Young Sherlock on Prime Video: Guy Ritchie's Action-Packed Holmes Origin Story — Everything You Need to Know
Guy Ritchie is back in the Baker Street universe. Young Sherlock premiered March 4, 2026, on Amazon Prime Video — and the response from critics and audiences is deeply divided. Here is the full breakdown.
What Is Young Sherlock?
Young Sherlock is a mystery television series created by Matthew Parkhill and developed by Peter Harness and Guy Ritchie, inspired by Andrew Lane's Young Sherlock Holmes novel series. The series premiered on Amazon Prime Video on March 4, 2026. As a 19-year-old at Oxford University, Sherlock Holmes is not yet the master detective he grows up to be. He is raw, unfiltered, and lacks discipline. A murder at Oxford puts Holmes's freedom at risk, sending him on his first murder mystery that unravels into a global-level conspiracy.
Full Young Sherlock Cast
The cast includes Hero Fiennes Tiffin as Sherlock Holmes, Dónal Finn as James Moriarty, Zine Tseng as Princess Gulun Shou'an, Joseph Fiennes as Sherlock's father Silas Holmes, Natascha McElhone as his mother Cordelia, Max Irons as Mycroft Holmes, and Colin Firth as the villainous Sir Bucephalus Hodge.
Guy Ritchie directed the first two episodes and executive produced the entire eight-episode run. All eight episodes dropped simultaneously on March 4, 2026, on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories.
What the Critics Are Saying — Sharply Divided
On Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds an approval rating of 84% based on 38 reviews. But opinions split sharply depending on how much reviewers love or loathe Ritchie's signature style.
Variety was enthusiastic. Their review called it sensational, saying it turns Victorian England on its head, infusing it with modern energy while offering an intricate mystery anchored by singular characters — and praising Episode 5 in particular as riveting.
Slate was far more brutal. Their critic wrote that within the first five minutes there is a bare-chested fistfight in a prison yard, argued there is a mismatch between Doyle's cerebral source material and Ritchie's love of bare-knuckle brawling, and concluded the show feels like Ritchie wishes he were making Young James Bond instead but used Holmes because the character is in the public domain.
Collider landed closer to the positive camp, calling the cast superb, with Natascha McElhone, Dónal Finn, Zine Tseng, and newcomer Holly Cattle the surprise standouts — and praising Ritchie for showing restraint by not leaning fully into his signature style.
The Sherlock-Moriarty Dynamic — The Show's Strongest Element
The dynamic between Sherlock and Moriarty is the most engaging element of the series. As the season progresses their differing perspectives emerge, underlining their diverging moral codes and priorities — and it becomes clear that James will always look out for his own interests first, laying the groundwork for their legendary rivalry.
Dónal Finn described Ritchie's directorial vision as exceptional, saying Ritchie has an extraordinary brain for articulating wit and an appreciation for rhythm and rhyme that unlocks what imagery a character can use.
Where to Watch Young Sherlock
All eight episodes of Young Sherlock are now streaming exclusively on Amazon Prime Video worldwide.
