movie review of enola holmes

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Enola holmes, common sense media reviewers.

Entertaining period mystery has feminist messages, violence.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Women and girls deserve autonomy over their own li

Enola models courage, intelligence, integrity. Her

Mrs. Holmes teaches Enola martial arts and combat,

Enola and Lord Tewksbury have an immediate attract

"Hell," "oh my God," "dear God."

Sherlock and Mycroft meet over drinks in a lounge.

Parents need to know that Enola Holmes stars Millie Bobby Brown ( Stranger Things ) and is based on the book series by Nancy Springer. It's lots of fun, but there's some potentially scary action and violence. Enola (Brown) regularly uses her martial arts and combat training to take down people…

Positive Messages

Women and girls deserve autonomy over their own life choices and lifestyles. They can be as strong and clever as males. Friends and family help each other in times of trouble. Film is set in era shown to be ripe for progressive social reform (sometimes by radical means).

Positive Role Models

Enola models courage, intelligence, integrity. Her feminist mother has raised Enola outside of society's constrictions to be an intelligent, physically adept free thinker, but hasn't taught her how to interact with others and get by in society. Though Enola's name spells "Alone" backward and she has been taught that she doesn't need company because she has herself, she ultimately opts to put herself in harm's way to save a friend. She knows her mother wouldn't approve of the choice, nor does she necessarily approve of her mother's participation in a radical political movement. Intuitive Sherlock is impressed with Enola's skills, but conservative Mycroft finds her to be wild, dangerous, in need of "breaking" at a strict girls' boarding school. Main characters are White, but supporting cast has more diversity than is typical for Holmes stories set in the past.

Violence & Scariness

Mrs. Holmes teaches Enola martial arts and combat, which she uses on several occasions. Enola saves Lord Tewksbury from being thrown off a train, then the two teens jump off the moving train together. A man attacks Enola; they have a knock-down brawl that involves knives, explosives, Enola nearly drowning. The man returns in a climactic fight scene that involves ( spoiler alert ) Enola and Lord Tewksbury getting shot at and the man dying by blunt force to the head (complete with crunching noise). Scotland Yard inspector Lestrade sneaks into Enola's room; she hits him over the head with a teapot, but he still catches her. Mycroft makes Enola cry by shouting at her and taking all her money. School director slaps Enola across the cheek, keeps her in a locked room. Arguments.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Enola and Lord Tewksbury have an immediate attraction. She saves his life several times, and he saves hers back. They share a quiet moment together in her rented room; she's embarrassed by her undergarments hanging out to dry. He kisses her hand and wonders about their future. At one point, Enola is told that her breasts and hips need "amplification" (via her clothing/fashion).

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Enola Holmes stars Millie Bobby Brown ( Stranger Things ) and is based on the book series by Nancy Springer . It's lots of fun, but there's some potentially scary action and violence. Enola (Brown) regularly uses her martial arts and combat training to take down people attacking her, including some who wield weapons like knives and shotguns. (Potential spoiler alerts !) In one fight scene, she appears to have drowned but survives to blow up a building and escape harm. In another, her friend Lord Tewksbury (Louis Partridge) is shot in the chest. Teens escape an assassin by jumping off a train; in a climactic scene, a character dies via blunt force to the head, which includes a nasty crunching noise. Enola also smashes an adult over the head with a teapot, and an authority figure locks her in a room. Language is mild and includes "hell," "oh my God," and "dear God." Despite the intense moments, parents couldn't ask for a better role model for their tween and teen daughters than strong, independent Enola, who models courage, intelligence, and integrity through her actions. She has been raised outside of social constraints and taught to think and live for herself. She helps Tewksbury even though it means putting herself in danger. The two teens seem to share an attraction and the desire for a future together; at one point, he kisses her hand. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

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Community Reviews

• Parents say (77)
• Kids say (202)

Based on 77 parent reviews

My daughter loves it!

What's the story.

ENOLA HOLMES ( Millie Bobby Brown ) has been raised by her mother alone in their vast country estate to be a strong, independent free thinker. The two are exceptionally close until Mrs. Holmes ( Helena Bonham Carter ) suddenly disappears on Enola's 16th birthday. Enola's brothers -- renowned detective Sherlock ( Henry Cavill ) and uptight politician Mycroft ( Sam Claflin ) -- are called in to care for her and help find their mother. The men are taken aback to find Enola, whom they haven't seen in years, grown up and, according to the straight-laced standards of Victorian England, wildly unrestrained. Mycroft plans to send her to finishing school while Sherlock searches for their mother, who appears to be caught up in a potentially violent women's suffrage movement. But Enola has other plans and escapes them both. Through a series of gender-bending disguises and adventures, she sets herself up in London to find her mother on her own. Complicating matters is her entanglement in the misadventures of the young marquess Lord Tewksbury (Louis Partridge), who's on the run from both his family and a murderous mystery man.

Is It Any Good?

Fast-paced, clever, and hugely entertaining, this film will delight fans of Brown and surely bring her more followers thanks to this outstanding role. Brown has become a cultural icon of girl power: Girls everywhere wanted to be her Stranger Things character Eleven, and now they'll crave to be the fiercely independent, confident, wily Enola, too. Brown (who's also a producer on Enola Holmes ) pairs off against a cast of established actors, including Bonham Carter and Cavill, and she fills nearly every scene with energy and intelligence in a role that's as physical as it is emotional. The technique of having her character conspiratorially break the fourth wall to talk directly to the camera (like a teen-friendly Fleabag ) creates complicity with the viewer. Interestingly, that playful dialogue seems to come and go with her character's own confidence and fortune.

Sherlock fans may be reluctant to accept a younger and more forward-thinking sister who outsmarts the great detective. And history buffs may bristle at the imposition of some contemporary values on late 1800s-era London. But smashing historical constructions and patriarchal obstacles seems to be exactly the point. And, anyway, doesn't the magic of many movies lie precisely in the suspension of disbelief? Yes, Enola's regular combat conquests and speedy deductions are suspect. But really, who cares when a film is so well put together and just plain fun to watch? Considering that there are several books in the source series , here's hoping that Enola Holmes marks the start of an exciting new franchise.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about how the characters in Enola Holmes compare to what you already knew of Sherlock Holmes and his world.

What did you think of Enola's upbringing? Would you like to have been raised like her? Why or why not? Do you consider her a role model ? How does she demonstrate courage and integrity ?

Enola often talks to the camera in a technique known as "breaking the fourth wall." What's your reaction to this technique? Where else have you seen it?

What's your opinion of the choices Mrs. Holmes makes? How about Sherlock and Mycroft?

Movie Details

• On DVD or streaming : September 23, 2020
• Cast : Millie Bobby Brown , Henry Cavill , Sam Claflin
• Director : Harry Bradbeer
• Studio : Netflix
• Genre : Action/Adventure
• Topics : Activism , Adventures , Book Characters , Brothers and Sisters , Friendship , Great Girl Role Models , History
• Character Strengths : Courage , Integrity
• Run time : 123 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG-13
• MPAA explanation : some violence
• Award : Common Sense Selection
• Last updated : April 15, 2024

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Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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Enola Holmes is the feminist romp the Holmes canon needs: Review

Maureen Lee Lenker is a senior writer at Entertainment Weekly with over seven years of experience in the entertainment industry. An award-winning journalist, she's written for Turner Classic Movies, Ms. Magazine , The Hollywood Reporter , and more. She's worked at EW for six years covering film, TV, theater, music, and books. The author of EW's quarterly romance review column, "Hot Stuff," Maureen holds Master's degrees from both the University of Southern California and the University of Oxford. Her debut novel, It Happened One Fight , is now available. Follow her for all things related to classic Hollywood, musicals, the romance genre, and Bruce Springsteen.

