‘Enola Holmes’ Review; Dir. Harry Bradbeer (2020)

Re-envisioning Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes for a new generation, Nancy Springer’s bestselling YA series “Enola Holmes” didn’t so much gender swap the beloved detective but, rather, reimagined him with a little sister – now the leading lady of Netflix’s latest adaptation.

As she cycles around the country, Holmes (Millie Bobby Brown) talks to us about her life. Zippy fourth-wall-breaking isn’t unexpected given that Fleabag’s Harry Bradbeer is at the helm here, making his feature debut from a script penned by Jack Thorne. Her mother Eudoria (Helena Bonham Carter) is a fan of word-play, we’re told, which is where her name comes from – it’s alone backwards, Enola proclaims. And she’s the younger sister of Sherlock (a perfectly cast Henry Cavill) and Mycroft (Sam Claflin on a devilishly grandiose form), the former of which has already established his name as the go-to sleuth. 

They return home for Enola’s 16th birthday, after many years of being away, to find that Eudoria has mysteriously disappeared. Sherlock is put on the case while Mycroft tries to find a finishing school for girls for his younger sister to make her more lady-like, much to Enola’s dismay. However, she sneaks off to London in search of her mother but finds herself entangled in another case too – all while her brothers set out after her.

Part of the fun of Thorne’s screenplay is that it’s a tangled web of mystery. While the particular cases aren’t too complicated, there are always a few going on at any given time. Eudoria’s disappearance sets the film’s events in motion; Sherlock is then trying to find both Enola and Eudoria; meanwhile, Enola gets caught up in another case involving Lord Tewksbury (Louis Partridge) after their chance encounter on a train. It’s a propulsive narrative that moves with a jaunty pace; it keeps the audience involved and entertained, albeit if not always guessing (though there a few unexpected turns along the way). What Thorne’s writing lacks in mystery, it makes up for in heart. Enola has been confined to her family’s rural mansion all her life so there’s a gleeful fish-out-of-water element to her journey through London. Brown is terrific in the role, bringing energy and heart to the whip-smart Holmes. She’s terrific in the action sequences too, which Bradbeer executes with razor-sharp precision and taut choreography. And somehow a sense of realism as a scrappy 16-year-old kicks her way out of precarious situations.

Enola Holmes is a film that has something for everyone. It’s a great, timely message of feminism and being yourself with slick action and candy-coloured visuals (and a myriad of delightfully extravagant costumes). But it’s the heart and sincerity underpinning it all that makes this film shine. The characters are likeable, the themes are relevant, and it’s all wrapped up in a thoroughly refreshing new take on Holmes. Netflix has tried to launch many franchises this year, but Enola Holmes is the one that lends itself best to more stories. Brown is an excellent lead and Enola fits well in this world of sleuths and mysteries. The game is afoot for the young detective and hopefully, it continues.