Nutevio Score
6.8Ⓝ
- IMDb
- 7.1
- Rotten Tomatoes
- 68%
- Metacritic
- 68
When a nobleman is threatened by a family curse on his newly inherited estate, detective Sherlock Holmes is hired to investigate.
Imported record — imported from the Nutevio library and placed by ranking signal. A Nutevio editorial verdict has not been written for this entry yet.
The number one — extended editorial
Legacy
The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939) is the entry we would put first for anyone coming straight from Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone) Collection. It picks up the same characters and the same central problem, so nothing about it feels like a detour.
Cultural impact
It also works as a standalone evening. 80 minutes, no homework required beyond the film you have just watched, and it resolves its own story rather than parking it for a sequel.
Sidney Lanfield on the material
Sidney Lanfield treats the material as if the audience is already paying attention, which is the whole trick. Nothing is repeated for the slow row at the back, and that trust is what makes the ending land.
Awards summary
No Academy Awards on record for this title — its standing here comes from how well it holds up, not from a ceremony.
Start here — everything else in this guide reads more clearly once you have seen it.
Perfect for
- Fans of mystery and horror filmmaking
- Sidney Lanfield admirers
- Viewers who enjoy slow-burn tension over shocks
- Puzzle-solvers who like piecing a story together
- Classic-cinema viewers building a foundation
- First-timers looking for the essential entry point
Skip if
- You dislike deliberate, unhurried pacing
- You prefer action-heavy films
- You are sensitive to on-screen violence
Best watched
Late evening, lights off, phone in another room.
Editor's note
“Watch the first ten minutes of The Hound of the Baskervilles with the sound up and no distractions. If it has not got you by then, this collection may not be for you — and that is genuinely fine.”
