Enola Holmes

***Enola Holmes*** is a 2020 mystery film based on the first book in the young adult fiction series of the same name by Nancy Springer. The film is directed by Harry Bradbeer, from a screenplay by Jack Thorne. Millie Bobby Brown stars as the title character, while also serving as a producer on the film. Henry Cavill, Sam Claflin, and Helena Bonham Carter also star.

Enola Holmes was released on September 23, 2020. A sequel titled Enola Holmes 2 is in development.

## Plot

While searching for her missing mother, intrepid teen Enola Holmes uses her sleuthing skills to outsmart big brother Sherlock and help a runaway lord.

## Why It Rocks

1. The idea of the female character about the British detective is interesting and gets better executed.
2. It follows faithfully of the story based on the first book in the young adult fiction series of the same name by Nancy Springer.
3. Tewkesbury is considered a decently developed and endearing sidekick character with some clever hidden depths.
4. The flashback scene where Eudoria is playing chess with Enola and lecturing her on strategy, then it cuts to the other side and shows Enola as an infant, looking a bit confused by all of this.
5. In general, Enola's Big Brother Worship of Sherlock, who returns her affection the best way he can (admittedly, it's Sherlock Holmes we're talking about, but he does really try). His laugh of admiration as he realizes she solved the case and went to Lestrade before him is the most we've seen him emote in the film.
6. The Legendary Pictures logo comes with a new twist. It is animated on parchment paper, and when it finishes, tree branches and flowers draw themselves around the logo, making it nice references.
7. Daniel Pemberton's soundtrack is awesome.
8. Linthorn is a huge favorite thanks to Burn Gorman's intimidating performance.
9. Amazing acting for the cast, especially from Millie Bobby Brown, Henry Cavill, Sam Claflin, and Helena Bonham Carter.
10. Impressive cinematography.

## Bad Qualities

1. Sherlock Holmes doesn't have really much screen-time.
2. The complete absence of Dr. Watson from the movie is this for some, considering the original Enola Holmes books explicitly referenced him as Holmes' biographer and friend. In fairness, it is entirely possible, in the universe of the film at least, that they haven't actually met yet.
3. Mycroft being changed to an incredible jerkass in this adaptation, as this was the exact opposite of his much kinder (albeit still old-fashioned in his views about gender and society) character in the original Enola Holmes books. In this continuity, his actions end up causing Enola to run away. To add insult to injury, he suffers also from Adaptational Dumbass.

## Reception

*Enola Holmes* received generally positive reviews, who praised Brown's performance. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 91% based on 204 reviews, with an average rating of 7.10/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "*Enola Holmes* brings a breath of fresh air to Baker Street – and leaves plenty of room for Millie Bobby Brown to put her effervescent stamp on a franchise in waiting.". On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 68 out of 100, based on reviews from 30 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

## Trivia

* Originally planned for a theatrical release by Warner Bros. Pictures, the distribution rights to the film were picked up by Netflix due to the COVID-19 pandemic.