Enola Holmes 2, 2022.
Directed by Harry Bradbeer.
Starring Millie Bobby Brown, Henry Cavill, Louis Partridge, Helena Bonham Carter, David Thewlis, Susan Wokoma, Adeel Akhtar, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Hannah Dodd, Abbie Hern, Gabriel Tierney, Serrana Su-Ling Bliss, Pierre Bergman, Róisín Monaghan, David Westhead, Catriona Chandler, Tim McMullen, Lee Boardman, Tony Lucken, Alison Knox, and Himesh Patel.
SYNOPSIS:
Now a detective-for-hire like her infamous brother, Enola Holmes takes on her first official case to find a missing girl, as the sparks of a dangerous conspiracy ignite a mystery that requires the help of friends — and Sherlock himself — to unravel.
There is a key distinction between the adaptation approach for Enola Holmes and Enola Holmes 2 (which carries over returning director Harry Bradbeer, co-writing and conceptualizing the story once again alongside Jack Thorne): the former is based on an actual novel by Nancy Springer (The Case of the Missing Marquess: An Enola Holmes Mystery), whereas the latter is labeled as an adaptation of Nancy Springer’s books.
Paying attention to the ending credits is not necessary to come to this realization, as it’s evident throughout Enola Holmes 2, which is another charming romp anchored by Millie Bobby Brown’s spunky and independently determined eponymous sleuth Enola Holmes, the sister of infamous detective Sherlock Holmes (Henry Cavill), but decidedly messy in its creative choices to bring back nearly every character from that first film for this new mystery. Many of them feel shoved into this narrative, including Sherlock Holmes himself in a half-baked subplot that sees him drunk and lonely while trying to crack an elusive case. Enola encourages Sherlock to get a flatmate, so there’s also some unnecessary sequel table-setting.
One wishes the filmmakers had some restraints in forcing them into this new story, as the premise of Enola Holmes 2 follows the young adult detective having now opened up an agency for higher. Due to some sexism (plenty of men are quick to attribute the results of the first film all to Sherlock Holmes) and inexperience, Enola struggles to get a case. Nevertheless, she is eventually hired by Bessie (Serrana Su-Ling Bliss), a child seeking answers to the disappearance of a missing girl. This also establishes Enola as an investigator for the less fortunate rather than Sherlock’s wealthy clients.
A title card also informs that Enola Holmes 2 is grounded in some truth, as the case brings the detective to a matchstick factory where its women workers are exploited, with none of the higher-ups too concerned about Typhus reportedly killing some of them. Corporate greed and women’s worker rights are tackled here, as Enola becomes a primary murder suspect while following clues and walking in on a murder victim. Fortunately, she is surrounded by Sherlock and love interest Tewkesbury (Louis Partridge) to bail her out of shaky situations, and even though the message here is that working together allows for more results and one loud voice to form distinctly, it’s also a bit of a bummer that Enola’s needs wide-ranging assistance to solve her first commissioned mystery.
Meanwhile, Sherlock is stumped tracking the bank account of an anonymous individual stealing and transferring money all over the place, looking into the coordinates and searching for some connecting link. Of course, this is related to Enola’s ongoing investigation, which is fine and fun for twists and turns but also feels superfluous and takes away from Enola’s arc. It’s noble that the film wants to embrace family and friendship, but it comes at the cost of a stacked cast, an abundance of moving parts to the mystery, and diminishes Enola’s independence. And that’s without getting into the conventional romantic subplot that blossoms.
There’s also no denying that despite the wobbly narrative (which is also disappointingly obvious in some regards, but I suppose that’s to be expected when the sneering and menacing David Thewlis is part of an ensemble), the characters and performances are infectiously charismatic, rollicking along with the same energy and excitement as Daniel Pemberton’s theme. The action sequences are surprisingly basic and bland, sometimes cutting back and forth to conversations or ongoing fights lacking a graceful flow.
Enola Holmes 2 is undeniably a step backward in many respects, but the filmmakers and cast still find the magnetism to the story and characters.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com
