by Shane Conto
Who’s ready for another twist on some classic fiction aimed at a more modern audience? Whenever a new film comes around that changes the focus of a classic tale or even changes the characters for a more modern twist, most people give a hefty eye roll. The eye roll continues when a cheesy trailer comes out for said film and erases most of the buzz around it. Netflix’s new tale that takes the focus off of Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic detective, Sherlock Holmes, and puts it on his younger sister definitely fits that bill. The trailer was quite the shame because the casting news of very popular young actress Millie Bobby Brown and the addition of Henry Cavill as the renowned detective got plenty of positive attention. But when all is said and done, it is really just the final film that matters. What does Enola Holmes deliver? A wonderful, fun time!
Harry Bradbeer takes the reins of this adaptation with quite the resume of recent directorial efforts in popular and critically acclaimed series such as Killing Eve, Ramy, and most notably Fleabag.
Bradbeer brings the same craft and skill over to Enola Holmes (definitely not the same tone) as his biggest work of Fleabag. The four-wall-breaking seen so commonly during that show is done throughout this film as well. In what could be a jarring story-telling choice, Bradbeer shows that he can make those asides in the best way. Those asides that we get from Brown’s Enola are some of the most fun aspects of the film. The audience gets so much from them in terms of Enola’s personality. The film has quite the energy as well as we zip along for the two-hour runtime. The cinematography is also particularly well done with beautiful colors and well-crafted framing of each scene. This definitely works hand-in-hand with the presentation of the asides that are so prominent throughout the film. There can be a few tonal issues at times when the film gets a bit darker (in both themes and plot) but overall, Bradbeer is able to create a fun and engaging environment.
Jack Thorne takes the pen and scribes this screenplay from the novel by Nancy Springer. Thorne is able to craft a great cinematic protagonist from Springer’s character.
Enola is strong and clever while also a bit naïve to the world since she has been shut in for so much of her life. The film allows the audience to have fun in experiencing new things with her. Sherlock is present in an interesting way while being stoic and inquisitive. The progress of him warming up to his sister after years of no contact is one of the more charming aspects of the film. The film definitely drives home the message of overcoming traditional expectations of women, as Enola journeys to find her lost mother and prove her own worth. The actual mystery of the film can feel quite standard as it is not particularly interesting or shocking in the end. But the journey of Enola doing her thing is worth the experience. One of the most surprising aspects of this film is just how clever and funny the dialogue can be. This is quite the charming film (which is just topped off by the impressive and emotive score that the talented Daniel Pemberton brings to the film).
Last but not least is the cast of the film. Millie Bobby Brown is an absolute delight during every scene.
The dialogue and specifically the asides do work so well because Brown is committed to this role at every moment. Her charisma is quite impressive and she has great chemistry with the rest of the cast. Helena Bonham Carter is Mrs. Holmes and she does a fine job with the limited screen time she gets. Sam Claflin is such a talented actor and despite the fact that his character, Mycroft Holmes, is nothing more than a traditionalist stick-in-the-mud, he commits to it. Then there is Henry Cavill. I thought his casting is an interesting choice as his sheer stature is intimidating which has never been very “Sherlock Holmes”. But his quiet demeanor and inquisitive glares work so well to the character. His dialogue is not as limited as his role as The Witcher, but he does a lot with his knowing looks and subtle smiles.
To conclude, is this going to be another forgettable and eye roll inducing flick? Absolutely not. This is actually one of the most endearing and charming films that Netflix has put out all year. If they want to invest, they just might have a franchise on their hands. This might not be the most original film, but the actors and filmmakers really deliver a fun and engaging experience. Are you going to check this one out this weekend?
Grade: B+