"The future is up to us." So says Mrs. Holmes ( Helena Bonham Carter ) to her fiercely intelligent daughter, Enola ( Millie Bobby Brown ), in Enola Holmes , a gender-bending take on the Sherlock Holmes stories. It's an apt metaphor for what the film could mean for the mythic detective.

Releasing Sept. 23 on Netflix, Enola Holmes is based on a series of young-adult novels by Nancy Springer following her invented character Enola, the teenage sister of Sherlock and Mycroft. The film is directed by Fleabag Emmy winner Harry Bradbeer, who brings that same wry humor and breathless energy here, working off a script by Jack Thorne ( Harry Potter and the Cursed Child ).

Much like her idiosyncratic brothers, Enola is a rare Victorian breed — a girl who has a knack for martial arts, cryptograms, and science experiments that involve blowing things up. But when her beloved mother, who has raised her to be an eccentric creature, suddenly disappears, Enola's life is thrown into turmoil. Mycroft (an appropriately humorless Sam Claflin ) wants to send her to finishing school, but all Enola wants is to outwit Sherlock ( Henry Cavill ) and find her mom. Things get complicated when Enola meets fellow runaway Lord Tewksbury (a winning Louis Partridge).

An adventure that winds across familiar Holmesian settings, from Victorian London to grand English country estates, the film intersects with plenty of 19th-century politics, including a landmark Parliamentary reform bill and the stirrings of the suffragette movement, lending the proceedings real-world stakes while never losing its abundant wit and warmth.

According to the Guinness Book of World Records , Sherlock Holmes is the most portrayed literary character on film and television. Considering that Irene Adler has long been the only woman able to go toe-to-toe with Sherlock, and that even more recent adaptations still have issues when it comes to female representation , it's a breath of fresh air to have a female Holmes leading the narrative (particularly one who outwits Sherlock at numerous turns). Brown is cheeky and spritely in the role. As an actress, she has a self-possessed quality that grounds the performance. Enola is bright and capable, but she's also still a teenager, a woman finding her way in the world in spite of (or perhaps because of) a profound sense of loneliness. Brown calibrates this all with ingenuity, juggling the shades of her emotional state with such aplomb you need Holmesian powers of observation to catch them all.

Cavill is perhaps an odd choice to play the eccentric, occasionally even obsequious and hubristic Holmes. His broad shoulders and chiseled jaw contrast vividly with the more wiry, nebbish take on the character we've seen from the likes of Basil Rathbone, Benedict Cumberbatch , and Robert Downey Jr. , but there's something about his stolidity that works here. Sherlock lives on the fringes of polite society, but compared to the radicalism of Enola, his exploits seem quaint; Cavill's portrayal underscores this, as well as his role as Enola's pillar of emotional support.

The film is like Holmes' memory palace, a jumble of idiosyncratic letter tiles, silent movie placards, and first-person addresses to the audience. It seems to borrow the same breathless, zippy cross-cutting and action sequences from Guy Ritchie's Holmes' films, only it feminizes them, sanding down edges and giving everything more whimsy.

At this point, Sherlock Holmes is a tried-and-true property, one as ripe for franchise potential as a superhero or a Jedi. But Enola Holmes largely sidesteps all that, its heroine and plot knitted up in feminism and the tough choices women have made throughout history to claim to independence.

Both Enola and her mother's tale are dotted with tiny sacrifices, their essential radicalism belying a weary mournfulness. The central mystery itself is perfunctory, and ingenious revelations are in short supply compared to most Holmes stories. It's far more about emotional connection and self-sacrifice, how the future Enola chooses can be different than the one her mother has forged precisely because of the choices they've made — for themselves and each other.

But while the mystery might be elementary (my dear, notably absent, Watson), the storytelling is winkingly subversive, proclaiming that a new and welcome game is afoot. B+

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‘Enola Holmes’ Review: Millie Bobby Brown Rocks as Sherlock’s Kid Sister in Clever Netflix Original

Meet Sherlock Holmes' younger sister, who represents an independent-minded new heroine for young-adult audiences in this entertaining franchise starter.

By Peter Debruge

Peter Debruge

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The puzzles in “ Enola Holmes ” are not especially difficult, but they’re enough to stump the great Sherlock Holmes (played here by “Man of Steel” star Henry Cavill). To solve this particular mystery — which involves the disappearance of the detective’s mother, Eudoria (Helena Bonham Carter) — will require an even sharper intellect than Sherlock’s, which we find in the form of his spunky younger sister, Enola ( Millie Bobby Brown of “Stranger Things”), an untamed country wildflower who has spent her first 16 years on Earth preparing for just such a case, though she didn’t realize it at the time.

Enola may not be couth or the slightest bit ladylike, but her lack of refinement makes her uniquely suited to the kind of sleuthing this franchise-ready Netflix feature requires. It takes someone impervious to late-19th-century gender norms to disguise herself as a boy, for example; trained in the art of jujitsu to challenge gun-wielding villains with her bare hands; and optimistic (or else naive) enough to believe she can do anything to do everything this challenge demands.

Adapted from the first installment in a six-book series by Nancy Springer, “Enola Holmes” modernizes the Victorian world of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, enlisting “Fleabag” director Harry Bradbeer to bring a similarly breezy, direct-address approach to the material. A socially awkward character who’s not the slightest bit uncomfortable on camera, Enola serves as her own narrator, frequently breaking the fourth wall as she speaks to the audience or shoots knowing looks in our direction — a style obviously modeled after the confidential “just between us” tone Bradbeer and star Phoebe Waller-Bridge struck in “Fleabag.”

“Enola Holmes” offers a different kind of feminism from that game-changing show, based less in accepting women with all their flaws than in the conviction that men have bossed around long enough, and it’s time to make room for other people. Centered on a long-haired runaway lord (Louis Partridge) and the passage of Great Britain’s Representation of the People Act 1884 (which paved the way for women’s suffrage a quarter-century later), the movie has contemporary issues of gender equality on the mind — and an endearingly radical protagonist in Enola.

Although it was her mother’s unexplained sortie that prompted her adventure, it’s the equally peculiar appearance of Partridge’s character — a cute young lord entitled Viscount Tewkesbury, Marquess of Basilwether — that consumes her attention for much of the film. After rescuing this “useless boy” from an assassin (Burn Gorman), Enola goes her own way, only to recognize that they’re both on the run from their respective families. His wants him dead, and hers — eldest brother Mycroft (Sam Claflin) in particular — aims to send her to a finishing school for young ladies.

While the project may be British, it could hardly be a coincidence that a story hinging on this decisive vote over the Reform Act should land within weeks of America’s most important election in decades. And what could be more empowering than the film’s twin messages? The first, “You are not alone,” should resonate with the young women in the audience. Enola (whose name, we’re too-frequently reminded, is “alone” spelled backward) becomes a symbol of solidarity for those who feel like outsiders in their nonconformity. And the second, “Every vote counts,” speaks to those old enough to impact elections, reminding that the right was an honor hard-won.

