Enola Holmes 2 (2022) Review
- Athena Pickering
- Nov 11, 2022
- 3 min read
Enola, a rebellious young sister of Sherlock who is barely known, was created in 2006 by YA novelist Nancy Springer. Her award-winning series' first book has been adapted by Jack Thorne, while Harry Bradbeer is the film's director.
In a charming but crowded origin narrative, Netflix introduced Enola Holmes (Millie Bobby Brown), the whip-smart, socially awkward, fisticuffs-brandishing, and disguise-swapping lady detective. Enola's sophomore outing in Enola Holmes 2 serves as something of a second debut because she's tasked with looking into a crime that no one else wants, the disappearance of a factory girl. While her more experienced older brother Sherlock (Henry Cavill) receives all the credit for solving the previous film's mystery.
Enola discovers a broader scheme as she pulls at loose ends that involves the elite and lower classes, typhus, and the Treasury, as well as an old foe of her brother. Enola's personal commitment makes this second adventure so captivating. Despite Sherlock Holmes' advice to her not to make the case about herself.
The film immediately adopts the tone of its predecessor, breaking the fourth wall in a manner reminiscent of Fleabag (director Harry Bradbeer returns to the helm). Yet the creators cleverly establish early on that Enola merely wants you to believe that she is in control.
Despite having enough money to start her own detective agency, she has no clients; despite saving the life of her on-again, off-again love interest Viscount Tewkesbury (Louis Partridge) in the previous film. Although, they haven't really caught up since their awkward goodbye. Also, despite being reunited with her mother Eudoria (Helena Bonham Carter), the latter is still too busy detonating things.
Enola may not be alone, but she surely feels lonely, which is in part why she seizes the opportunity to reunite factory girl Bessie Chapman (Serrana Su-Ling Bliss) with her "found sister" Sarah, who has vanished—likely as a result of a boy. Enola is used to being underestimated, so she is aware that the solution is not straightforward. Enola will only discover the full answer by following Sarah's lead as she travels throughout London.
The Enola Holmes Mysteries, a six-book YA series by Nancy Springer, serves as the inspiration for this new film series. However, returning screenwriter Jack Thorne (His Dark Materials) takes the story in a completely different route. Though Thorne does adopt some familiar aspects from the books, such as an upper-crust ally in Lady Cecily (Hannah Dodd) and such high-society information as the language of flowers. Enola's most recent mystery draws on the actual history of the Matchgirls' Strike of 1888.
This time, Ms. Mira Troy (Dune's Sharon Duncan-Brewster), secretary to the head of the Treasury, will remind Enola of her own relative privilege because she is an older, single Black woman. The sequel wisely expands on Enola's experiences with code-switching, making it more complicated than simply donning a boy's outfit (though they bring back that joke). The best scenes have Enola seeing how others have struggled to defy expectations of what is appropriate while coexisting in certain settings.
Although their dynamic has an amusing symmetry—he teaches her to dance, and she repays the favour by teaching him to fight—Ewkesbury is a less interesting love interest in the second film. Thus, the sequel hardly justifies his presence. It's true that many powerful women may benefit from having a strong male behind them, yet it doesn't seem like Enola needs one. Although, they do make an adorable pairing.
The chemistry between Sherlock and Enola is flawless to the point where you don't even miss Mycroft. Cut from the same cloth, these smart loners discover brief moments of connection caring for each other while also acknowledging each other's limits. They even orchestrate some light matchmaking when necessary. We can only hope that their sibling relationship will continue to be a fixture of the movies.
While the previous film didn't necessarily leave any unresolved issues, this one appears much more certain of the franchise's future thanks to a mid-credits scene reminiscent of the Marvel Cinematic Universe that introduces a very unique person to this universe. Now that Enola Holmes 2 has lit the match on this franchise, let’s see how many more outings we can expect.
Performance | 4.1/5 |
Enjoyment | 3.9/5 |
Overall Rating | 3.9/5 |
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