Movie Reviews

‘Enola Holmes’ review: Wonderfully acted and intriguing

September 26, 2020

Well this was just a breath of fresh air! Let me assure you that Enola Holmes is quite worth the journey. This cast is bursting with talent, the most of which comes from the young but captivating Millie Bobby Brown. Brown has proven with this film that not only is she a great actress but she’s also able to be the lead in a film and handle that role very well. Supporting members of the cast such as Henry Cavill, Helena Bonham Carter, and Louis Partridge all do a fantastic job as well and this cast is supported by an intriguing energetic script that keeps things moving nicely.

Millie Bobby Brown truly is a great fit for this lead character, she just seems to become Enola Holmes with such ease. Right from the get go she’s so captivating and proves to be a heroine you pull for as hard as you can. The personality of this character is what makes her so great. She’s determined and while tough, she also has a big heart. I look forward to Brown’s future film career with anticipation. I’m sure she has great things coming her way.

Henry Cavill, who I enjoy both as an actor and just as the most perfect man to ever live, gives a fine performance in Enola Holmes as the famed Sherlock Holmes. He’s a good fit for the role, he’s able to come across as very refined and professional but also a man with a heart… unlike his brother in the film played by Sam Claflin. Claflin plays a horribly sexist domineering snob of a man who wants to ship Enola off to finishing school so she can be groomed to be a “good wife”. Claflin does a good job playing this role and I know that due to how much I hated him. Then there’s Helena Bonham Carter who plays Enola’s mysterious mother and does so very well, which of course isn’t surprising given Carters great track record of skilled performances.

See the source image — Millie Bobby Brown, Henry Cavill, and Sam Claflin

And last but not least we have Louis Partridge, a newcomer that I was extremely impressed with. He’s a perfect fit to play Enola’s companion/kinda sorta love interest. He’s handsome, charming, likable, and plays off Brown very well. They share an onscreen chemistry that’s so palpable and endearing to watch. I look forward to seeing his future projects as well as I’m sure he’ll have plenty more in the future.

So the cast is great but what about the script? The script does a good job of being both entertaining and intriguing. Enola Holmes entertains by forming characters with depth and great personalities and it intrigues by giving us a decent mystery to follow that ends up containing some surprising social commentary. I will say that they did surprise me with the main reveal, I thought things were heading one way but it turned out to be another so I liked that…I always enjoy a surprise. I really loved the social commentary the film had to offer as well

The time period presented is revealed to be just what it was… extremely misogynistic in nature and that is definitely apart of this films plot. I admire them recognizing this and making it a key aspect of what goes on. Aside from that, there’s also several well choreographed fight/combat sequences that are entertaining to watch. And everything moves along nicely, there’s never any place where things grind to a halt and you find yourself bored. The only negative thing about Enola Holmes is I wanted a tad more expounding on one aspect of the plot. But all things considered, it’s a rather small negative.

Enola Holmes is definitely worthy of a recommendation due to it’s great performances, well developed characters, and interesting script. It’s good to see well made coming of age films that are entertaining, endearing, and socially aware.