Enola Holmes (2020)
Review of Enola Holmes (2020), directed by Harry Bradbeer
As a prelude, apparently this movie broke Netflix. Like it literally is one of the most-watched movies on Netflix. I think it’s probably because of Millie Bobby Brown being in it, as she’s still high off of her Stranger Things fame (which, somehow, I still have not seen).
I’d never actually seen anything with Millie Bobby Brown before now that I actually think about it, but I think she did a great job in this movie. My personal favorite aspect of her character is that she breaks the fourth wall all the time to just speak to the camera and the viewers.
Anyways, this movie is also based off of a young adult book series (which I have also not heard of until now). The only cast members I knew were Helena Bonham Carter, who plays Enola’s mother that disappears randomly one night, and Sam Claflin of The Hunger Games. Though, to be honest, I shamefully did not notice Sam Claflin at first. I didn’t even recognize him, what a shame.
Let’s dive into this review, shall we?
Content
Set in Victorian England, our main character, Enola, is everything a woman shouldn’t be. She doesn’t dress properly, and, while she was raised by her mother, she never received a formal education and is prone to playing tennis with her mum in the house.
Her older brothers are Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes, who’ve made their way to the big-ranks of being London detectives working with Scotland Yard.
But one night, Enola’s mother goes missing and she seeks out her brothers, who demean her for not being lady-like and are in ownership of the family home because they’re men. This leads Enola to sneak out of the house disguised as a man, kickstarting her wild journey to find her mother.
It is on this journey she gets tangled up with a young lord, Tewkesbury, who is running away from his family. who is slightly useless as life and has someone coming to murder him. What a lovely time he’s living in, isn’t he? And from the very beginning of the movie, we’re told this by Enola’s mother: we need to find our own paths in this world and not follow the road that is paved for us. She has taught her daughter this in her lifestyle, as Enola is free-spirited and unlike the girls her age.
I can see why this movie is popular, as it shows this feminist empowerment. It’s even more aggravated because of the setting it’s in (Victorian England was known to be more rigid towards women, hence the feminist movement growing even more powerful during this time), which shows this stark juxtaposition.
Mycroft, played by Sam Claflin, exemplifies this best, as he is the most harsh on Enola and their mother. He embodies the traditional society and the male figure in this film, which is then juxtaposed by how Enola is good with her brain and hands but Tewkesbury is, well, useless.
As this is based on a different young adult series, if you’re a diehard Sherlock Holmes fan, you might be a bit disappointed at how the characters are portrayed. They are indeed very different in this movie—our Sherlock actually has…gasp, emotions.
However, I think the main draw in this film is that it’s just a lot crammed into one film. You have the broader societal changes going on in England at the time, our main character reminds me of a video game where the ball bounces off the walls quickly, and then we randomly have randomly have a romance. I think it takes away from the empowerment to have a romance—let’s teach girls to be strong individual women who don’t need men.
It’s a family film at the end of the day, which may explain why it’s not a masterpiece or quote-on-quote something you need in an indie film festival. That’s why it smashed those records on Netflix—because it appeals to a broad audience. We have a young female character girls can look up to, the film is digestible to watch in a family setting, and it’s cute. This isn’t Sherlock.
Overall Thoughts
Recommend it if you’re into a lighthearted adventure with some mystery. The film is a bit long though, clocking in at over two hours, and it can feel like it’s dragging as you get into the final 3/4 of the movie.
It’s not for the Sherlock fandom or for someone super into accuracy when it comes to historical movies. You’re not going to get any of that in this one. I don’t think I was the right demographic for the film because I wanted a complex mystery, but if you’re into young adult movies and literature, this’ll be your cup of tea.