“You don’t know what it is to be out of power,” one of Eudoria’s female friends scolds Sherlock, doing that distinctly 2020 thing of calling out a prominent man on his privilege. “You have no interest in changing a world that suits you so well.” This may be true, but it’s something of a shock to watch the great Sherlock Holmes — a forward-thinking man of science and reason who pioneered the field of forensic investigation — depicted as little more than a self-interested pretty boy, sympathetic to his 20-years-younger sister yet hopelessly behind the progressive attitudes that Enola embodies.

It’s one thing to be dismissive of Mycroft, but the casting of Cavill turns the iconic Sherlock character into what we might call metrosexual today: worked-out and so meticulously groomed he easily could be mistaken for gay — a far cry from the tweed-clad, deerstalker-capped gentleman of yore. On the other hand, Brown (who could pass for “Sherlock” star Benedict Cumberbatch’s sister) brings some of the awkwardness we traditionally associate with the iconic detective to her role: Enola was never indoctrinated by her mother in the ways of polite society, and as such, she’s meant to represent female intellect in its natural, unrepressed state. Her performance may be incongruous with the era, but that’s hardly a bad thing. Brown’s acting style recalls the effusive spontaneity Keira Knightley brought to “Pride and Prejudice,” shattering the straitlaced propriety of so many Jane Austen adaptations before it.

Here’s a Victorian movie in which we never once hear the sound of a teacup rattling. Rather, we’re treated to a smorgasbord of door bashing, car crashing and head smashing — not to mention a warehouse full of explosives flashing the most spectacular fireworks show London has seen to that point. Despite making room for such bombast, “Enola Holmes” remains tamer and more tasteful in its high-energy storytelling than Guy Ritchie’s recent “Sherlock Holmes” movies, and considerably more fun than last year’s “Nancy Drew” reboot.

What’s missing is the simple satisfaction of solving a case. Apart from using her noggin to untangle an early clue involving her mum’s chrysanthemums, Enola does most of her detective work on the fly, relying either on her memory or her emotions to steer her. Screenwriter Jack Thorne never gives us that Holmesian pleasure of putting all the pieces together to explicate the mystery. Director Bradbeer and editor Adam Bosman maintain a jaunty pace throughout, propelled by DP Giles Nuttgens’ dynamic camera, whose CG-embellished widescreen compositions subvert the stuffy Merchant Ivory-esque locations with a “Kingsman”-esque pop energy. “Enola Holmes” seems every bit as suited to sequels as that franchise, and could benefit from follow-ups, since it ends with the Tewkesbury case resolved, and much about Mrs. Holmes’ motives still in need of further investigation.

Reviewed online, Los Angeles, Sept. 6, 2020. MPAA Rating: PG-13. Running time: 123 MIN.

• Production: (U.K.) A Netflix release of a Legendary Pictures presentation of a Legendary Pictures, PCMA production. Producers: Mary Parent, Alex Garcia, Ali Mendes, Millie Bobby Brown, Paige Brown. Executive producers: Joshua Grode, Michael Dreyer, Harry Bradbeer.
• Crew: Director: Harry Bradbeer. Screenplay: Jack Thorne, based upon the Enola Holmes Mystery book “The Case of the Missing Marquess: An Enola Holmes Mystery” by Nancy Springer. Camera: Giles Nuttgens. Editor: Adam Bosman. Music: Daniel Pemberton.
• With: Millie Bobby Brown, Sam Claflin, Adeel Akhtar, Fiona Shaw, Frances de la Tour, Louis Partridge, Burn Gorman, Susan Wokoma, Claire Rushbrook, David Bamber, Hattie Morahan, with Henry Cavill, Helena Bonham Carter.

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‘Enola Holmes’ Review: Netflix’s Fun, Frisky, and Surprisingly Feminist Twist on the Sherlock Holmes Mythos

Kate erbland, editorial director.

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It’s a concept that sounds as if were pulled directly out of a Hollywood boardroom from hell: What if Sherlock Holmes was a teenage girl ? Sir Arthur Conan Doyle likely never dreamed of giving the Holmes family a decidedly feminine bent, but Nancy Springer did just that with her best-selling “ Enola Holmes Mysteries” YA series, which doesn’t gender-bend the literary detective so much as create a wily new version in the form of his whip-smart younger sister. Six books in, the series has spawned a Netflix adaptation starring “Stranger Things” breakout Millie Bobby Brown . It’s a frisky new would-be franchise that seamlessly translates to the screen, and shows just how inspired Springer’s idea really was.

Helmed by long-time small-screen director Harry Bradbeer — and rife with all the winking and fourth wall-breaking you’d expect from the two-time “Fleabag” Emmy winner — “Enola Holmes” opens with a dizzying amount of information. Told in zippy, scrapbook style as Brown happily chats her way through a slew of Very Important Points, we learn the basics: she’s the youngest Holmes kid, her dad is dead, her famous big brothers don’t really know her, and she’s spent most of her life hanging out with her beloved mother (an underutilized Helena Bonham Carter). It’s her mum who is really obsessed with word games, leading to the (oft-reminded) creation of Enola’s name, which is “alone,” backward.

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The mind tricks will certainly get better from there, as Bradbeer’s film is rife with all sorts of mysterious twists and turns and shocks. It also never forgets that it’s inspired by a series designed for the younger set, but as Jack Thorne’s script steadily ratchets up the drama (though at just over two hours, some of that ratcheting could have come more quickly), “Enola Holmes” reveals itself to be genuinely appealing for a wide audience.

It’s also refreshingly timely. Enola tells her audience about a childhood spent doing “ different things” with her mum, from reading every book in the family’s sizable library to playing actual sports around the house (and often inside the house). Mrs. Holmes is a clear believer in equal rights (and carefully-dropped hints let on early that such concerns might frame a bigger mystery), and Enola has long enjoyed being very much her own person. The pair of them have happily lived for years, unburdened by societal expectations, but all that is about to change: On Enola’s 16th birthday, her mom goes missing.

Soon, her famous big brothers — Henry Cavill as a smiling and smooth Sherlock, Sam Claflin as the perpetually buttoned-up and by-the-book Mycroft — descend on their crumbling manor, intent on packing Enola off to finishing school to, well, finish. Convinced her mother left clues as to her whereabouts, and possessing a brain to rival Sherlock’s, Enola sets off on what will become her first mission as a fledgling detective.

Predictably convoluted (and, of course, wrapped up tight by its end), Enola’s journey takes her everywhere from dirty old London to a sprawling country estate, complete with a number of amusing costume changes (Brown has a delightful time going undercover, and costume designer Consolata Boyle does fitting work) and plenty of action. (When she said she learned “sports” from her mom? That meant martial arts and hand-to-hand combat.) A seemingly serendipitous run-in with a young lord (Louis Partridge) frames another mystery for her to unravel (or is it the same mystery?), as Enola’s already complicated life only grows bigger (and more fun).

Hot on her trail are her brothers, with Cavill adding a debonair edge to Sherlock and Claflin gleefully toying with Mycroft’s uptight nature (is he a bad guy? just a bit of a wanker? could go either way!), as Enola attempts to make her way in the world. Early hints as to a much bigger mystery eventually pan out, as Enola discovers just how much some people don’t want the world to change (sound familiar?). That this is all being unearthed by a plucky girl detective is no accident, and “Enola Holmes” doesn’t just use its heroine as a cute way to nod at progressive thinking; it fully embraces a story that is, at its heart, deeply feminist.

