Enola Holmes 2 review: A sharp improvement on a strong beginning

Sherlock Holmes’ younger sister Enola Holmes wasn’t part of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s original stories — she’s the creation of Nancy Springer, who wrote seven books about the teenage detective. Netflix loosely adapts the first one in 2020. Stranger Things’ Millie Bobby Brown starring as Enola and The Witcher’s Henry Cavill playing Sherlock Holmes. The show was well-received by Netflix and had a large fan base. Netflix was quick to approve a sequel. There are more than 250 screen adaptations of Sherlock Holmes stories, so it seems fitting that Enola should get a handful of her own — especially when they’re this good.

It is rare to find a sequel that surpasses the original Enola-Holiday movie. The first had its strengths, most notably Brown’s magnificent acting, but director Harry Bradbeer and screenwriter Jack Thorne seem more certain of the theme and the characters this time around. The main mystery can be put on center stage without the need to do any setup. Enola’s relationship with her famous brother helps support the story, rather than distracting it.

[Ed. note: This review contains slight setup spoilers for Enola Holmes 2, plus spoilers for the first movie.]

Henry Cavill as Sherlock Holmes, Millie Bobby Brown as Enola Holmes, Louis Partridge as Tewkesbury in Enola Holmes 2. Enola holds up a piece of paper and points at it while the others look on.

Alex Bailey/Netflix.

The sequel is now live Enola has started her own detective agency. But because all her potential clients expect they’re going to be consulting with the OtherHolmes sister, Holmes is struggling to find customers. Enola’s sister is missing when a young factory girl appears at her doorstep. Enola winds up exploring the working-class world of Victorian London, which she’s wholly unfamiliar with. Sherlock continues to work on another case, which involves vast amounts of money that disappear and then reappears in London’s bank accounts. As Enola snoops further, she learns that her case ties into some of the more upper-crust residents of London — and finds her path crossing her brother’s again.

Netflix’s first Enola Holmes movie ran into legal trouble with Arthur Conan Doyle’s estate, which claimed it used a version of Sherlock not yet under public domain. (Apparently… any version of Sherlock with emotions?) Unfortunately for the franchise, this lawsuit was dropped. The film depicts Sherlock, not as the typical arrogant and cold-hearted detective but rather as an awkward man with warmth for his little sister.

As with the first movie, Brown’s and Cavill’s performances are electric. Enola is a direct communicator with the audience and breaks down any fourth walls with his confident charm. Cavill’s Sherlock gives the famous detective another dimension: In addition to being a brilliant, pompous genius, he’s AlsoA brother tries to reconnect with his sister. Sherlock and Enola have a delightful relationship, one where they’re trying to connect with each other and express, in their limited ways, that they care for each other — while also trying to solve their cases, and jealously keep their progress and processes secret from each other.

henry cavill as sherlock holmes. he sits on a chaise lounge, peering at some papers in his hands

Alex Bailey/Netflix.

One of the biggest problems Bradbeer and Thorne faced in the initial meeting was Enola HolmesThe challenge was to get the viewers to fully grasp the Holmes family dynamic and balance that with the plot. The main mystery centered around Enola’s missing mother (Helena Bonham Carter), which could’ve set the ground for a tight, family-focused story, if the filmmakers hadn’t woven in another missing-persons plot that ended up interrogating England’s Victorian-era politics. The first time, the movie never committed to fully exploring that thread, so the end reveal about Enola’s mother was jarring, and the ramifications were left unexplored. In the sequel she appears only in passing. Enola Sherlock 2 This thread is left unfinished. Thankfully, when it comes to the other plot lines, this time it doesn’t just dance around the inequalities of Victorian society — it finally takes the plunge.

These two mystery pieces are more connected this time, making it a satisfying ending. It’s great fun. Enola finds herself in places where the stakes and class are starkly different. From the original movie, she meets the charmant Viscount Tewkesbury (Louis Partridge), and their spark is still evident. She teaches him how to fight, while he teaches her dance. Brown infuses Enola’s life with so much earnestness, pluck, and joy that it doesn’t matter where or how she travels, Brown makes her a complete delight. Whether she’s punching cops, fumbling her etiquette at a ball, or helping her drunk brother get home, she’s magnetic.

millie bobby brown as enola holmes. she runs through the london streets, two police officers right on her tail

Alex Bailey/Netflix.

There’s one big, glaring gap in Enola Sherlock 2. This sequel centers on Enola’s realization of her privilege as a woman from the upper class and how she used it to assist those in need. While the script features a lot of talk about women’s rights and class inequality, race continues to be a complete blind spot in this world. It would be one thing if these were surface-level adventure movies that didn’t delve into social justice issues, but the fact that they focus so much on other injustices and ignore this one makes the omission particularly egregious. Because of this, the character reveal at end, which should have been a fun, clever twist, ends up feeling weird.

Enola Sherlock 2 is still an improvement over the first movie, though, because Enola doesn’t just learn about the world outside her isolated home life — she actually helps others change it. The Enola Holmes movies aren’t just delightful mysteries focusing on a plucky teenage detective and a spectacular cast of supporting characters; they also hold a magnifying glass over the world of Victorian London, one often glamorized in other adaptations. Although the hand that holds that magnifying glass is not perfect, it still blurs a portion of what’s in view. With this marked improvement, perhaps the next one can get it right. Enola Holmes does deserve a third movie — and perhaps a fourth and a fifth. She’s a wonderful heroine who not only works well with her famous brother, but also on her own. More Enola Holmes is needed in the world.

Enola Sherlock 2Netflix has it available now

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