Enola Holmes, Netflix’s latest movie to hit the streaming service from author Nancy Springer brings us a big name cast; Netflix darling Millie Bobby Brown (Stranger Things), Henry Cavill (DCU Superman, The Witcher), Sam Claflin (Hunger Games) and Helena Bonham -Carter (Harry Potter, Kings Speech). A spin on the Sherlock Holmes legend, this focuses on the younger sister of the eponymous Sherlock.
While Springer’s story of missing persons, murder, mystery and mayhem, is quite intriguing, once again we are presented with the teen detective drama trope of the missing parent/guardian scenario (see Artemis Fowl, Spy Kids, Stormbreaker etc.) and drops it into what seems like a lost episode of the ITV drama Larkrise To Candleford.
What makes this rise above what would have otherwise been a fairly humdrum affair is the rather fantasical Bobbie Brown, who at such a young age is really becoming quite the movie star already. Alongside the rather engaging Cavill as Holmes they manage to make this a rather enjoyable affair.
However, the plot bounces between its dual plots leaving a few loose strings while just about managing to gather them together in time for the finale seems a bit scattershot, on the whole it just about manages to work. The only issues really with films like this, as with most teen movies is how the protaganists are able to overcome the physical threat of the adult villians with relative ease, point in case here battling Burn Gorman’s Linthorn.
Overall, great cast, plenty of fun and it’ll likely play well with it’s intended audience, especially those who enjoy CBBC’s Hettie Feather as there is a lot of stylistic similarities here too. Would be interesting to see some more adventures from Ms. Holmes as this is a solid origin/set up presentation.