As Enola tumbles through stickier circumstances, with her brothers and a cadre of potential baddies on her heels, she becomes more deeply invested in a world in which the status quo is no longer enough, even as the old guard is desperate to hang on to it. “Year of the Rabbit” star Susan Wokoma makes a memorable turn as Holmes family friend Edith (whose very existence hints that Enola’s own memory might not be the most reliable), while Partridge makes for an endearing foil for the wild star and her increasingly insane quest.

While some of the hijinks go somewhat slack in the film’s middle — 123 minutes is a lot of time to fill, even with so many twists and turns — “Enola Holmes” and its winning heroine drive straight into an appropriately shocking conclusion that neatly sets up further adventures. Along the way, it establishes Enola and her evolving world as one both entertaining and instructive, a glimpse at a people and place on the cusp of something better and bigger, and willing to follow every clue to get there.

“Enola Holmes” will be available to stream on Netflix starting on Friday, September 23.

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Enola Holmes Reviews

Indubitably, with Enola Holmes, the game is indeed afoot for a quality adventure and decent mystery; but mostly, the audience will be enchanted by the young detective and her humor and humanity.

Full Review | Sep 17, 2023

Millie Bobbie Brown stars as the title character in Enola Holmes. Brown, known as Eleven on Stranger Things, is radiant in this mature role where she is obviously having the time of her life.

Full Review | Aug 22, 2023

Enola Holmes offers a pleasant, refreshing take on a franchise that might have a new future now. Millie Bobby Brown keeps climbing up the stairs of success, demonstrating her versatility, range, and maturity as a young actress.

Full Review | Original Score: B- | Jul 24, 2023

Enola Holmes is a fun, charming, action-adventure flick. Millie Bobby Brown is a star that will inspire viewers to either check out her filmography or convince them to read the books the movie is based on.

Full Review | Original Score: A | Mar 8, 2023

It’s a fun, vibrant, personality-rich adventure soaked in themes of womanhood, self-discovery, and finding your way in the world.

Full Review | Original Score: 4.5/5 | Aug 20, 2022

Enola Holmes was an unexpected but welcomed treat. The film offers adventure, comedy, mystery, and personal growth. In a world of cinema where female-led properties are lacking, Enola Holmes is ready to fill that void.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Feb 18, 2022

Enola Holmes is a ride that pays off, giving me a feminist storyline with purpose, a young heroine who saves the day and the men who doubt her, and even glimpses of a budding romance rooted in mutual respect and shared goals.

Full Review | Original Score: B | Feb 9, 2022

Along with offering a fresh spin on the literary mythology of the Holmes siblings, Enola Holmes makes a strong case for Millie Bobby Brown as the face of a new franchise set within that world.

Full Review | Jul 13, 2021

This movie is an enjoyable romp, dominated by the sparkling personality of Enola (Brown). Director Harry Bradbeer uses playful graphics and other inventive storytelling techniques which add much to the light, enjoyable tone of this film.

Full Review | Original Score: B | Apr 9, 2021

Enola Holmes is a bright, family-friendly watch with a likeable lead that unfortunately ends up feeling a little flimsy.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Apr 4, 2021

If you're looking for a spirited, intelligent role model for kids, you couldn't do much better than Enola Holmes.

Full Review | Mar 31, 2021

A witty lead, exciting mysteries, and Edwardian England; who could resist Enola Holmes? Certainly not me.

Full Review | Mar 3, 2021

While it loses a little steam as it goes, Enola Holmes is a lovely, well-made and family-friendly slice of entertainment that benefits from a fun performance by Brown.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Feb 21, 2021

I found Enola Holmes to be a step in the right direction for an entertaining, and even enlightening take on a promising franchise.

Full Review | Original Score: B+ | Feb 17, 2021

While the mystery might be elementary (my dear, notably absent, Watson), the storytelling is winkingly subversive, proclaiming that a new and welcome game is afoot.

Full Review | Original Score: B+ | Feb 14, 2021

It's stylish, playful, epic, and incredibly fun.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Feb 14, 2021

For anyone looking for a fun, mindless mystery carried by a character they wouldn't mind seeing again, the story of the much cooler Holmes sibling is absolutely the way to go.

Full Review | Feb 14, 2021

With plenty of conspiracies and clue-solving in a brisk and engaging story, all cut to Daniel Pemberton's rousing score, it's a hugely entertaining romp that will bring out the sleuth in you.

From Nancy Drew to Harriet The Spy to Veronica Mars, there is a wonderful tradition of young female detectives that Netflix's new film builds on, and it's great to see it carry on.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Feb 14, 2021

Perhaps one too many breaks of the fourth wall but on the whole, Enola is a delightful little movie that has the potential to be a franchise launching point.

Full Review | Original Score: A- | Feb 10, 2021

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Review: Sherlock who? Millie Bobby Brown is terrific in the clever ‘Enola Holmes’

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Amy March, Scout Finch, Lisa Simpson … you never know what you’re going to get in a younger sister, and Enola Holmes is as surprising as any of them. Bursting forth from Nancy Springer’s young adult series “Enola Holmes Mysteries,” which focuses on the younger sibling of Sherlock, Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous detective, Enola provides a richly fanciful, fresh perspective on the well-worn family name.

The new Netflix movie “Enola Holmes,” based on “The Case of the Missing Marquess,” stars a delightful Millie Bobby Brown in a saucy 1900-set pastiche with a modern feminist spin. Enola — who likes to point out that her name is “alone” spelled backward — is bright, clever, curious and, above all, resolute. These are things we learn quickly from her many conspiratorial asides directed at the camera. Underestimate her at your own peril. Most people do.

Decades younger than her better-known siblings (Mycroft being the elder of the two Holmes brothers), Enola grew up primarily with just their mother Eudoria ( Helena Bonham Carter ), a formidable woman of secrets. At Ferndell Hall, the family country manor, Eudoria schooled her daughter in literature, physics, philosophy, martial arts, you name it. But the most lasting lessons were those of character, instilling grit, independence and the understanding that Enola should not let society dictate her path.

On Enola’s 16th birthday, Eudoria vanishes, leaving behind clues that it was a planned departure. Brusque Mycroft (Sam Claflin) and the charming but aloof Sherlock ( Henry Cavill ) arrive, ready to pack Enola off to Miss Harrison’s Finishing School for Girls and locate their mother. Enola, however, has no interest in corsets, school or being finished.

She sets off for London alone to search for Eudoria, following her wits and using the skills her mother taught her. Along the way, she encounters Viscount (soon to be Lord) Tewksbury, Marquess of Basilwether (Louis Partridge). Enola is not immediately impressed by his foppish, One Direction-like appeal and dismisses him as “a useless boy.”

They will, of course, meet again, and Tewksbury will prove to be unexpectedly resourceful even as he fills the damoiseau en détresse role, his catchphrase being, “I’m not an idiot, you know.”

As she searches for her mother, Enola finds herself pursued by a violent man in a brown bowler (Burn Gorman) while engaging with anarchists, explosives, class upheaval, political intrigue and … murder. And as unlikely as it may have seemed at the outset, the fate of Britain hangs in the balance.

