New Netflix original movie, “Enola Holmes,” was released on Sept. 23, and within its first week it quickly became a major success for the streaming platform and was found to be enjoyable to by many viewers such as myself. 

The film is based on a book series, released in 2006, written by Nancy Springer. The series contains six novels that detail Enola’s detective work solving multiple missing persons cases. 

The adaptation stars “Stranger Things” actress, Millie Bobby Brown, as Enola Holmes. Enola is the younger sister of well known-detective, Sherlock Holmes (Henry Cavill).  Although this popular relation is acknowledged heavily throughout the film, “Enola Holmes” feels unique and focused on her personal narrative. 

In the film, Enola wakes up to find that her mother, Eudoria, has disappeared and left many clues that leave Enola compelled to search for her in London. Along the way she meets Viscount Tewkesbury, (Louis Partridge), who is a young lord fleeing from his family. They cross paths multiple times and largely help each other out in the climax of the film.  

One feature that gave this movie a more engaging feel was when Enola would frequently break the fourth wall and interact with the audience. The questions and comments posed at the viewer were often times comedic and brought Enola to life through Brown’s portrayal. The repetition of asides was not something I thought I would have initially liked, however it worked well to give insight into the main character’s personality much like the novels would have. 

The revelation that this film is very self-aware in its choices had allowed me to view it from a different perspective. Without watching the trailer or knowing much background on the story, I immediately picked up on the tone of this film. It was not meant to be a dramatic crime–filled story that is comparable to the Sherlock Holmes adaptations, rather, it was meant to be clever and captivate you with the main character’s wit and persona. 

Although there are a few fighting sequences, there is no real worry that the protagonist is going to face permanent harm. This made some of the action moments, as well as other moments, feel like filler at times. It was always a matter of “how” they were going to get out of a situation and not “if” they were going to make it out. With that being said, it seemed fitting that they played into the fact that the protagonists were always one step ahead. 

I am usually not the biggest fan of period dramas, but “Enola Holmes” seems to make the conscious decision to not be overwhelmingly complex or hard to follow when referencing issues of social reform at the time or when addressing the layers to the mystery itself.  

This film touched on women’s rights and societal pressures for young girls at this time. Being that many of these ideas are still prevalent now, I enjoyed how genuinely the ideas of liberation were embedded into Enola’s character. 

As I moved towards the end of the two-hour film, I was sure that they were not going to give a conclusion to the A plot line, however they still gave viewers something conclusive that would hold them over until a potential sequel.  

The foundation of this film allows for the possibility of multiple sequels. I would argue that if this film were to stand alone, the writers should have gone into a lot more depth about Eudoria’s whereabouts, including visuals and flashbacks which played a vital role throughout the story. 

At times while watching this film, I would say that the pacing felt off (mostly at the very end and beginning) and parts of the movie would sometimes drag. However, when Enola would offer insults, turn to the talk to the audience or solve a new piece of the case you are taken back into her world. 

“Enola Holmes” is a natural and light-hearted take on the typical historical drama that I would recommend to anyone who wants to see a simplistic mystery that is carried by Brown’s performance.