world's most famous detective. 1947, an aging Sherlock Holmes returns from a journey to Japan, where, in search of a rare plant with powerful restorative qualities, he has witnessed the devastation of nuclear warfare. Now, in his remote seaside farmhouse, Holmes faces the end of his days tending to his bees, with only the company of his housekeeper and her young son, Roger. Grappling with the diminishing powers of his mind, Holmes comes to rely upon the boy as he revisits the circumstances of the unsolved case that forced him into retirement, and searches for answers to the mysteries of life and love - before it's too late. (C) Roadside Attractions

Cast

Ian McKellen
as Sherlock Holmes
Laura Linney
as Mrs. Munro
Milo Parker
as Roger
Hiroyuki Sanada
as Mr. Umezaki
Hattie Morahan
as Ann Kelmot
Patrick Kennedy
as Thomas Kelmot
Nicholas Rowe
as Matinee Sherlock Holmes
Colin Starkey
as Dr. John Watson
Hermione Corfield
as Matinee "Ann Kelmot"
Frances de la Tour
as Madame Schirmer
Charlie Maddox
as Oswald
Sam Coulson
as Matinee Kelmot
Frances Barber
as Matinee Madame Schirmer
John Sessions
as Mycroft Holmes
Roger Allam
as Dr. Barrie
Philip Davis
as Inspector Gilbert
Madeleine Worrall
as The Haunted Woman
Sarah Crowden
as Mrs. Hudson
Nicolas Rowe
as Matinee "Sherlock"
Takako Akashi
as Maya
Zak Shukor
as Matsuda Umezaki
Michael Culkin
as Bank Manager
Charles Maddox
as Oswald
Kit Connor
as Boy - 10yrs
Zoe Rainey
as Boy's Mother
Eileen Davies
as Lady on Platform
David Foxxe
as Chemist
Oliver Devoti
as Ticket Agent
Spike White
as Joe Gilbert
Siobhan McSweeney
as Una Gilbert
Mike Burnside
as Ann's Solicitor
View All

News & Interviews for Mr. Holmes

14 Certified Fresh Movies Added to Netflix, Amazon Prime
Parental Guidance: How Family-Friendly Are Love the Coopers and The 33?
On DVD This Week: Trainwreck, Better Call Saul, Terminator: Genisys, and More
View All

Critic Reviews for Mr. Holmes

All Critics (184) | Top Critics (44) | Fresh (163) | Rotten (21)

  • Mr. Holmes is understated and intimate, and it examines one of the most famous fictional characters through an interesting new lens.

    February 13, 2020 | Full Review…

    Tim Brennan

    About Boulder
    Top Critic

  • Suspense and sleuthing are a backstory to this elegant tale of regret, rectification and humility.

    August 15, 2019 | Full Review…

    Udita Jhunjhunwala

    Livemint
    Top Critic

  • Mr. Holmes just about gets the job done thanks to McKellen and Parker, but too many mediocre elements ensure this affair is a sad waste of a strong concept.

    May 17, 2019 | Rating: 2/5 | Full Review…

    Nick Evan-Cook

    One Room With A View
    Top Critic

  • Mr. Holmes is an exceptional and unique addition to the vast collection of Sherlock Holmes' journeys, rich with respect for its predecessors and bold in its thoughtful and reflective approach.

    May 10, 2019 | Rating: A | Full Review…

    Beth McDonough

    The Babbling Blonde
    Top Critic

  • It is far from a perfect but I enjoyed it.

    April 26, 2019 | Rating: C+ | Full Review…

    Rachel Wagner

    rachelsreviews.net
    Top Critic

  • McKellen, delivering his inimitable drawl, is inevitably the star attraction here. He doesn't have to speak to have his presence felt, he can frown and find audiences laughing, and Jeffrey Hatcher's script sparkles in his hands.

    April 5, 2019 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…

    Ed Frankl

    CineVue
    Top Critic
View All Critic Reviews (184)

Audience Reviews for Mr. Holmes

  • Aug 26, 2016
    Of course McKellen is fantastic. So are his costars. Charming story. Worthwhile for any Holmes fan. Others will enjoy a well made film.
    Morris N Super Reviewer
  • Mar 18, 2016
    Brilliant in its subtlety.
    Marcus W Super Reviewer
  • Jan 09, 2016
    An intriguing crime-drama, Mr. Holmes explores the elderly years of the world's most famous detective. Ian McKellen stars as an infirmed Sherlock Holmes who's retired to the countryside and is working on a memoir about his last case. McKellen's performance is rather interesting, and is quite different from the usually portrayals of the Holmes character. However the storytelling is rather weak, with a lot of nonlinear flashbacks that make the mystery kind of hard to follow. And the mystery itself doesn't seem to pose that much of a challenge or to be of any series importance. Somewhat of a subdued thriller, Mr. Holmes is a daring new interpretation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's beloved character but it's not very engaging.
    Dann M Super Reviewer
  • Dec 30, 2015
    Sherlock Holmes battles his failing memory as he tries to solve his last case, which still haunts him. The highlight of this film is the masterful work by Ian McKellen, whose take on an aging Holmes brings to mind the thesis of A Beautiful Mind: that intelligence can outwit the infirmities of the body. Despite his failing memory, Holmes attempts to retrain his brain to renew his deductive capacities, and yet in the lines of McKellen's face, we see the emotional toll these additional intellectual acrobatics work on him. The mystery plot is pedestrian, with a payoff that does not rival some of the classic Holmes mysteries, but in fairness, the film is about age and its ravages, not necessarily a typical whodunit. Overall, I like this take on Holmes, though I pray that they don't take it too far with an uninspired sequel.
    Jim H Super Reviewer
See all Audience reviews

Mr. Holmes Quotes

View All Quotes

Movie & TV guides