Adapted by Jack Thorne , the fiendishly prolific writer of theater, television and film, “Enola Holmes” is nothing short of thrilling in its mix of action, humor, mystery and even the early stirrings of romance. British TV veteran Harry Bradbeer ( “Fleabag” ) directs a fine cast, including Fiona Shaw as Miss Harrison, as well as Susan Wokoma, Adeel Akhtar and Frances de la Tour.

At a little more than two hours, “Enola Holmes” may be a tad long, but there are a lot of threads to unravel and it does so more than satisfactorily. It’s a fine vehicle for the versatile Brown (who also produced with her sister Paige), and with five more books in the Springer series, it’s possible we haven’t seen the last of Sherlock Holmes’ smarter sister.

‘Enola Holmes’

Rated: PG-13, for some violence Running time: 2 hours, 3 minutes Playing: Available Sept. 23 on Netflix

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Enola Holmes Review

23 Sep 2020

Enola Holmes

At the ripe old age of 16, Stranger Things sensation Millie Bobby Brown is stepping out of Eleven’s shadow and continuing to show confidence beyond her years by starring in and producing a new take on the world of Sherlock Holmes, shifting the focus onto his sister, Enola. She’s the youngest but also the bravest of the Holmes clan, and Brown relishes the opportunity to show the world again that — hey! — girls have stories to tell too. Based on the book series by Nancy Springer, the result is a sweet, family-friendly adventure — even though it could give its headstrong protagonist more richness and complexity.

We meet Enola, immediately comfortable with the audience (if a touch too eager) as she talks to camera telling us the story of her close bond with her mother (a quick-witted Helena Bonham Carter ) and her journey to find her when she disappears (These direct addresses make sense, considering Fleabag director Harry Bradbeer is behind the camera.) As she sets off, we get to know Enola (“alone” spelled backwards, she proudly says) through those closest to her. There’s the frustration with her brothers — Henry Cavill offering a stoic take on Sherlock, Sam Claflin sharply pantomimic as Mycroft — and men more broadly (“I don’t want a husband,” Enola grimaces). There’s the admiration she has for her independent, valiantly feminist mother who she stubbornly aspires to be. And then, most compellingly, there’s the destabilising attraction she faces when meeting Lord Tewksbury (a likeable Louis Partridge), another lost soul looking to be saved.

Enola’s emotions are telegraphed plainly in exaggerated body language and expressions, making Brown’s performance feel better suited for the stage. There’s impressive choreography as Enola shows her fight training in some lively action scenes, but few feel instrumental to the storyline, favouring winks to the viewer over chemistry between characters. Jack Thorne ’s sometimes thin screenplay aims for a sunny-side-up appeal — optimistic about resisting the inherited burdens of your family, fighting for your independence, and surviving as a young woman in a volatile world — but too often these cheery morals hit you over the head like a ton of bricks, with every on-the-nose punchline and teasing glance to camera. Still, the film is playfully designed, with sprightly animated intertitles and a jaunty Daniel Pemberton score, and has its heart firmly in the right place. The game's — just about — afoot.

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• DVD & Streaming

Enola Holmes

• Action/Adventure , Comedy , Crime , Drama , Mystery/Suspense

Content Caution

In Theaters

• Millie Bobby Brown as Enola Holmes; Henry Cavill as Sherlock Holmes; Sam Claflin as Mycroft Holmes; Helena Bonham Carter as Eudoria Holmes; Louis Partridge as Lord Tewksbury; Fiona Shaw as Miss Harrison; Adeel Akhtar as Lestrade; Frances de la Tour as The Dowager; Susan Wokoma as Edith; Burn Gorman as Linthorn

Home Release Date

• September 23, 2020
• Harry Bradbeer

Distributor

Movie review.

Sherlock Holmes is a famous detective, scholar, chemist, virtuoso violinist, expert marksman, swordsman, singlestick fighter, pugilist and brilliant deductive thinker.

He also happens to have a little sister named Enola.

Being much younger, Enola wasn’t raised alongside Sherlock or their older brother, Mycroft. No, after their father died, the boys followed their own paths—Mycroft to a cushy government position and Sherlock to his consulting detective business.

This left Enola to be raised by their now-widowed mother, Eudoria, alone (which is fitting since Enola spelled backwards is “alone”).

Eudoria taught Enola all about reading, science and sports (especially the martial art jujitsu). She emphasized that Enola could do whatever she wanted and be whoever she wanted. She was Enola’s whole world.

So when Eudoria mysteriously disappears on Enola’s 16 th birthday, the young girl’s understandably shaken.

Mycroft and Sherlock soon arrive at their family estate, which they haven’t visited in many years. They’re appalled by Enola’s free-spirited, undisciplined ways, as well as the tattered condition of Ferndall Hall. Mycroft meanly labels Enola an “uneducated, underdressed, poorly mannered wildling.” His solution? Sending her off to finishing school. Sherlock, for his part, seems largely unconcerned about the girl’s current state or her future one. He just wants to solve the mystery of what happened to their mother.

Of course, none of this suits Enola. She wants to figure out what happened to Eudoria just as much as they do. And she certainly doesn’t want to attend finishing school to become a “proper” lady of society. But, alas, her brothers ignore her pleas. So Enola runs away to find her mother on her own. Because if there’s one thing that Eudoria impressed upon her daughter, it’s that a woman should always choose her own path in life, not the one others choose for her.

Positive Elements

Eudoria shares a close bond with Enola, teaching her daughter all that she knows and preparing her for all manners of potential opportunities in the future. And although she largely neglects to prepare Enola for how to behave in polite society, Eudoria does instill in her daughter the conviction that women are as capable of doing anything as men are, and that Enola’s sole identity and purpose in life don’t have to be finding a husband and rearing children—unless that’s the way she wants it to be.

Eudoria’s disappearance causes strife for her three children. Mycroft and Sherlock, who barely know Enola, are suddenly charged with caring for her. And Enola, already feeling abandoned by her mother, feels even more unwanted when Mycroft tries to ship her off to finishing school and Sherlock refuses to defend her.

However, being separated from her mother actually proves to be good for Enola in the context of this story. She learns how to fend for herself, stands up to her brothers and chooses her own future. Her brothers, in turn, realize that even though Enola didn’t turn out how they expected, she is highly resourceful and quite extraordinary in her own right.

Enola feels obligated to defend those who can’t defend themselves. She tells the story of how she once risked her life to save a sheep from falling off a cliff and applies the same rationale to saving the life of Lord Tewksbury, a young man about her age who also ran away from home.

Tewksbury has several ideas about how to use his position in England’s House of Lords to better the country, but he confesses his fear that he is only following the path that his family set for him and that he’ll wind up hating it. However, after learning that there is a plot to kill him, he realizes how important his progressive stance is and that he needs to be brave in order to make change for good.

The housekeeper at Ferndall Hall worries when Enola runs away since the girl knows nothing about the outside world. She also mentions that Enola left money for her before leaving. (Just as Eudoria did for her daughter.)

Spiritual Elements

Someone says, “God help us.” A cross replaces Enola’s father in a drawing when she explains that he passed away. Some portraits in the background show women wearing cross necklaces. Another cross is visible in a cemetery. But apart from those occasional symbols, no substantial reference to God is made in the story at all.

Sexual Content

Enola’s measurements are taken by the headmistress of a finishing school, and the older woman tells Enola that she will need a corset and “hip amplifiers.” Enola finds the notion of being objectified in this way preposterous and describes the corset as a symbol of oppression. However, she also later admits that it has its uses (she hides money in it and it also stops a knife from stabbing her).

