Enola Holmes 2 Movie Review - A Sequel better than Predecessor
The first Enola Holmes movie was launched by Netflix in 2020 into a world that was constantly on lockdown. We were all in desperate need of its endearing, fourth-wall-breaking awe. It was a pleasant introduction to Sherlock's teenage sister, based from the books by Nancy Springer.
Enola, a determined character played by Millie bobby Brown, is back as she establishes her own detective service in 1880s London. Unfortunately, the majority of potential customers are turned off by both her youth and femininity, let alone the fact that they'd prefer to speak with her more well-known brother. Enola's career appears to be doomed from the start, but then she is visited by a young girl named Bess (an endearing Serrana Su-Ling Bliss). Her older sister Sarah (Hannah Dodd), who worked at a nearby match factory, was reported missing after being accused of theft.
Less successful are Enola's first adventure's possible love interest, Lord Tewkesbury (Louis Partridge), who constantly causes the movie to sputter to a halt. He is such a lifeless wet blanket that it is difficult to picture Enola or anybody else giving him a second thought. What's endearing about this sequel is that the producers gave Cavill more screen time in response to the audience's affection of Cavill and, of course, Sherlock himself, without sacrificing Brown's endlessly watchable Enola. Enola gives a wonderful eye-roll as she realises Sherlock is a mess, and the script expertly juggles both Holmes siblings to make sure we get our fill of both. Sherlock is frequently bewildered by the skills of his tiny sister.
The movie's typhus outbreak plotline is based in part on a true occurrence that some viewers may be familiar with. Others might ponder why similar twists are poorly hinted at so early. Those who are familiar with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's works and the many adaptations of them, most notably the BBC's Sherlock, may be able to predict a few more narrative twists before they really occur.