Enola Holmes 2 – Film Review

Fresh off the triumph of solving her first case, Enola Holmes (Millie Bobby Brown) follows in the footsteps of her famous brother, Sherlock (Henry Cavill), and opens her own agency — only to find that life as a female detective-for-hire isn’t as easy as it seems. Resigned to accept the cold realities of adulthood, she is about to close shop when a penniless matchstick girl offers Enola her first official job: to find her missing sister. But this case proves to be far more puzzling than expected, as Enola is thrown into a dangerous new world — from London’s sinister factories and colorful music halls, to the highest echelons of society and 221B Baker Street itself. As the sparks of a deadly conspiracy ignite, Enola must call upon the help of friends — and Sherlock himself — to unravel her mystery.

After a two-year wait, we are finally getting some more Enola Holmes content, which means that we are getting some lighthearted mystery fun for the whole family to enjoy. Obviously, since these movies are aimed at a young demographic, you won’t see anything extreme here (no murders, blood, etc.), but that’s honestly what I like about these films.

The first Enola Holmes felt like such a breath of fresh air in many ways. I didn’t love the movie by any means, but I did find myself enjoying just how breezy of an adventure it was. It may sound like a detriment to the film, but I liked how the stakes in that film weren’t all that high, really. It just kind of felt like a walk in the park.

But with that first film’s ending promising more exciting stories to come, we all hoped that the sequel would take things in a bit of a bolder direction with more stakes on the table, and thankfully, the filmmakers listened. Harry Bradbeer‘s Enola Holmes 2 is a funnier and more exciting film that definitely brings more stakes to the table.

Despite this, though, it’s still definitely for a younger audience. That’s not to say that adults can’t enjoy this outing, however. You just have to make sure you keep your expectations in check. One thing that genuinely surprised me here was just how interesting the central mystery was and how wrapped up in it I felt.

Screenwriter Jack Thorne is sadly unable to avoid certain plot points feeling predictable and formulaic, but for a family mystery film, he did a remarkable job. And seeing as how this film is more for kids and teenagers, it’s entirely possible that they won’t be able to guess all the twists and turns the same way adults would.

Easily my favorite aspect about both of these Enola Holmes movies has to be Millie Bobby Brown’s performance as the titular character. She brings so much infectious energy and an unshakable charm to the role that makes it next to impossible to watch without smiling frequently. It’s evident that Brown is having the time of her life portraying this character, and I’d happily watch her play the part for as long as she’s interested in it.

There’s also Henry Cavill who’s even more charismatic and witty than ever before in the role of Sherlock Holmes. He gets quite a lot more to do in this film than he did in the first which was such a delight to see. The chemistry he shares on-screen with Brown is also incredibly uplifting and wholesome to see.

It’s also a visually dazzling film, shot impeccably well by Giles Nuttgens, reprising his duties from the predecessor. For a family film, this genuinely looks staggering. Nearly every single frame in Enola Holmes 2 has something of interest to say, and they all look like they could be hung on a wall. It’s that beautiful of a film.

Despite feeling familiar and largely predictable, Enola Holmes 2 is a delightfully charming mystery for the whole family to enjoy, complete with two wonderful performances from Millie Bobby Brown and Henry Cavill.