We see Enola in her undergarments (large bloomers and an undershirt) several times, and she also tightens her corset in a few scenes. Some dresses show cleavage. Enola becomes embarrassed when a young man sees her bloomers drying on a rack. Enola dresses as a male to disguise her appearance several times.

Men kiss women on their hands. Enola hugs Lord Tewksbury a few times as an innocent romance perhaps begins to blossom. 

Violent Content

Enola was trained in the martial art of jujitsu, and we see her and others sparring in several scenes. She uses her skills to fight a man who keeps pursuing and attempting to kill her. In one wince-worthy scene, he hits her in the face and kicks her in the stomach. In another, he nearly manages to drown her (which she prevents by going limp and pretending as though he succeeded) and attempts to stab her with a knife. Elsewhere, he hits her in the head with the butt of a rifle, causing her to bleed.

People repeatedly try to kill Tewksbury. The mysterious man tries to throw him off a train, strangles him with a metal garrote, and shoots at him and Enola with a gun. We learn that Tewksbury’s father was murdered and that Tewksbury himself narrowly escaped being killed when a falling tree branch nearly crushed him.

A man is knocked down, and he hits his head on a wooden carving, causing him to bleed and, soon after, die. A woman shoots a boy with a gun (though he is unharmed due to a metal breastplate hidden under his clothes).

[ Spoiler Warning ] Enola discovers gunpowder and several bombs at the meeting place of a women’s suffrage movement, and it’s pretty clearly implied that the group hiding them intends to use them.

A man is hit in the head with a tea kettle. A girl is slapped across the face by a grown woman. Two teens jump from a moving train. A girl falls off her bike. Someone plots the murder of a person very close to that character.

Crude or Profane Language

We hear three uses of “h—” and one of “d–n.” We also hear the British expletive “bloody” three times. God’s name is misused thrice.

Drug and Alcohol Content

Some men smoke pipes and drink sherry. Someone talks about Sherlock’s favorite type of tobacco.

Other Negative Elements

[ Spoiler Warning ] Eudoria is a radical feminist in the fight for women’s suffrage—and the film suggests that she’s willing to use violent tactics to affect change in people’s attitudes toward women’s independence and voting. She defends her position, saying that sometimes “you have to make a little noise” in order to be heard, but her actions actually cross into terrorism (she builds multiple bombs and makes plans with other suffragettes to blow up key locations in England). And although she apologizes to Enola for abandoning her without so much as a word, the film still invites viewers to sympathize with Eudoria’s violent justification for her actions.

In Mycroft’s desire to turn Enola into a proper lady, he ignores the girl’s wishes, yelling at her and making her cry several times. He makes an offhand comment about feminists being senile and also expresses his dislike of having uneducated voters.

Enola draws several rude caricatures of people who irritate her. A snooty storeowner refuses to serve Enola until she sees that the girl has lots of money. She later turns Enola into the police when she realizes there is a reward for finding the girl. A teahouse illegally has several banned books on its shelves. Enola disguises herself as a widow because, she opines, people generally try to avoid anything to do with death. Two teens steal an automobile.

A woman considers the land of her ancestral home to be hers to protect for the sake of England. However, she eventually takes this ideal to a radical extreme.

If there’s one thing to learn from Enola Holmes , it’s that being alone doesn’t mean being lonely.

Enola feels lost and abandoned when her mother disappears, especially when her two older brothers (whom she’s always looked up to) don’t even recognize her when she picks them up at the train station.

However, being alone allows Enola to choose her own path. She realizes that she doesn’t have to follow every whim of Mycroft, nor does she have to follow in Sherlock’s exact footsteps. She also isn’t bound to Lord Tewksbury either, who carries a torch for her. She is free to choose a future that is entirely her own and to share it with whomever she pleases—a revolutionary expression of individualism in a society that more often than not valued conformity and social rigidity instead.  

[ Spoiler Warning ] Unfortunately, that fierce advocacy for Enola’s independence is ultimately tainted by Eudoria’s extremist ties. Eudoria is adamant about shaping a future where women’s values, vote and personal freedom are the equal of men’s. A woman isn’t defined by corsets and male-focused behaviors, she insists, but by her heart and skill and passion—likeable traits Enola has in spades. But her methods are left wanting since the film implies that she is willing to go so far as to use bombs to make herself heard.

And while we can all be grateful that Eudoria taught her daughter self-defense, it’s still rather difficult to watch Enola get beaten up and nearly killed by a man much older, larger and stronger than her.

So, while Enola Holmes delivers mostly positive messages about individuality, equality and freedom, families should also be cautious about the violence portrayed and the willingness to go to terrible extremes to achieve one’s ideals.

Emily Tsiao

Emily studied film and writing when she was in college. And when she isn’t being way too competitive while playing board games, she enjoys food, sleep, and geeking out with her husband indulging in their “nerdoms,” which is the collective fan cultures of everything they love, such as Star Wars, Star Trek, Stargate and Lord of the Rings.

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‘Enola Holmes’: Sleuth Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves

By David Fear

We all know of one Sherlock Holmes, he of the calabash pipe, expert deductive skills and a century-plus worth of pop-cultural staying power. Fans of Arthur Conan Doyle’s novels about the resident of 221B Baker Street — along with the legion of movie, TV, radio-play and stage-production adaptations of his mysteries — are also familiar with the recurring character of his older brother Mycroft, who has some very important but vaguely defined job in the British government. (As for details regarding the more obscure Sigerson Holmes, well … you’ll have to inquire, via a medium, with the ghost of Gene Wilder about him .)

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Slipping on to a train while dressed as a young man — this is her go-to getaway costume; she’s a master of many skills but only one single disguise — Enola heads to London in search of her mum. She also meets a boy in a bag, who turns out to be Lord Tewkesbury (Louis Patridge). He’s folded himself into a satchel so as to smuggle himself to safety, as his family is looking for him and his life may be in danger. Once they arrive in Blighty, the two teens go their separate ways. But fate isn’t done with them yet. Nor, for that matter, is the homicidal thug chasing Tewkesbury and who keeps running into Enola, or the young Ms. Holmes two brothers, both of whom are keenly scouring the city for their missing sister.

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‘Enola Holmes 2’ Review: A Clever Force of Nature

Millie Bobby Brown delivers an understated, playful performance in this young-adult mystery sequel.

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By Beandrea July

Enola Holmes is back, and she’s ready for both her first official case as a detective and, work schedule permitting, some romance. Millie Bobby Brown delivers an understated, playful performance in the follow up to the Netflix young-adult mystery “Enola Holmes.” This time around, the director Harry Bradbeer and the screenwriter Jack Thorne forgo prolonged dialogue when Enola breaks the fourth wall, making more room for Brown’s intense looks and physical gestures to resonate.

Working in the shadow of her famous brother, Sherlock (Henry Cavill), Enola realizes that independent, professional women are treated more like suspects than like trusted investigators in Victorian England. So it makes sense that her first case comes from a fellow young woman, Bessie (Serrana Su-Ling Bliss), who needs to track down a missing co-worker at a matchstick factory where women workers are mysteriously dying of typhus. (This plot point was inspired by the women who orchestrated the 1888 Match Girls Strike in London .)

