Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes Returns to Streaming Charts 17 Years Later

Guy Ritchie has been on a hot streak in recent years; despite some of his movies being underperformers at the box office, his real audience is watching at home, making each project an instant hit with brilliant viewership records. Earlier this year, In The Grey, starring Henry Cavill and Jake Gyllenhaal, came out in theaters but found true success on streaming. The feature has been on various streaming and PVOD charts ever since.

Similarly, John Krasinski-led Fountain of Youth has become a mainstay on Apple TV charts, and the director went on to expand his signature high-energy, fast-paced filmmaking to TV shows as well. He directed several episodes of Tom Hardy's new gangster drama, MobLand. Further, Young Sherlock, starring Hero Fiennes Tiffin as a 19-year-old Sherlock has become a fan favorite. But with Richie's work dominating the TV space, fans are returning to his other notable works. Among them is Sherlock Holmes, starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law. While Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's iconic sleuth has had many iterations over the years, the movie's top-line talents wove a story that changed how many viewed the character. Their iteration is in stark contrast with the hat-wearing and pipe-smoking image of the character.

We follow Sherlock Holmes (Downey Jr.) and his crime-solving partner, Dr. Watson (Law), to find a serial killer, Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong), who terrorized London with a string of murders. A devotee of the dark arts, Blackwood has a bigger scheme in mind, and his execution plays right into his plans. Things take a turn when Blackwood seems to rise from the grave, plunging Holmes and Watson into the world of the occult and strange technologies. The 69% Rotten Tomatoes-rated film received two Oscar nominations and won a Golden Globe for Downey Jr.

Ritchie and Downey Jr. made Sherlock feel like a very different character, turning him into a scruffy, bohemian, and physically imposing protagonist. Downey Jr., who was riding high on the success of Iron Man, channeled his hyperactive, fast-talking charisma for the role. Downey Jr.'s chemistry with Law further elevated Sherlock Holmes; Holmes was needy, arrogant, and possessive of Watson, and together they brought a bickering, long-married-couple energy to their roles that became one of the movie's highlights. While it's not free of its faults, Sherlock Holmes was a box office hit, earning $524 million worldwide.

'Sherlock Holmes' Is a Streaming Favorite

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Just like Blackwood, Sherlock Holmes has risen again on Apple TV's global top 10 lists, as per FlixPatrol. The feature stands tall at the fifth spot, among flicks like F1, Mayday, The Gorge, The Accountant, and more.