After a horrendous Holmes and Watson (2018), fans would be pleased to know that Netflix’ latest production is a respectable addition to the Sherlock franchise. This is probably the only film in the Holmes universe which isn’t about Sherlock, but about his equally witty and skilled sister – Elona Holmes.
Film – Enola Holmes (2020)
Duration – 2h 03m
Directors – Harry Bradbeer
Main Cast – Millie Bobby Brown, Henry Cavill, Sam Claflin, Louis Partridge and Helena Bonham Carter
Rating – 3.5 / 5
(No spoilers follow below)
Netflix’ Enola Holmes hits all the right spots when it comes to storytelling and character interpretations and succeeds in paying a praiseworthy homage to the works of Sir Arthur Conan Dyle. Never once does the movie feel boring or uninvolving, thanks to a cleverly written script and amazing performances throughout. The film does not feature iconic Sherlock characters like Dr. Watson or Professor Moriarty but frankly I was so sold by Enola Holmes, that this film could have done good even without Sherlock himself.
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Enola Holmes, brought up single handedly by her mother, is an extremely smart, skilled and unruly girl who wants to step out of the shadows of her successful brothers and make her own mark. Millie Bobby Brown delivers a tremendous performance as Enola, overshadowing everything else in the film. It almost seems like the Emmy winning actress was born to play Enola Holmes and just instantly settles in your mind as a female Sherlock. Her effortlessly amazing character portrayal leaves the audience yearning for more and this film just seems like a beginning. Ughhhh, Netflix, why didn’t you make it a series?!
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Though in my opinion, Enola Holmes alone was enough but we also did have Sherlock to pull the audiences and fans in. With a different take on the character, Henry Cavill portrays a bulky and brooding Sherlock, unlike any of the versions before. It feels like weird takes on Sherlock [old version in Mr. Holmes (2015) or funny version in Holmes & Watson (2018)] is the only option left with the film makers after the unmatchable portrayal by Benedict Cumberbatch in the BBC series. Henry Cavill makes the best out of the role he was offered and adds somewhat of a humanly character to his bio data, as opposed to Superman or The Witcher. Unfortunately, he didn’t get any action scenes here to showcase his skills but he did manage to convince the audience that he is indeed as wity as Sherlock is supposed to be.
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Rest of the Holmes family included their eccentric and egoistic brother, Mycroft Homes and their proud and revolutionary mother, Eudoria Holmes. Sam Calfin (Mycroft Holmes) made sure his character was the most hated one on screen; from sending Enola to a boarding school to never understanding his family, he literally did everything wrong in the film. Maybe because he wanted to prove himself better than Sherlock or maybe because he genuinely was an a**. Eudoria Holmes, again, portrayed remarkably by Helena Bonham Carter was this mysterious character throughout, who no one was able to crack until the very end. Arriving to final character Tewkesbury (Louis Partridge) aka Enola’s romantic interest was the major plot point of the film or should I say, the mysterious case which Holmes had to solve (both the Holmes).
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As can be analyzed from my review till now, the film was majorly about character establishments and world building. The script of the film was clever and the characters were witty but the narrative wasn’t as twisted or unpredictable as one expects from a Sherlock outing. I mean, the mystery behind the Tewkesbury case was not that difficult to guess, nor did the makers focus too much on the case. As I said, it was majorly about introducing us to the characters and that is why I was disappointed that this project wasn’t a series. It feels like a start and leaves you with a feeling of incompleteness.
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But apart from that, it is just a delight to watch both visually and emotionally. I am highly impressed by the visuals of all Netflix UK originals, be it The Crown or The Last Kingdom or The Witcher. These guys have perfected the art of cinematography, color grading, production designing and editing. Enola Holmes breaks the 4th wall a lot of times and therefore it feels like an amalgam of Fleabag and Downtown Abbey with a female Sherlock as the lead. So, being a visually appealing and relatable tale with a clever script, decent action and engaging characters, Enola Holmes makes up for a worth watching film (which also serves a stimulus to your brain). So, happy Sherlocking mates!
Enola Holmes IMDB (Deserves much more than 6.7 to be honest)
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