‘Enola Holmes 2’ Movie Review

Enola Holmes 2, the sequel to the popular Netflix hit Enola Holmes, brings back the cheeky and beloved young-adult iteration of the Holmes universe. Director Harry Bradbeer has settled into the world he is trying to create, and the film strikes a balance between deduction and action that makes for a stimulating watch. The movie's main character, played by Millie Bobby Brown, is Enola Holmes, who is running her own detective agency in London and investigating the disappearance of a young woman named Sarah Chapman.

Enola's development as a character is the highlight of the movie, as she grows from a teenager who ran away from finishing school to a formidable leading lady who matches her brother, Sherlock, in wit. Brown does an excellent job of bringing Enola to life and is particularly enthralling to watch in her vulnerable moments. Her portrayal may also be familiar to fans of Killing Eve and Fleabag, both of which were also directed by Bradbeer. As Enola, Brown constantly breaks the fourth wall and joins the list of women-led media directed by Bradbeer, whose heroines are trademarked by their addictive fearlessness that is grounded by a comfortable vulnerability.

The movie's case, a fictionalised adaptation of real-life events that took place in Victorian England, is not handled with clinical swiftness, but rather with careful empathy. While Sherlock is present in the movie and gets more screentime than in the first film, he does not steal the limelight from his sister. The film clearly wants to go down the route of 'siblings working together on a case,' but does not spend too much time on building that bond between Sherlock and Enola, resulting in a forgettable attempt.

Enola Holmes 2 successfully takes its next step into a potential franchise, serving up a charming, clever and unabashed Holmes to look up to. More focused than its predecessor, the film is a welcome addition to the Holmes universe, and its primary case, although disappointing in its conclusion, is fascinating to follow. The sequel's strength lies in its ability to flesh out Enola's character, making her a formidable leading lady in her own right, and charting her own legacy for the Holmes name, not only in London but also for the audience watching.

Enola Holmes 2, the highly anticipated sequel to the 2020 Netflix hit Enola Holmes, has returned to bring back the cheeky and beloved young-adult iteration of the Holmes universe. Under the direction of Harry Bradbeer, the film has settled comfortably into the world it is trying to create. With an equal balance of deduction and action, Enola Holmes 2 makes for a thrilling watch that does not skimp on the intrigue that befits the Holmes name.

The game is once again afoot for Millie Bobby Brown's Enola, who opens the film with a speedy chase sequence across the grimy lanes of Victorian London. In the opening flashback, we learn that Enola has started her own detective agency in London and has taken on the case of a missing young woman, Sarah Chapman (Hannah Dodd). While Sarah's disappearance guides the main plot of the film, the story also finds itself exploring more of Enola's inhibitions and motivations.

In adapting a young-adult novel by Nancy Springer, Bradbeer has gone beyond just servicing the icon of Sherlock Holmes, Enola's elder brother played by Henry Cavill. The film retains a captivating-enough mystery for the audience to follow, while also fleshing out Enola as she develops from a teenager who ran away from her finishing school to a formidable leading lady who matches her brother in wit.

Millie Bobby Brown delivers a stellar performance in bringing Enola to life, as she excitedly opens her own detective agency in London. However, she finds it challenging to attract clients, being overshadowed by her brother's reputation or dismissed because of her gender. Echoes of the first film ring loud as Enola, now more independent, is forced to confront the path she wants to take in life. While Millie's performance across both films has leaned towards a lack of subtlety, she is particularly enthralling to watch in these vulnerable moments, as she quickly and eagerly delves into stronger emotions of fear and doubt that make for a cohesive and memorable character.

Fans of Killing Eve and Fleabag will find Millie's portrayal of Enola a familiar watch, as she constantly breaks the fourth wall. Bradbeer's heroines are trademarked by their addictive fearlessness grounded by a comfortable vulnerability, and Enola Holmes is no exception.

While the Holmes name has been an audience-puller for the film series, Sherlock barely made an impression in the first film. However, Enola Holmes 2 writes in Sherlock as a concerned elder brother whose latest case crosses paths with Enola's. Consequently, Cavill's Sherlock gets more screen time, but he thankfully does not steal the limelight from his sister. The film clearly wants to go down the route of "siblings working together on a case," but it does not spend too much time building that bond between Sherlock and Enola, resulting in a forgettable attempt.

Also starring in the film are Louis Partridge as Lord Viscount Tewkesbury and Helena Bonham Carter as Eudoria Holmes. While Lord Tewkesbury's character checks all the necessary boxes as a romantic interest, his existence does not warrant much screen time. In fact, if one were to remove the romantic subplot of the film, it would not make a noticeable change in the story. The now-empty runtime can be easily pivoted towards Carter, who plays Enola and Sherlock's mother. Eudoria is given more time in flashback scenes than in the present, which wastes an opportunity to have another strong Holmes woman helm the film.

Following the formula of the first film, the sequel's primary case that Enola works on is a fictionalised adaptation of real-life events that took place in Victorian England. While Sarah Chapman's name is a giveaway to the Matchgirls' strike of 1888