Sherlock himself is working on a case of stolen government funds, and the siblings eventually discover their cases are in fact linked. As Enola finds she can hold her own, both alongside and without her brother, a sheltered girl gives way to a young woman who embraces the literal and figurative fighter in her, finding solidarity with working-class women in the fight for women’s rights in the process. As Edith, a suffragist leader and jiu-jitsu master played by a steadying Susan Wokoma, proclaims in the film: “You can’t control Enola. She’s a force of nature.”

Speaking of the movie’s well-choreographed fight scenes, when Enola’s mother, Eudoria (a delightful Helena Bonham Carter), and Edith band together to beat the heck out of grown-men assailants, one can’t help but cheer on this Y.A. feminist tale as a welcome addition to the Sherlock Holmes universe.

Enola Holmes 2 Rated PG-13 for moderate violence. Running time: 2 hours 9 minutes. Watch on Netflix .

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Enola Holmes (Millie Bobby Brown ), the younger sister of Sherlock Holmes ( Henry Cavill ), returns in this cheeky, breezy sequel that's better than the original. The character has a better sense of who she is, and the movie spends less time explaining, and more time on action. The mystery at its center is inspired by a real-life event that is genuinely inspiring.

Enola is not a younger female version of her older brother, who, in this version, has the deductive ability of the Arthur Conan Doyle books but is younger and not as well established as in the books. She is her person, less analytical than he is and much more empathetic. She is observant and determined, and she has great fighting skills and a good command of mechanical physics. She also has enormous courage, both physical and moral. The first we see in this film is her back and then her feet and the hems of her skirt and petticoat as she is racing through the London streets, being chased by two Bobbies. She stops to address us, as she does with great charm and wit throughout. “Perhaps I should explain.”

And then we rewind to go back a bit, with Enola trying to establish her detective agency in London. “I was going to join the pantheon of great Victorian detectives. I would be his equal, worthy of the Holmes name, or so I thought.”

It does not go well. Potential clients say she is too young or mistake her for the receptionist. Some just get to the point: “Might your brother be free?” And then a young girl named Bessie ( Serrana Su-Ling Bliss ) comes into the office looking for her sister Sarah. There are advantages to Enola’s youth and gender. She can go undercover with Bessie as a new employee in the match factory where Sarah worked before she disappeared. Potential clients may underestimate Enola, but so do the people she is investigating. 

The direction and editing match the lively personality of the heroine, and the mystery has several delightful twists. Enola is determined to be independent and has a hard time admitting she needs help. But it turns out that her case may be connected to the one her brother is working on. Her eccentric mother (Helena Bonham Carter) turns up to provide some assistance, some explosives, and some revision of her earlier advice to Enola to rely only on herself. She says Enola has become “strong, individual, but perhaps a little lonely. With others, you could be magnificent. Find your allies, work with them, and you will become more who you are.” And when she needs an emergency ballroom dance lesson, the handsome Lord Tewkesbury ( Louis Partridge ) is willing to oblige.

Brown, also a producer of the film, is ideal for Enola. Her asides to the audience are delightful, especially when she unsuccessfully tries to reassure us, with a slight blush, that she just happens to be in the park Tewkesbury walks through on his way to the House of Lords. Animated inserts show us some of what she is thinking and some flashbacks to her mother’s lessons tell us more of what has—and has not—prepared her for these challenges. She shows us Enola’s curiosity, frustration, determination, and vulnerability. We see her make mistakes and we see her learn to get help from others, and sometimes make mistakes in getting help from the wrong people.

The supporting cast is especially strong, with David Thewlis and Adeel Akhtar as police detectives tracking the same case and usually considering Enola either an obstruction or a suspect. I do not want to spoil any of the twists and surprises in the film by pointing to any of the other performers except to say that like Enola, the supporting characters can be overlooked or underestimated because of who they are.    

The story pays tribute to a real-life historical moment that gets well-deserved recognition in a closing title card, and a mid-credits scene gives us the tantalizing arrival of a welcome new character. There are six books (so far) in the Nancy Springer series about Enola, and I hope her game will continue to be afoot. 

Now playing in select theaters and available on Netflix on November 4th. 

Nell Minow is the Contributing Editor at RogerEbert.com.

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Enola Holmes 2 (2022)

Rated PG-13 for some violence and bloody images.

129 minutes

Millie Bobby Brown as Enola Holmes

Henry Cavill as Sherlock Holmes

Louis Partridge as Lord Tewkesbury

Helena Bonham-Carter as Eudoria Holmes

David Thewlis

Susan Wokoma as Edith

Adeel Akhtar as Lestrade

Sharon Duncan-Brewster

Hannah Dodd

• Harry Bradbeer

Writer (based upon the "Enola Holmes Mysteries' book series" by)

• Nancy Springer

Writer (story by)

• Jack Thorne

Cinematographer

• Giles Nuttgens
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From 'Enola Holmes' to 'Murder Mystery': 5 Netflix mystery flicks that'll majorly test your detective skills

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: In the world of Hollywood, movie genres often rise and fall in popularity, but one genre stands the test of time: mysteries. From classics like 'The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari' to modern hits like 'Gone Girl,' mysteries have captivated audiences for decades.

They come in various flavors, from horror to comedy to noirish drama, always leaving viewers eager to solve the puzzle before the final reveal.

Today, mysteries are as beloved as ever. We all enjoy playing detective from our armchairs, trying to crack the case before the characters do. Whether you're in the mood for a laugh-out-loud comedy or a brooding psychodrama, there's a mystery movie out there to satisfy your craving for suspense.

Here are 5 mystery movies on Netflix that will challenge your sleuthing skills and keep you guessing until the credits roll.

Murder Mystery (2019)

Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston , famous for their roles in 'Just Go With It' , team up again in 'Murder Mystery' for a noble cause: solving a crime on a luxurious yacht. In the movie, they portray a married couple - he's a cop from NYPD, and she's a hairdresser.

They embark on a journey to Europe with limited resources. However, their plans take a thrilling turn when they meet a charming aristocrat (Luke Evans) who invites them to join his cruise across the Mediterranean. But soon, they find themselves accused of a murder that occurred onboard, involving the aristocrat's uncle (Terence Stamp).

'Murder Mystery' resembles a livelier version of 'Clue', with Sandler and Aniston surrounded by a diverse cast of eccentric suspects.

Their talent for unraveling mysteries is so impressive that they decide to establish their own detective agency in the sequel, 'Murder Mystery 2' .

Enola Holmes (2020)

In 'Enola Holmes' , Millie Bobby Brown switches her telekinetic abilities from 'Stranger Things' to the sharp deduction skills of Sherlock Holmes' spirited 16-year-old sister. Enola, more spirited than the typical Victorian-era woman, takes after her famous detective brother ( Henry Cavill ) when their mother ( Helena Bonham Carter ) disappears.

As she searches for her mother, Enola navigates through the streets of London, encountering various mysteries while defying sexist societal norms.

Brown received praise for her comedic timing in the role. She returned as Enola in a lively sequel released in 2022, where Enola transforms her detective talents into a successful career.

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)

Even before 'Knives Out' stormed the box office, writer-director Rian Johnson was already planning sequels. His suave Southern detective, Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig), could be the modern version of Hercule Poirot, Agatha Christie's famous detective who solved mysteries in numerous novels and short stories.

The first sequel, 'Glass Onion' , is a star-studded comedy. It follows a tech billionaire ( Edward Norton ) who invites his friends, portrayed by Kate Hudson, Janelle Monáe, Kathryn Hahn, and Dave Bautista, to a remote murder mystery getaway that takes a deadly turn.

