‘SHERLOCK: A CASE OF EVIL’ PUTS JAMES D’ARCY IN POPULAR DETECTIVE ROLE
A standalone film from the early 2000s, Sherlock Holmes: A Case of Evil is entertaining but also a little bit “off.”
Sherlock: A Case of Evil (2002) TV Film Review
Young and believing he knows what he’s doing in his work as a private detective, Sherlock Holmes (James D’Arcy) gathers a reputation for one act. He’s lauded for killing the notorious Moriarty (Vincent D’Onofrio). So much so, even reporters follow the detective, looking for scoops and the making of their own careers. Things change though when, doing this job, Sherlock allows himself to be beguiled by the client, Rebecca Doyle (Gabrielle Anwar), who brought him the case. Everything changes when a series of murders happen and all signs point to a new crime lord organizing with a drug market.
This brings Sherlock into the orbit of Dr. Watson (Roger Morlidge), a man making groundbreaking strides in autopsies. Though the police find the answers Sherlock brings hard to fathom, together with Watson, Sherlock makes curious finds, including some that may lead to tragedy.
FILM REVIEW | ‘YOUNG SHERLOCK HOLMES’ DOES FALTER A LITTLE BUT IS ENTERTAINING
‘SHERLOCK: A CASE OF EVIL’ PUTS JAMES D’ARCY IN POPULAR DETECTIVE ROLE. From 2002, add #Sherlock: A Case of Evil to your list. #SherlockHolmes #Movies #Mystery Share on XSherlock: A Case of Evil is, well, kind of odd. It is but it isn’t Sherlock. The connection between he and Watson feels strange, even with its typical adversarial meeting. It just still has a ring of being “off.” Though to be perfectly fair, I’m going off other meetings from TV and film productions, not the Doyle novels. The cast is surprisingly good when it comes to name recognition, though I don’t love how everyone plays their roles. It all feels very theatrical in a kind of odd way. The cast has Richard E. Grant and James D’Arcy, who I know best from a favorite episode of Marple. There is also Gabrielle Anwar who played the feisty Fiona from Burn Notice.
Another in a string of popular (and perhaps not so popular) films with the character of Sherlock featuring in the lead, Sherlock Holmes: A Case of Evil isn’t perhaps the best of the bunch, but it’s still worth seeing. Especially true if you like period drama or darker mysteries. I found the film pretty (in a dark kind of way) but also stilted at times. It’s tagged as a “TV film,” so it must have debuted at some point on one of the big networks. The story doesn’t seem to run smoothly, which I think is why I never fully invested. Still, like I say, if you enjoy seeing all the different variations of Holmes, well then Sherlock: A Case of Evil (sometimes just titled Sherlock) may be precisely what you need to see.
Stream, at publication, with Prime Video or find on places like Pluto TV, Roku or Tubi. The film is also on CWTV.com
Content: we see many dead bodies and Watson performing gruesome (though not excessively graphic) autopsies. He cuts open skulls (and slices the brain on a table) and bodies show puncture marks from drug use. There are some scenes of cut off body parts (the way the camera catches this isn’t overtly graphic). We see characters lying motionless in drug establishments (presumably knocked out from their use of drugs). Sherlock lies in bed with different women at different times in the film. Once he entertains two at a time (one undresses and we see brief glimpses of her nude, front and back). We see a couple lie in bed together (dressed) and make out, the scene cuts away, but implies they have sex. A man suffers from being drugged. The film does have an R-rating on its streaming pages.
