Enola Holmes 2 review: The effervescent tale of a coming-of-age detective

The much-anticipated sequel of Enola Holmes, released in 2022 is out, and oh boy was it fun. Enola Holmes 2 follows Enola Holmes, the sister of the famed sleuth Sherlock Holmes, who shares identical intellect but a clumsier demeanor than Sherlock. Enola Holmes is based off of the character of the same name created by Nancy Springer in her young adult spinoff novels of the famous Sherlock Holmes series. Whether you are a fan of this series, or just coming for Superman or Eleven, this Enola Holmes 2 movie review will help you decide if this is your jam or not.

From a regular teen to a budding detective

The movie kicked off from where it left things off at the last installment. Enola Holmes, stoked by her success in her first case decides to open a detective agency of her own with the aim of someday being on par with her more famous sibling, the great Sherlock Holmes. Her enthusiasm however soon gets curbed when she is faced with the harsh reality of Victorian society in the form of sexism, mistrust in a young individual, and the ever-looming shadow of Sherlock as the famed sleuth.

Discouraged by her lack of clients, Enola decides to shut her agency, when a young girl called Bessie Chapman comes to fetch her help to find her lost sister Sarah Chapman which revitalizes the young detective’s zeal. Hereon, the quick pace of the movie with witty breaks comes into play. The story is seamlessly woven into the chronicles of the 1888 Matchgirl Strike spearheaded by the same Sarah Chapman in the film. But that story finds itself much diluted due to the fantasy elements being added to it to cater to the cinematic universe.

Enola Holmes 2 maintains its status as a somewhat lighthearted film that could be watched by the whole family, with the action scenes transitioning into each other so as to not leave space for boredom in the movie. Despite the antics, the film maintains a certain bit of seriousness and stoicism which is so characteristic of the Holmes name. All of these were done while still retaining the youthful, bright exuberance of the film which comes with a teenage protagonist.

Charmante! Enola Homes 2 cast pulls off a delightful performance

The movie is also vastly powered by its cast, especially the vibrant and bubbly Millie Bobby Brown. She brings Enola Holmes to life through her rather charming and humourous performances which are very reminiscent of today’s youth. She rarely missed a beat and her expressive prowess was a pleasure to look at.

Meanwhile, Henry Cavill, although a bit of a mismatch for the role of Sherlock, proved that he does have it in him to play characters who rely more on their brain instead of brawn. While being heavily involved in the movie, the character Cavill as Sherlock did not outshine the protagonist Enola, which could be credited to the well-scripted screenplay.

Another noteworthy performance was that of Louis Partridge as Viscount Tewkesbury, the love interest of Enola. Although he played the role of a “lover boy” in a textbook fashion worthy of full grades, his presence did not affect much of the plot in any way, making him a disposable character. We also saw the return of Helena Bonham Carter and Susan Wokoma who reprised their roles of Eudoria Holmes and Edith respectively. They didn’t get much screen time, but they did make quite a difference with whatever screenplay they had.

Millie Bobby Brown and Henry Cavill have long been known as franchise actors, known for their roles in the franchises Stranger Things as Eleven, and as Superman and Geralt Of Rivia in The Witcher respectively. But movies like Enola Holmes 2 are what scream at us that this notion is wrong. Henry Cavill has asserted that he can indeed play more reserved characters such as Sherlock. And Millie has also displayed that she can play a wide range of characters from the silent Eleven to the talkative Enola.

“Tis me!” Hints of darkness in a lit atmosphere

The movie maintains a light-hearted atmosphere which is typical of a movie targeted at young adults and involves a teenager as the protagonist. But this has not stopped the movie from exploring the world of a generic detective movie such as murders, dead people, and such. But it has been added in very well-timed places so as not to shift the ambiance of the movie too much.

The movie also came with subtle hints and messages regarding the upliftment of women’s rights and feminism, portrayed via the sexism and patriarchy present during the Victorian era. But these were very well compiled which made the movie retain its original purpose of being a family entertainer instead of being a form of media delivering a much heavier social message.

Enola Holmes 2 has all it takes to be a great one-time watch

The movie is one that could be watched over a bucket of popcorn on a weekend with the family. It has the ideal balance of light humour and a pretty well-wound plot to go with it which makes it the perfect weekend film. But it lacks the elements which will make people yearn for more of it and is thus suited for a single-time watch and then forget about it and move on to the next movie. Overall, a pretty good movie and a worthy sequel to the first part.

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