Wow, where to begin?
As someone who has never particularly been a fan of period pieces – whether they be on film or TV – I was pleasantly shocked by how much I enjoyed Enola Holmes, an original Netflix film.
Naturally, the first thing that excited me prior to watching the film was the all-star cast. Millie Bobby Brown plays the titular character of Enola, and the prospect of seeing her in such a different role to that of Eleven in Stranger Things was one that I was most looking forward to. Furthermore, the cast includes Henry Cavill and Sam Claflin as Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes, respectively, as well as Helena Bonham Carter playing the role of Enola’s mother, Eudoria. Personally, these are all actors who I have watched in roles within sci-fi and fantasy genres, so getting to see how well they played such different roles was amazing.
To summarise the plot without spoiling too much, sixteen-year-old Enola Holmes – younger sister of Sherlock Holmes – is flung into her own detective case when her mother mysteriously goes missing. Throughout the course of the film, we see her tackling both the case of her mother’s disappearance and the attempted murder of a young marquess she meets on her journey to London. Alongside the main plot, we also get to see Enola grow into her own person without the constant presence of her mother and form strong relationships with both her estranged family members and new friends that she meets along the way.
The overall tone of the film itself was something I enjoyed a lot. While the story remained interesting – packed with plenty of mystery and plot twists – the film managed to maintain a certain light-heartedness. In particular, I liked the breaking of the fourth wall, in which Enola would look into the camera and address the audience as the story progressed. This made it feel as though we were truly experiencing everything with her, rather than just watching from afar. Despite maintaining a cheerful vibe, there were moments of the film with a more serious tone, such as the scene towards the end of the film where Enola and Tewkesbury face off against the man who has been trying to kill them. In my opinion, this contrast in tone worked well as it prevented the story from feeling tedious.
Another aspect of the film that I loved was Enola’s growth as a character. When we meet her at the start of the film, she has grown up with only her mother and their housekeeper, who taught her skills such as reading and martial arts (rather than the typical education women of that era would receive). When her brothers return and attempt to send her to finishing school, Enola runs away to London to try and find her mother instead, not wanting the life that her oldest brother, Mycroft, is trying to force onto her. When she arrives in London, she gets quite a shock at how different it is to the countryside where she spent her childhood, and she is forced to grow up and learn the ways of society quite quickly. Over the course of the movie, Enola manages to make friends, namely Tewkesbury, and solidifies a bond with her brother Sherlock (one of my favourite dynamics in the film), as well as developing her own passion for deciphering codes and solving mysteries. She grows into her own person, separate from her mother, whilst still holding onto the core values which make her Enola.
Moving past the characters and the storyline, another thing that I enjoyed was the aesthetic of the movie. For me, the production design was one of the best aspects of the film; from the close-up details of the 19th century London set, to the wide shots displaying the picturesque countryside, it helped to add that extra bit of beauty into the movie.
I could probably talk for ages about how pleasantly surprised I was with Enola Holmes. The new take on the classic Sherlock Holmes story was refreshing to watch and, overall, it was a light-hearted yet interesting story that I would 100% recommend to anyone who is a fan of mysteries, especially those set in the past.
And now, I’ll be waiting for the announcement of a sequel!
Words By: Meghan Adams
Edited By: Olivia Flower