Movie Review - Enola Holmes 2

Director: Harry Bradbeer
Genre: Adventure/ Mystery/ Action/ Crime
Runtime: 129 minutes
Year: 2022
Starring: Millie Bobby Brown, Henry Cavill, Helena Bonham-Carter, David Thewlis, Louise Partridge, Himesh Patel
 
Description: Now a detective-for-hire, Enola Holmes (Millie Bobby Brown) takes on her first official case to find a missing girl as the sparks of a dangerous conspiracy ignite a mystery that requires the help of friends, and Sherlock (Henry Cavill) himself, to unravel.

Review: After the success of her first solved murder case, Enola Holmes starts her own detective agency. Unfortunately, most potential clients are put off by her young age and her gender, not to mention the fact that they prefer to talk to her more famous brother Sherlock. It seems Enola’s career is over before it even begins, until she is visited by a young girl whose older sister has gone missing after being accused of stealing from her workplace.

Enola takes the case and infiltrates the factory where the young lady was employed. Before lone, Enola is on the trail of a vast conspiracy, but once the local police become involved in the case, led by the extraordinary Inspector Grail, even our capable heroine discovers she needs a little help from her brother Sherlock and her elusive mother Eudoria.

Millie Bobby Brown excels in her role as Enola. She brings Sherlock’s little sister to life in a convincing and energetic manner and is genuinely funny in her comments and facial expressions. Henry Cavill portrays a wonderful messy and laid-back Sherlock, and his increased presence in this sequel could hint at a Sherlock Holmes movie of his own. Which I’m totally in for by the way.

The interplay between Cavill and Brown is very enjoyable. The two have a good click and come across as if they are brother and sister in real life. The dialogues between both Holmes siblings are sharp and smooth, with Sherlock often baffled by his sister’s skills and Enola in turn realizing that her brother is a bit of a mess.

Although the plot may appear wuite complicated to younger viewers, it is less impressive than the original Sherlock Holmes stories. Fortunately, the unraveling of the mysteries still uses the power of deductive reasoning so characteristic of original author Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories.

Somethins that is also done in a fun way, is the breaking of the fourth wall. This storytelling technique by no means works in every film, but in “Enola Holmes 2” it results in funny comments in between and benefits the story, as it takes the viewer inside the mind of Enola.

Less successful are the scenes with Enola’s potential boyfriend from her first adventure, Lord Tewkesbury, which repeatedly brings the film to a halt. He is such a dull and monotonous character, that it is hard to imagine anyone as bubbly as Enola having a crush on him.

Nevertheless, “Enola Holmes 2” is highly entertaining, just like the first installment (liked it even a bit more than the first). And a perfect film to watch in the autumn season. A cozy mystery, love it. Hopefully more to come.  

Rating: 4/ 5