Netflix recently released Enola Holmes, an original movie written by Nancy Springer. The film is a spinoff of the popular Sherlock Holmes detective stories by Arthur Conan Doyle. Sherlock’s teenage sister, Enola Holmes, is played by Millie Bobby Brown.

Story & Plot: 5/5

The story takes place in 1884 when Enola’s mother goes missing on Enola’s 16th birthday. She seeks help from her famous detective brother – Sherlock Holmes – and she goes on her own journey to find her missing mother.

On her way she meets her first “friend” other than her mother, the Marquis of Basilwether, Viscount Lord Tewksbury, with whom she shares a surprisingly similar backstory. During their journey the movie shows a hint of romance but not so much that it becomes the main thing viewers focus on.

The film portrays Tewksbury as one of the important side characters in the beginning but shifts the focus to him. A few moments later the focus goes right back to Enola making it seem like Tewksburys part is over. Then Tewksbury shows up again, stealing the spotlight for a moment, which leads to a slightly anticlimactic ending for the two. Tewskbury’s shifting focus is one of the more distracting aspects of the film.

As Enola slowly decodes messages from her missing mother, she follows the clues and finds out what her mother has been up to all these years. Thanks to the bond between her and her mother, and her quick thinking, Enola finds her answer.

Enjoyability: 4/5

Like most stories there’s a villain, and like any good story there’s always an unexpected plot twist. And with the troubles Enola faces during her adventure the movie becomes more and more intriguing.

There’s also a good amount of fighting which comes easy to Enola, thanks to the training from her mother and jiu jitsu teacher (who is also an important character for Enola).

Also, with the film titled as Enola Holmes you would think the story is about Enola, but with Tewksbury in the picture it does distract viewers from Enola’s mystery by jumping back and forth from Tewksbury’s mystery and Enola’s.

The story also includes some strong nods to feminism. From Enola being independent and protecting Tewksbury, to figuring out her mothers plans, it is made clear that womens’ rights are an important theme.

Cinematography & Setting: 5/5

Enola isn’t just the new rising detective Holmes in this film, she also plays the part of the narrator for the viewers, breaking the fourth wall between the viewers and the characters.

The sets have a countryside and vintage theme which makes sense with the timeline. Enola goes through a fair amount of costume changes; whether she’s wearing a ball gown in the streets of London or disguised as a young boy, Enola rocks all of her costumes. With all of them fitting the vintage theme the costume design definitely is one of the strong points in this film.

Overall: 4/5

Enola Holmes is an exciting adventure and intriguing mystery film, even though all the hints and messages tie up into a satisfying ending, it doesn’t explain all the details of how the hints are related to the answers, which leaves viewers feeling perhaps a little empty. I would’ve liked to see more about Enola’s mothers side of the story rather than just a few flashbacks sprinkled throughout the film.

However, many viewers are expecting a sequel to the film, giving it a chance to go into more detail about these characters and answering some questions.

Even with a few slips, the film includes a thrilling adventure. It’s great for both kids and adults and definitely worth a watch.