--- title: "Holmes & Watson: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/holmes-and-watson/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/holmes-and-watson" critics_score: 25 critics_reviews: 16 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Holmes & Watson (2018): what the critics said Critics' score 25 from 16 reviews: 0 positive, 3 mixed, 13 negative. The consensus is strongly negative: most critics find Holmes & Watson short of laughs, with a promising pairing let down by repetitive gags and weak material. Praise is scattered rather than shared widely, though some reviews find pleasure in Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly’s friendship and musical abilities. The supporting performers also earn occasional credit, particularly Lauren Lapkus’s physical comedy and Rebecca Hall’s efforts to bring some humour to the proceedings. The main divide concerns whether those moments offer much relief. Most reviews describe dated parody, strained performances and anachronisms that do little beyond announcing themselves; several also lament the wasted supporting cast. A few raise sharper objections to homophobia and the treatment of women. Polygon is more forgiving, finding enjoyment in the film’s weirdness and supporting players, while Vulture sees it settling into a silly groove after an inept start. Neither amounts to an unqualified endorsement. ## Vulture — David Edelstein Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 26 December 2018. The critic notes it begins ineptly but settles into a silly groove, with some good moments like the musical number. They praise the audience enjoyment and Ferrell/Reilly's musical chops despite many awful jokes. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2018/12/holmes-and-watson-review.html) ## The New York Times — Ben Kenigsberg Fi1m's normalised score 45/100 (inferred from the text). 25 December 2018. The critic finds the film stagnant with insufficient laughs to overcome its dull routine, despite Sony's decision to release it without advance screenings. Intermittent joy comes from the autumnal bromance between Ferrell and Reilly, highlighted by a late musical duet. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/25/movies/holmes-and-watson-review.html) ## Los Angeles Times — Noel Murray Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 26 December 2018. The review calls the film a well-meaning misfire that occasionally clicks with raunchy '80s comedy energy and a Daffy Duck/Porky Pig dynamic between Ferrell and Reilly. It disappoints overall compared to the duo's stronger prior collaborations, with gags that often land flat. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-holmes-and-watson-review-20181226-story.html) ## Variety — Peter Debruge Fi1m's normalised score 25/100 (inferred from the text). 25 December 2018. The critic deems it a dud whose uninspired execution spoils the amusing premise of Ferrell and Reilly as Holmes and Watson. The parody feels off-brand and garden-variety, squandering a strong supporting cast while the leads' chemistry cannot salvage the lackluster material. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2018/film/reviews/holmes-and-watson-review-will-ferrell-1203095643/) ## Empire — Nick de Semlyen Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 27 December 2018. The film is a hit-and-miss comedy that fails due to its cretinous leads and lack of internal logic, relying on random riffs that mostly fall flat. It singles out a third-act song as one of the rare moments where it bursts into life, though even that does not reach the heights of the stars' better work. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/holmes-watson-review/) ## The AV Club — Ignatiy Vishnevetsky Rating F. 26 December 2018. The critic calls it the worst feature-length film about Sherlock Holmes, with uncharacteristically unfunny performances from the leads and pure flopsweat. They complain about the laziness and dated parody. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/will-ferrell-and-john-c-reilly-hit-career-lows-in-the-1831309924) ## Sight and Sound — Trevor Johnston Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2019. The critic finds the film a mirth-free comedic misfire with poor material and desperate cluelessness. They single out the waste of talented supporting actors like Ralph Fiennes and the glaring anachronisms for complaint. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/holmes-watson-review-lumbering-sherlockian-knockdown) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 6 January 2019. The critic calls the film puerile, imbecilic and the nadir of Conan Doyle adaptations, full of casual homophobia and grossout gags. The performances by Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly are described as bare minimum and insulting, with a murky look and poor treatment of female characters. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/jan/06/holmes-and-watson-review-film-john-c-reilly-will-ferrell) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Frank Scheck Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 25 December 2018. The critic finds the film devastatingly unfunny, a Christmas turkey that wastes a talented cast in a feeble sendup of Sherlock Holmes. They single out the shoddy visuals and lame slapstick for complaint. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/holmes-watson-1171624/) ## The Telegraph — Tim Robey Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 31 December 2018. The critic deems the film very, very bad, a desperate period spoof with failed gags, strained performances and pointless anachronisms that no one in the audience found funny. It is portrayed as a crass, regressive mess that even Netflix rejected. [Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/curious-case-holmes-watson-just-bad-worst-movie-2018/) ## Time Out — Joshua Rothkopf Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 26 December 2018. The critic calls it a graceless, laughs-free experience showing the stars out of touch with their usual mania. They single out the charmless prissy accents, inept gags, and desperate anachronisms like the Titanic cameo for complaint. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/holmes-watson) ## Polygon — Karen Han Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 26 December 2018. The critic finds Holmes & Watson not as bad as expected despite its flaws, noting it wrings some joy from elementary material. They single out the terrific supporting cast and the film's underlying weirdness for praise. [Read the review](https://www.polygon.com/2018/12/26/18156866/holmes-watson-review-will-ferrell-john-c-reilly/) ## Den of Geek — Mark Harrison Rating 2 out of 5. 26 December 2018. The critic finds it an underpowered Sherlock spoof with only a couple of inspired gags amid humdrum material. Lauren Lapkus's physical comedy performance stands out as a highlight. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/holmes-and-watson-review/) ## The Playlist — Cory Woodroof Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 27 December 2018. The critic sees the film as a half-baked misfire that fails to capitalize on its premise of a dumb take on Sherlock Holmes, lacking the vision of prior Ferrell collaborations. It delights in its own stupidity but ultimately feels wayward and unsatisfying. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/holmes-watson-ferrell-reilly-review-20181227/) ## /Film — Josh Spiegel Rating 2/10. 26 December 2018. The critic finds the film an uninspired and hacky parody that arrives several years too late, with lazy one-note gags and inconsistent tone. The relationship between the leads and the supporting cast's wasted potential are highlighted as disappointments. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/563222/holmes-and-watson-review/) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 26 December 2018. The film is a thoroughly tedious and never-amusing Sherlock Holmes spoof that feels like an unfunny first draft. The critic singles out Rebecca Hall for eliciting the film's closest approximation to laughs as an American doctor. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/holmes-and-watson-film-review-will-ferrel-john-c-reilly/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/holmes-and-watson.md