Reel Review: Young Sherlock Delivers a New Mystery to its Timeless Characters
We are finally back in the Sherlock Holmes universe, only this time, we get to see our beloved character in his early days of becoming a detective. With murder, robbery, and deceit, Prime Video’s newest prequel series Young Sherlock is sure to become your next binge watch!
The series stars Hero Fiennes Tiffin as a young Sherlock Holmes. When Holmes finds himself at Oxford University and in the middle of a murder investigation, the fate of his own freedom relies on himself and his friends cracking the case. Tiffin leads this incredible narrative and fully embodies the 1870’s witty-troublemaking detective.
Joining Tiffin to tell the story is Donal Fin as young James Moriarty, Zine Tseng as Gulun Shou, Joseph Fiennes as Silas Holmes, Max Irons as Mycroft Holmes, and Natascha McElhone as Cordelia Holmes. The star-stacked cast is incredibly talented; delivering a range of performances from action packed fight scenes to emotionally intense ones. Though it is the brotherhood dynamic between Tiffin and Fin that truly completes the series.
Young Sherlock gives an insight into how Sherlock and James first befriend each other at Oxford. Together these two become a dynamic duo that moves the mystery along perfectly. Tiffin and Fin fit the roles perfectly, portraying witty yet intelligent troublemakers who are always ten steps ahead!
Fans of the beloved classics also get to see how Sherlock gains his start and where he came from. His family plays an equally important part of the journey, with Natascha McElhone taking on the motherly role of Cordelia Holmes. McElhone’s ability to portray grief and madness adds an interesting dynamic between herself, setting her apart from the rest of the Holmes family.
The series was directed by the talented Guy Ritchie and written by Matthew Parkhill. The two craft an amazing mystery that reveals itself in quite a unique way. In certain moments of the series, we are placed directly inside Sherlock’s mind through a series of flashbacks, which reveal things we may have missed. Ritchie and Parkhill do a phenomenal job at world-building and building overall suspense.
Young Sherlock gives nods to the timeless characters we know and love, while managing to add a new take and refreshing storyline. The series is full of humor, wit, and plot twists you’ll never see coming. It’s safe to say that a season two is needed, and we cannot wait to see where the next Sherlock Holmes mystery will take us!
Young Sherlock is available on Prime Video on March 4.
