thecouchcritic
MoviesTV ShowsTrendingTop ReviewedWhat to Watch
Log inSign up
thecouchcritic

Discover, rate, and review your favorite movies and TV shows.

Navigation

  • Movies
  • TV Shows
  • Trending
  • Top Reviewed

Account

  • Login
  • Sign Up
  • Profile
  • Watchlist

Legal

  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy

© 2025 thecouchcritic. All rights reserved.

This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.

Murder Rooms: The Dark Beginnings of Sherlock Holmes
Murder Rooms: The Dark Beginnings of Sherlock Holmes

Murder Rooms: The Dark Beginnings of Sherlock Holmes

January 5, 2000
1h 44m
Crime
Mystery
Drama
History
Critics
85/100
Story
82/100
Acting
88/100
Cinematography
90/100
Soundtrack
80/100
Audience
80/100
Story
78/100
Acting
83/100
Cinematography
85/100
Soundtrack
75/100

Arthur Conan Doyle reveals the story behind Sherlock Holmes and his mysteries by telling about Dr. Joseph Bell, from whom he drew his inspiration, after meeting him as a medical student in Edinburgh. This TV movie served as the pilot for the later released minisseries Murder Rooms: Mysteries of the Real Sherlock Holmes produced by the BBC. The series then picks up with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's time as a general practitioner in Southsea, solving mysteries with the help of his mentor, Dr Joseph Bell, who is still based in Edinburgh.

Where to Watch

No streaming info available for this country.
Streaming availability data powered by JustWatch.

Details

Director
Paul Seed
Cast
Ian Richardson, Robin Laing, Dolly Wells, Charles Dance, Alec Newman
Release Date
January 5, 2000

Rating Distribution

User Ratings

5 Stars65%
1235
4 Stars25%
475
3 Stars8%
152
2 Stars2%
38
1 Stars0%
0
Total: 1,900 ratings

Reviews

Want to write a review?

Sign in to share your thoughts and rate this movie.

Sign In
Mo
MovieCritic
Critic
December 15, 2023🇺🇸 US
90/100

An outstanding film that delivers on all fronts. The performances are stellar, and the direction is impeccable. Highly recommended for fans of the genre.

Story: 92Acting: 95Cinematography: 88Soundtrack: 85
Fi
FilmFan123
User
December 10, 2023🇬🇧 GB
98/100

Absolutely loved it! The story kept me engaged from start to finish, and the visuals were breathtaking. One of the best I've seen this year.

Story: 97Acting: 99Cinematography: 99Soundtrack: 96
Ci
CinemaExpert
Critic
December 5, 2023🇫🇷 FR
70/100

While the film has its moments, it falls short in some areas. The pacing is uneven, but the strong performances make up for it somewhat.

Story: 65Acting: 80Cinematography: 75Soundtrack: 60

Similar Movies

The Spider Woman
Movie

Sherlock Holmes investigates a series of so-called "pajama suicides". He knows the female villain behind them is as cunning as Moriarty and as venomous as a spider. Based on "The Sign of Four" and the short stories "The Dying Detective", "The Final Problem", "The Speckled Band" and "The Adventure of the Devil's Foot".

The Spider Woman

68%
The Hound of the Baskervilles
Movie

When a nobleman is threatened by a family curse on his newly inherited estate, detective Sherlock Holmes is hired to investigate.

The Hound of the Baskervilles

68%
The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes
Movie

Holmes and Dr. Watson take on the case of a beautiful woman whose husband has vanished. The investigation proves strange indeed, involving six missing midgets, villainous monks, a Scottish castle, the Loch Ness monster, and covert naval experiments.

The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes

68%
Holmes & Watson
Movie

Detective Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson join forces to investigate a mysterious murder at Buckingham Palace. It seems like an open-and-shut case as all signs point to Professor James Moriarty, the criminal mastermind and longtime nemesis of the crime-solving duo. When new twists and clues begin to emerge, the world's greatest sleuth and his trusted assistant must now use their legendary wits and ingenious methods to catch the killer as they only have four days before the queen becomes the next victim.

Holmes & Watson

43%
Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Silk Stocking
Movie

The corpse of a shabbily dressed young woman has been discovered in the mud flats of the Thames at low tide. Police assume she's a prostitute, but Dr. Watson suspects something more and goes to his old friend Holmes, now retired and at very loose ends.

Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Silk Stocking

64%
Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon
Movie

In the midst of World War II, Sherlock Holmes rescues the Swiss inventor of a new bomb-sight from the Gestapo and brings him to England, where he quickly falls into the clutches of the evil Professor Moriarty.

Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon

63%
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Movie

Having once again avoided criminal conviction, Professor Moriarity develops a murderous plan to “finish off” his last major nemesis, Sherlock Holmes, by making him fail to prevent the perfect crime. Does it involve a family curse, the crown jewels of England, or something else…

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

69%
Terror by Night
Movie

Holmes and Watson board a passenger train bound from London to Edinburgh, to guard the Star of Rhodesia, an enormous diamond worth a fortune belonging to an elderly woman of wealth; but within the first hour of the trip, the woman's son is murdered and the diamond stolen and any of the passengers in their car could be the killer thief.

Terror by Night

65%