Despite the fact that I consider myself a fan of Sherlock Holmes, I felt hesitant when I first heard news about Enola Holmes, starring Millie Bobby Brown, as I feared the world of the iconic investigator has been slightly over exploited. Since Guy Richie’s 2009 aptly named Sherlock Holmes we have had two television adaptations -BBC’s Sherlock and Elementary-, and in the big screen, with the 2009 film and its sequel -both directed by Ritchie and starring Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law as Holmes and Watson- and one with Ian Mckellen -the great and charming Mr Holmes- playing the detective, living alone and retired in his later years.

The last time we saw Sherlock was on 2018 in Holmes and Watson, with Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly as the protagonist pair in an unfunny comedy that nobody asked for which seemed interested on wasting both the talent of its cast -in addition to Ferrell and Reilly, Ralph Fiennes, Rebecca Hall, Hugh Laurie, Steve Coogan, among others appear-, and the time of the audience. 

However, as I try not to bring any preconcieved criticism or negative ideas before watching the actual film, I saw Enola Holmes expecting a film which hopefully did not rely too much on the legacy of the popular sleuth. 

Based on the first novel of the saga written by Nancy Springer, Enola Holmes is centered on the emponymous character, who happens to be the youngest sibling of the Holmes family. Despite spending all her live accompanied only by her mother -played by Helena Bonham Carter- and barely knowing her elder brothers Shelock and Mycroft -Henry Cavill and Sam Claffin, respectively-, Enola does not seem to be affected by any of that, as reflected by the fact that she learnt at a very young age that her name spelt backwards was alone. 

Both her brothers are supporting characters, since the relationship with her mother is central to the story, as it was her who taught Enola a plethora of useful skills, such as martial arts, botany, classical literature and so on. Furthermore, and most importantly, she has taught her daughter to be an independent woman in full control of her destiny -“our future is up to us”, as Enola repeats several times throughout the film-, who is more than capable to be left to her own devices.

The central mystery of her mother’s dissappearance acts as a mcguffin for the development of the plot, as it is after she has vanished that Sherlock and Mycroft appear and, with her lifestyle threatened to be changed completely, Enola decides to investigate herself.

Taking into account the fact that the film’s main audience is a younger demographic, as it is based on a young adult novel, Enola Holmes distances itself from other more recent Sherlock Holmes films both in style and in rhythm. Directed by Harry Bradbeer, Enola Holmes is a light and colourful feature with a peppy character and plenty of energy, which is a perfect reflection of its protagonist. 

While Robert Downey Jr’s eccentric Sherlock managed to disguise himself and slow time to win a fight by using its intelect and Benedict Cumberbatch’s more sombre and knowledgeable take on the character was able to make intelligence attractive, Millie Bobby Brown’s charm and likeable personality have made Enola Holmes independent and different to her elder brother, as well as vivaciously quirky and enjoyable to watch. She even addresses directly to the audience, in what can be considered as a nod to Fleabag, a show directed by Bradbeer as well, and for which he received an Emmy Award in 2019. 

The script written by Jack Thorne -one of the hardest working people in the industry who recently wrote shows and films like The Eddy, His Dark Materials, The Aeronauts, Madame Curie and The Secret Garden-, successfully combines the more classical elements of detective stories -dissapearances, assasination attempts, mysterious characters, devious plots…- with necessary elements like a study on the role of women on society and the necessity for a change. 

Enola Holmes proves that, while it might not be perfect -it is slightly longer than it should have been, meaning that loses a little bit of steam before its end, and there is not enough of Helena Bonham Carter in my opinion- it is a film that, despite existing in a universe populated by countless Sherlock Holmes adaptations, brings something new to the table and manages to be an entertainingly engaging breath of fresh air which could be enjoyed by not only young people, but also by all members of the family.