Movie Breakdown: Enola Holmes

Pre-Screening Stance:

Even if I hadn’t seen the rather charming trailer for Enola Holmes, I’d be excited about it simply because of its cast. Millie Bobby Brown, Henry Cavill, Helena Bonham Carter, Fiona Shaw and Sam Claflin? Yes please.

Post-Screening Ramble:

I think I went into Enola Holmes expecting too much. It’s certainly a positive, well-intentioned movie – doubly so for kids – and Millie Bobby Brown shines as the intrepid, fourth wall-breaking titular character, but I found it to be a bit dull and way too long. The runtime here should have been 90-ish minutes but it’s actually 120, which leads to numerous stretches where the story meanders and doubles back on itself. A lot of it is very repetitive (I get it, Enola backwards spells alone), and the movie’s core mystery (the disappearance of Enola’s mother, Eudoria, played by Helena Bonham Carter) is built up for so long that it’s not really all that satisfactory when it finally gets solved. Furthermore, the film often seems like it’s less concerned with being a standalone feature and more interested in arranging characters and plot points for future use, which is all fine and well, but just like with the case of Enola’s missing mother, these elements don’t add up to much now, so you’re left wondering if that’s it when the credits hit the screen.

Despite its issues, I do still think that Enola Holmes is worth a spin, if only to support its poignant stance on gender roles and to take in the occasional moment where it’s kinetic and fun. Just be sure to lower those expectations before you hit play.

One Last Thought:

Henry Cavill does a nice job of portraying Sherlock Holmes, but I did think it was a bit distracting that he’s built like an absolute tank. On a related note, Enola Holmes made me realize that my brain’s default version of the character is Benedict Cumberbatch.