Enola Holmes

Another week of 2020, and another Netflix release. 

Tenet is starting to feel further and further away - as are any new theater releases. We're in limbo now, it would seem. 

Enola Holmes is a pretty easy sell for Netflix, all things considered. It takes Stranger Things' Millie Bobby Brown and The Witcher's Henry Cavill, making them siblings under the "Sherlock Holmes" heading. What's not to be intrigued about? And from Netflix's perspective - if people like it enough - they'll go find these superstars elsewhere on the platform, including their original Netflix shows, both of which are pretty incredible (Stranger Things in particular). 

And I think people will enjoy Enola Holmes. It's got a handful of issues that hindered it in my eyes, but they feel very critic-oriented to me, meaning that general audiences will probably have a lot of fun here. 

The best thing that Enola Holmes has going for it isn't the sideways connection to the recently-resurged Sherlock Holmes universe. It's Millie Bobby Brown. As her role in Stranger Things has expanded season over season, it's clear that she's going to be (if she isn't already) a star that will be around for a very long time. Unfortunately, her big screen debut didn't give her much to do (and there were other opportunities there), but Enola Holmes is stone-cold proof that she can effortlessly lead a film. Her spirit is infectious throughout, giving it extra hutzpah, even through its pacing issues, and she's able to give us humor, emotion, allure, and youthful spirit. 

Other castmates get less to do so it's hard to say that they do "as well", but it's easy to trust that Cavill, Helena Bonham Carter, and Sam Claflin are able to be and live in their roles. Though, it does feel like a bit of a disservice - maybe with the exception of Cavill because he gets decent screentime - to have names as big as Claflin and especially Carter, who aren't in the film all that much. And at 2 hours in length, that almost feels criminal. Either way, I suppose, they do well in their roles and if there's a sequel (it certainly leaves room open for one), I'd love to see them all back, but I'd also settle for a Brown-Cavill buddy mystery. 

"Can YOU help me find the old man in this picture?"

Probably much easier makeup
than The Witcher

Enola Holmes story creates some good mystery, but unfortunately it begins to get muddied about halfway through and it doesn't ever really recover. I think part of this is because it can't quite decide if it wants to be a mostly-innocent family film, a teen romance, or an actual Holmes mystery. It's all three in a lot of ways, but the tone tends to range from absolutely delightful to "Wow, that seems a little dark for this...". Part of that could be related to some pacing issues where the film drags and doesn't progress much in the middle, but it also results in an anti-climactic ending where, despite the fact that I had fun, I'm not quite sure if anything was actually accomplished. Luckily, with the aforementioned Brown, as well as a fitting original score and some fun costume design, this is far less obvious when you're actually in it. 

The other thing I must call out was how consistently Enola Holmes breaks the 4th wall. It's a tricky technique, and few films can pull it off. Enola Holmes over-uses this technique to the point of nauseum. When Millie Bobby Brown turns to the screen and actually asks the audience, "Well...do YOU have any ideas?" I couldn't help but roll my eyes. Am I watching f**king Blue's Clues? It's cute to start, where it actually serves a purpose to lay a lot of ground work, but it seems like a crutch the film uses the entire time to make sure we know exactly what Enola is thinking every moment. Some moments are certainly worse than others, but on the whole, it continuously puled me OUT of the film, to its own detriment. 

Enola Holmes is a fun romp on Netflix where I'd watch a sequel if there was one. But, as I mentioned in my Devil All the Time review, I'm beginning to really miss the theater indies and blockbusters in lieu of these "good", but forgettable Netflix showings. Perhaps unfair to place this statement in my Enola Holmes review, but they're beginning to feel like a waste of time, even if they're enjoyable in the moment. 

CONS

• Story loses itself and becomes muddled throughout. By the time we get to the anti-climactic ending, I'm not sure much actually happened here
• Completely overuses the technique of breaking the 4th Wall. Was fun to start, then just gets distracting and annoying
• Would have liked some more time with the co-stars, given how impressive the cast is

PROS

• Fun and energetic throughout
• Millie Bobby Brown is a significant reason this film works so well. She's a fun, youthful lead that is effortless to watch and enjoy your time with
• Cavill is a huge add and a stoic Sherlock Holmes while Carter and Claflin do solid in their roles too
• Builds a mystery well, especially at the beginning
• Fun costumes and original score that do well to sit the time period

Rath's Review Score | 7.5/10