Philadelphia Globe Reviews Enola Holmes, A Family Fun Flick
By John Saeger
Enola Holmes is a fun spin-off of the Sherlock Holmes character that brings Britain’s most famous literary detective to a new generation. Starring Millie Bobby Brown, Henry Cavill, and Helena Bonham Carter, the family-friendly mystery is an enjoyable jaunt through Victorian England. The clever movie is also a refreshing look at a young star known for more emotionally charged performances.
Based on a young adult series by Nancy Springer, the titular character is the 16-year-old sister of the esteemed Sherlock Holmes. The film’s sleuth is tasked with solving two mysteries. The first is the mysterious disappearance of the Holmes clan’s matriarch. As Enola searches for her mother, she also becomes entangled in the adventure of a young heir whose vote is vital to reform legislation.
The details of the story, however, are almost immaterial to the film’s success. Enola Holmes is really a one-woman show immersed in a plot that is more about tone than substance. The screenplay was written by Jack Thorne. At first glance, Thorne’s previous writing affiliation with Shameless would not appear to mesh with YA children’s fiction. The writer’s credits with His Dark Materials and the stage adaptation of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child align more closely with this style of filmmaking. His script is filled with wit and is an ideal vehicle for the movie’s lead.
Millie Bobby Brown is brilliant as Enola Holmes. Brown is best known as the psychokinetic Eleven in Netflix’s prestige show Stranger Things, but the young actor shows off a more cheerful side in her first leading film role. Her charisma and charm emerges as she breaks the fourth wall. This frequent conversation with the audience keeps the film afloat. A more stoic performance would have resulted in a generic movie, making this something of a breakout role for an actor who is primarily identified with Netflix’s Hawkins ensemble.
Henry Cavill is not the aloof and tone deaf version of the detective that Benedict Cumberbatch brought to the BBC. The Baker Street resident is caring, affable, and understands the intellectual curiosity of his younger sister. His unusual presentation of Sherlock Holmes has sparked litigation from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s estate. The estate’s attorneys alledge that any material presenting a kinder Holmes has not yet entered the public domain.
Regardless of how the case is settled, the new look Holmes establishes a brilliant buddy pairing for a film that has the look of a franchise. The suppressed emotions of a more traditional Holmes adventure would not work for a movie aimed at young teenagers. Enola Holmes has a natural fit for the stuffy Victorian society in the sibling’s brother.
Mycroft Holmes is the stern enforcer of the Old World. A character typically cast as a government official, the conservative Mycroft looks down upon his sister’s freedom and independence. This establishes the frequently-explored story of Victorian women held down by society. This trope holds up well in Enola Holmes.
Enola Holmes is essentially a YA adaptation of a Jane Austin stereotype (think Encyclopedia Brown meets a young Elizabeth Bennet). These classic settings give Enola Holmes a workable formula for a few adventures. A few capers and golden rapport between Millie Bobby Brown and the fourth wall give a young generation a new and engaging character to grow up with.
About the Author: John Saeger is a music and film writer from Philadelphia. Since 2017 he has been writing his pop-culture blog Long After Dark, a site dedicated to the arts in the City of Brotherly Love and beyond. Email/ Twitter
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