Who is the greatest detective to have ever been written?
Nancy Drew might come to mind as a bright American investigator from author Carolyn Keene. Or perhaps you think of David L. Robbin’s “The Hardy Boys,” following two brothers from Bayport. However, another character created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the iconic Sherlock Holmes, has filled four novels and 56 short stories. Multiple movies and TV shows honor him with celebrities like Benedict Cumberbatch and Robert Downey Jr., reflecting Holmes’ signature sarcasm and quick wit. Critics call Sherlock obsessive yet dedicated to his cases with a phenomenal gift for deductive reasoning.
But have you heard about his sister?
Enola Holmes, an ambitious 14-year-old, came to life in a young adult fiction series by American author, Nancy Springer, from 2006 to 2010. On Sept. 23, Netflix released a film adaptation to bring more honor to the young sleuth.
The cast list is full of recognizable actors. Henry Cavill, mostly known as Superman in D.C.’s cinematic universe, plays Sherlock, with Sam Claflin playing Mycroft Holmes, the detective’s infamous older brother. Helena Bonham Carter from Harry Potter and Alice in Wonderland acts as Eudoria Holmes, Sherlock’s mother. At 16 years old, Millie Bobby Brown, known for Stranger Things, was cast as the title character.
The film follows one of Springer’s novels, “The Case of the Missing Marquess,” in which Enola discovers her mother disappeared on the day of her sixteenth birthday. When her older brothers return home, Sherlock finds her insightful and intelligent while Mycroft thinks she is nothing but trouble. As her guardian, he plans to send her to Miss Harrison’s finishing school. Enola, determined to find her mother, runs away by following a trail of hidden money and secret messages.
It is a tale of mystery with daring fight scenes and twists that led to a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 91 percent. Very little criticism can be found regarding the film, especially as it has become one of Netflix’s most-watched movies.
Writer Cori Burcham from Screenrant praised Brown’s performance and the character development, comparing to the Enola adaptation BBC’s “Sherlock,” Eurus.
“While both Enola and Eurus share some similarities, such as the fact that their identities are defined by the meaning of their names,” Burcham said, “Enola is a better exemplification of the Holmes’ legacy in comparison to Eurus. Unlike Eurus, whose genius was abstracted to such a high level that she basically just had superpowers, Enola lives up to her reputation as a Holmes and properly demonstrates her deductive skills.”
The film also addresses a lot of important themes through Jack Thorne’s script, mostly surrounding feminism.
Characters call out privilege in one of the most iconic lines from Eudoria’s friend. “You don’t know what it is to be out of power,” she said to Sherlock when he said he wasn’t a fan of politics. “You have no interest in changing a world that suits you so well.”
A senior critic from Daily Variety, Peter Debruge, recognized two other messages. One is “You are not alone,” which has the ability to resonate with young women in the audience.
“Enola becomes a symbol of solidarity for those who feel like outsiders in their nonconformity,” said Debruge. “And the second, ‘Every vote counts,’ speaks to those old enough to impact elections, reminding that the right was an honor hard-won.”
With a world in the midst of a pandemic and tension due to an upcoming election, watching “Enola Holmes” can be a nice change of pace. It grabs your attention with intriguing combat and bold stunts, creates laughter from fourth wall breaks and widens eyes with a surprising twist. If you get a study break or find a few free hours in your schedule, I suggest going to Netflix and watching “Enola Holmes.”