This humorous and tightly woven film earned an Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay, and it's clear why even without detective skills.

Missing (2023)

Technology has always played a significant role in horror movies, notably in the found-footage trend and the newer screen lifestyle, where the action unfolds on computers, smartphones, and similar devices.

Thrillers like 'Unfriended', 'Searching', and 'Host' have portrayed characters' fears through screens, highlighting the terrifying potential of the internet.

'Missing' is an anthology sequel to 'Searching', employing the same technique with different characters. In this film, Storm Reid from 'A Wrinkle in Time' portrays an 18-year-old who becomes convinced that her mother (Nia Long) has been kidnapped after she fails to return home from a vacation with her boyfriend (Ken Leung).

Fast-paced and packed with twists, 'Missing' delivers an absolute adrenaline rush.

The Woman in the Window (2021)

Following the success of 'Gone Girl', another gripping tale emerged: 'The Woman in the Window', adapted from a bestselling book of 2018. Amy Adams stars as a New York City woman, battling agoraphobia and drowning her sorrows in alcohol.

She fixates on her neighbors, especially a troubled family recently moving across the street.

Convinced she witnesses a violent act, she keeps a paranoid eye on her surroundings, only to be thrown into confusion when the supposed perpetrator introduces a different wife. Directed by Joe

Wright ('Atonement') and written by Tracy Letts ('August: Osage County'), this Rear Window-esque thriller is packed with twists best enjoyed with a glass of red wine and the lights turned low. 

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Young sherlock holmes series announces star, guy ritchie will direct.

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• Guy Ritchie is directing a young Sherlock Holmes series starring Hero Fiennes Tiffin for Prime Video.
• There has been a recent trend of reimagining the Sherlock Holmes universe, including Netflix's Enola Holmes and the upcoming Watson medical drama.
• The latest project is based on the Young Sherlock Holmes novels, adding new perspectives to classic characters.

The star of a new young Sherlock has been announced, with Guy Ritchie set to direct. Over the past few years, there have been attempts to look at the Sherlock universe of characters in new ways. That includes Netflix's Enola Holmes and the upcoming medical drama Watson .

According to Variety , Ritchie will direct a young Sherlock Holmes series that will be led by After We Fell actor Hero Fiennes Tiffin. Planned for Prime Video, and consisting of eight episodes, Young Sherlock Holmes is based on the novels of the same name. It marks a reunion for Ritchie and Tiffin, who recently worked together on The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare . It's also the latest Sherlock project for Ritchie, as he'd previously directed the two films which starred Robert Downey Jr. as the famous detective.

What To Know About The Young Sherlock Holmes Show

It's a reimagining of the iconic detective.

The upcoming Prime Video adaptation is based on the Young Sherlock books by author Andy Lane. Eight in total, with the most recent arriving in 2015, the show promises to be an action-focused origin story of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s legendary detective. It sees Sherlock at the age of age 19 as disgraced and unformed. It's then that he finds himself drawn to a murder mystery at Oxford University. The mystery ultimately threatens his freedom, leading to a conspiracy that forever changes Sherlock's life.

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Netflix enters its dan lin era.

As Lin starts his new post running the industry’s most monied film division, plenty of questions linger, including if the veteran executive will finally execute the streamer’s much talked-about "fewer and better" filmmaking strategy.

By Mia Galuppo , Borys Kit April 1, 2024 12:30pm

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It’s a familiar arc in movies: The person who doesn’t want the job is the best candidate for it. And so it was with Dan Lin , the producer and founder of Rideback, who this week starts his tenure as Netflix ‘s film head.

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Lin had been down this path before, being courted for a top studio post at a division in desperate need of a strong hand. In 2022, he was in negotiations to lead DC’s film and TV efforts at Warner Bros., the company where he got his start on projects like The Departed . But he walked away , in part, because it was unclear how Rideback would be incorporated into his prospective new role. 

But Bajaria was able to convince Lin that the upside to him taking the Netflix job could be huge, according to sources. At Netflix, Lin would run a division that makes far more titles than any traditional studio, and he will command a budget far superior to anything available in contemporary Hollywood. “He is in charge of film for the biggest film supplier in the world” says one producer. Then there’s the pay. Though salary details were not available, as the source notes, “The money would be hard to replicate, even for a successful producer,” even if the job ends up only lasting a few years.

The prospects were enough for Lin to take the job — retaining a stake in Rideback but otherwise leaving things to partner Jonathan Eirich and Rideback COO Michael LoFaso as the new co-CEOs.

At Rideback, Lin found himself in the unique position (at least by 2024 Hollywood standards) of sitting atop a production company that works across studio lots and manages multiple successful franchises. Rideback has made hits out of the seemingly unadaptable (Lego bricks, steampunk Sherlock Holmes) and has taken already valuable IP and made it even more valuable ( It , Aladdin ). Yes, there have been some stumbles, like last summer’s Haunted Mansion and Jo Koy comedy Easter Sunday , but these are outnumbered by the successes. 

As for what Lin is walking into, Netflix’s structure has long been a source of Hollywood puzzlement. There are the complaints about pitching one project to multiple groups in the same division and bottlenecks with executives spread too thin. Over the past year, the company’s film arm entered a state of greater uncertainty due to executive departures and reorgs.

Internally, Lin’s appointment was met with positivity and the hope that the executive will offer direction and a kick-start to productions.

Then there’s the Netflix slate. Stuber joined in 2017 with the mandate to build up the streamer’s originals library and jump-start its tentpole ambitions. The division, thanks to Stuber, was able to court top filmmaking talent. It also touted the release of “a new movie every week” during a period of rapid growth when Netflix had to prove its staying power to both subscribers and investors. But gone are the days when Netflix would fork over seemingly unlimited budgets, paying large fees to filmmakers to make up for backends. Lin “can make movies for the right price,” as one top talent rep put it. 

Tentpole franchises, seen as a way to reduce subscriber churn, have remained nominal at Netflix, where Extraction is the most notable film series. Per the company, Extraction 2 has become the 10th most popular original movie of all time for the streamer, and the third installment was announced last summer. Outside of this, there are two Enola Holmes films and an Old Guard sequel that is expected this year. Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon , which is planned as a multifilm series, debuted in mid-December to nearly half the viewership that Julia Roberts starrer Leave the World Behind premiered to weeks earlier. Snyder’s sequel, The Scargiver , arrives April 19.

According to insiders, the Lin-era Netflix film slate will be made up of a majority of midsized offerings, with the streamer having found its biggest hits with comedies, rom-coms and family films. Scattered in there will be a handful of big movies and requisite awards contenders. Though the slate may be smaller than those working with Netflix are accustomed, the industry, which has been hearing about Netflix belt tightening for the better part of the past year, won’t pin smaller paydays on Lin.

The executive, who has been described by those who have worked with him as “low key” and “humble,” will write Netflix’s film operation’s newest chapter — but don’t expect fanfare. Said one agency head, “He’s not enthralled by the trappings of a studio job.” After all, he didn’t need it to begin with.

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Revolves around two extraction specialists who have to designate a route of escape for a senior female negotiator. Revolves around two extraction specialists who have to designate a route of escape for a senior female negotiator. Revolves around two extraction specialists who have to designate a route of escape for a senior female negotiator.

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