“Enola Holmes” review: A modern twist on a literary classic

BY JAELYN YEAMPIERRE

“Stranger Things” star Millie Bobby Brown stars as Enola Holmes, the sister of the famed investigator Sherlock Holmes, in Netflix’s film adaptation of Nancy Springer’s “Enola Holmes Mysteries’” series. 

The film was released on the streaming platform on September 23, inciting excitement from an awaiting audience due to its cast packed with several well known actors, including Academy Award-nominated actress Helena Bonham Carter.

The cast of the film is what helps the audience form connections to its characters, with “Hunger Games” actor Sam Claflin portraying Mycroft Holmes, the stern brother of both Sherlock and Enola. Millie Bobby Brown is also a familiar face, especially on Netflix because of her leading role as Eleven on Netflix’s Emmy-nominated show “Stranger Things.” Another well-known actor cast in this film is Henry Cavill, the face of DC’s Superman.

The film begins in a scenic countryside where Enola and her mother, Eudoria, reside along with several servants after the passing of Enola’s father. Enola tells the tale of her upbringing, sans Sherlock and Mycroft and how her childhood was different in comparison to other young women her age. Whereas other little girls were brought up learning etiquette in depth and how to attract a suitor, Enola’s mother raised her to read, write, paint and defend herself if she ever found herself in a dangerous situation she couldn’t find her way out of.

With each scene Enola narrates comes a visual in which she is participating in each activity with her mother.

With each scene Enola narrates comes a visual in which she is participating in each activity with her mother. Arguably, the most exciting scene of this sequence is when Enola engages in a martial arts battle with her mother.

This proves useful in later events of the film, despite Mycroft’s aversion to Enola’s upbringing and criticism of his mother.  

Later on in the plot, the main premise of the film occurs after the disappearance of Enola’s mother. Mycroft and Sherlock are thus called home to decide what to do with Enola. A clear contrast between characters is shown between the three, despite the fact that they’re siblings. While Mycroft is cynical in every sense of the word, Enola is free-spirited and stubborn, holding her own in an argument against Mycroft as to whether or not she should be sent to a boarding school to learn proper etiquette. 

Surprisingly, Sherlock himself is a minor character throughout the film, despite his notoriety. One thing that Enola and Sherlock have in common is their ability to solve mysteries and while Enola chooses to use her clue-finding ability to reunite her family, Sherlock feels as though the disappearance of his mother is just one more mystery in his life to be solved.

“Enola Holmes” is humorous all the way through, with its quick pacing keeping viewers on their toes.

“Enola Holmes” is humorous all the way through, with its quick pacing keeping viewers on their toes. The pacing contributes greatly to the way the jokes impact the audience, oftentimes coming at some of the most intense moments in the film; an example being the train scene at the very beginning of the film in which Enola and her friend Lord Tewkesbury are forced to jump off of a moving train for fear of the ominous man in the hat.

Humor keeps the film light-hearted, despite the several serious themes being discussed. One such theme is shown through Enola’s mother’s potential involvement in bomb production as she pursues equal rights for women, as discovered later in the movie.

The empowerment of women itself is a common theme within the movie. Enola uses the typical appearance and behavior of young ladies in society to deceive others in order to obtain information relating to both her mother and Tewkesbury. He later proves to be of bigger importance in Enola’s life than what she expected him to be after their original meeting.

The empowerment of women itself is a common theme within the movie.

Additionally, Sherlock has a conversation with a woman Enola came into contact with that is connected to her mother. The woman explains to Sherlock that the reason he has no particular interest in the upcoming vote is because his privilege bars him from understanding why it is important, even if he will not necessarily benefit himself.

This conversation is one that women in our society are still having in terms of discussing our rights, showing that despite the “Enola Holmes” movie being set in old England, modern themes are still touched upon.

Overall, “Enola Holmes” is a wonderful take on a female detective version of the well-loved Sherlock Holmes, with the central themes showing that a film does not necessarily have to be about romance to make it interesting.

Photo courtesy of Netflix