Movie Review: Enola Holmes

Enola Holmes

Director: Harry Bradbeer

Starring: Millie Bobby Brown, Henry Cavill, Sam Claflin, Helena Bonham Carter, Louis Partridge, Fiona Shaw

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 123 minutes

“My name is Enola, which, backwards, spells alone. But now I see that being alone doesn’t mean I have to be lonely”, says Enola Holmes (Millie Bobby Brown), the little sister of the one and only world-famous consulting detective in London, Sherlock Holmes. Clever, bright, and overall just fun to watch, Enola Holmes delivers a positive message about individuality and equality as Millie Bobby Brown showcases her charismatic force onto the screen by continually breaking the fourth wall with charm and poise. 

Set in 1884, Enola Holmes goes on a mission to search for her missing mother, who one day disappears during her sixteenth birthday. Her mother’s disappearance causes her older brother Mycroft (Sam Claflin) and Sherlock (Henry Cavill) to step in and take care of her as Mycroft wants to send Enola to a finishing school to make sure she becomes a proper, decent “woman.” However, because Enola was taught by her mother, Eudoria (Helena Bonham Carter), to be independent and dauntless, she refuses to fit into the mold that society constantly chastises her for and uses her detective skills to outsmart her brothers. 

Because of her willful determination, she goes on to search for her mother and escapes to London, where she crosses paths with Tewksbury (Louis Partridge), a young lord who also is on the run. During the time that Enola looks for her mother and goes on her journey, we also get to see England go through a change for an expansion of voting rights. Through this balance, director Harry Bradbeer does a fine job making up for the movie’s broad themes of political agenda issues with Enola’s personal adventure. 

Another kudos to director Bradbeer is that this film solely focused on Enola’s character development and maintained it that way until the very end and did not manipulate the Sherlock fan-base by focusing the screen time on him. The film only brought up Sherlock Holmes only when it was necessary. There were several scenes when we see Sherlock and Enola bond together after being separated for a long time. These scenes brought out the chemistry between a brother-sister interaction that somehow I have not seen that quite often in films before. However, the subplot between Sherlock and Enola was a nice touch, but it felt like it could have been more developed and increased the overall run time to another 10 to 15 minutes as the film maintained its fast pace. Enola and Tewksbury also bring out some tender and sweet performances, but the predictable storyline detracts from the overall enjoyment.

Still, I felt quite optimistic after watching Enola Holmes because children and teenagers nowadays have the opportunity to be exposed to films that showcase women’s independence and freedom. Throughout the film, we can see some gender reversal roles as Enola fights off the bad guys and fends for herself while Tewksbury gets protected by Enola during the fight sequences. Also, the emphasis that a woman does not always need a man to live a fulfilling life shows younger audiences, especially younger girls, the powerful progressive stance that needs to be issued to make change happen in a world that emphasizes the dangers of staying static. This message has been repeated and emphasized during recent years, especially in animated Disney movies. Still, it was good to see another film that focuses on a positive message for women as children and teenagers get more chances to watch more movies that promote diversity, filled with complimentary messages.

Millie Bobby Brown, who is most well-known for her role in Stranger Things, brings out an energetic performance and brings a fresh perspective into the world of Holmes. While the story’s primary value comes from Enola’s mission, she also learns that a woman should always choose her path in life and that the future is up for them to decide.