Enola Holmes is a Netflix movie based on a series of books that follows the captivating adventures of a young woman detective as she searches for her mother.
Who knew Sherlock Holmes had a teenage sister? And who knew she would be as captivating, snarky, and badass as she is? This new Netflix movie is based on the novels by the same name from Nancy Springer, that I have since ordered for my daughters (and yes, myself) to read. There are six of them which means fans could potentially get even more Netflix movies based on the books. After watching Enola Holmes on Netflix, I think that is a very real, and very exciting, possibility.
Enola Holmes starts off exactly as the trailer does. Enola is explaining her name, her life, her mother, and her brothers. You see, her mother has disappeared. She is “only” 16 and her brothers, Sherlock and Mycroft, have come home to help find her. They shortly discover she has left of her own free will, and does not wish to be found.
Since Enola is underage, they must find someone to take care of her. Mycroft is upset by how unladylike she is and wishes to send her off to a finishing school. Knowing this, Enola takes off in the middle of the night. She brings with her some gifts her mother left behind, which will help her to decipher codes that she has left for her. You see, her mother is rather a fan of word games.
Is There Girl Power?
At the beginning of Enola Holmes, she is told that she is not lady enough by her brother. She is told she is wild, not the right proportions to be attractive, by the headmistress of the finishing school. As a woman myself, and a mother of two girls, to hear that the very tiny Millie Bobby Brown needs to lose a pound or two, was a bit hard to hear.
Of course, this is all just to drive home a lot of what is happening in the movie. Women’s suffrage is a major plot point and there is to be a Lords vote in London to see if women will be allowed to vote in England. While on the run, Enola meets up with the newest Lord, who is running away. She quickly discovers that there was an attempt to murder him and she ends up putting on her detective hat to solve the mystery of who and why. She is doing this all while still hunting down her mother, who clearly does not want to be found. At least not right now.
Enola is a powerful lead for this movie. She is a fighter, a thinker, and quite frankly, she is a badass. I was hoping for a lot of girl power in this movie and while it is there, there are also some moments that are not so powerful. The headmistress is clearly in love with Mycroft and she lets her guard slip just because of how she swoons after him. There is also a woman who is against the advancement of England, and allowing women the right to vote. That latter one hit me in the gut just a little bit.
Is Enola Holmes OK For Kids?
Netflix rates Enola Holmes PG-13. Which is the same rating as The New Mutants, a movie I took both my 7 and 9 year old to go see last month. These two movies are very, very different. Enola Holmes has some fight scenes that show blood, and maybe some bad words (honestly I didn’t notice any, but I rarely do).
There is a also a little bit of a love story between Enola and Lord Tewskbury. It doesn’t take the forefront of the movie, but it is there. Likely this is something we will see develop in the future, if there are sequels.
My major issue with this movie is the putting down of women. Although I do understand that was the time, and that is the point to some of the plot. But that doesn’t mean I have to like it. Especially as a mom of girls. Enola does break that barrier though, and show that women can be strong too. Making her a good role model for young women.
Overall Thoughts
Enola Holmes is a tale of adventure, mystery, and finding oneself. Millie Bobby Brown embodies Enola perfectly and was a fantastic casting choice. While you will probably figure it all out well before Enola does, this movie is still worth a watch. It could work as a standalone film, but sets up for future movies at the same time.
The pacing is a bit off but it doesn’t distract from the movie as a whole. The trailer sets up for the fourth wall breaking that is seen in the movie, although it slows down and almost disappears by the end of the second act, only to come back again at the very end. That and the “MEH” romance that we get between Enola and Lord Tewskbury slow things down, but not to a halt.
Enola Holmes has a lot of action, and I very much enjoyed watching her kick some grown men butt time and again. I enjoyed seeing her as a positive role model for my daughters, who embraces being a woman. She is not at all what society expects her to be, and that is OK. I also really like seeing her best her genius brother, Sherlock, time and again.
About Enola Holmes
England, 1884 – a world on the brink of change. On the morning of her 16th birthday, Enola Holmes (Millie Bobby Brown) wakes to find that her mother (Helena Bonham Carter) has disappeared, leaving behind an odd assortment of gifts but no apparent clue as to where she’s gone or why. After a free-spirited childhood, Enola suddenly finds herself under the care of her brothers Sherlock (Henry Cavill) and Mycroft (Sam Claflin), both set on sending her away to a finishing school for “proper” young ladies.
Refusing to follow their wishes, Enola escapes to search for her mother in London. But when her journey finds her entangled in a mystery surrounding a young runaway Lord (Louis Partridge), Enola becomes a super-sleuth in her own right, outwitting her famous brother as she unravels a conspiracy that threatens to set back the course of history.
Based on the beloved book series by Nancy Springer, ENOLA HOLMES is a dynamic new mystery-adventure that introduces the world’s greatest detective to his fiercest competition yet: his teenage sister. The game is afoot.
