Enola Holmes 3: A Lackluster Franchise Ender

The third film in the trilogy, Enola Holmes 3 sees director Philip Barantini taking the helm from Harry Bradbeer, the director of the first two instalments. Taking place after the events of the last film and picks up, the latest film follows Enola (Brown) as she finally gets to work alongside her brother Sherlock (Henry Cavill), and his esteemed colleague Dr. Watson (Patel). When Enola gets engaged to her love Tewkesbury (Partridge) and travels to Malta for her wedding ceremony, she begins to face her greatest challenge yet: the pre wedding jitters she would’ve never expected. However, her perfect day is then derailed upon the news that her brother has been kidnapped. Thrown into her most perilous case yet, Enola has to crack the mystery, and find her brother, all while preparing for her upcoming marriage.

Easily the weakest in the trilogy, Enola Holmes 3 still delivers a fun entry for fans of this series and these characters. Unlike its predecessors, this faster paced installment doesn’t overstay its welcome, clocking in at just over the 100 minute mark. Also the most action packed of the trilogy, it features several well helmed sequences that will certainly keep audiences entertained and on the edge of their seats throughout. Shot quite well, the filmmaking team does a great job at capturing its period setting. Beaming with heart, the film is not afraid to wear its sentiment proudly on its sleeve.

Brown is once again great in the titular role. Not only does she have so much charisma and likeability, she has strong chemistry with the rest of the cast and does a perfect job at breaking the fourth wall. While the supporting cast are quite solid, those expecting to see a lot of Helena Bonham Carter’s Eudoria Holmes or Cavill’s Sherlock might find themselves sorely disappointed. Though their reduced roles do make sense in the context of the story, it is still disappointing. This is made worse by the fact that whenever Cavill’s Sherlock does appear onscreen, he looks bored beyond belief for the most part.

While there are not much in the way of glaring flaws here, the film simply feels a lot slighter with a more lackluster central mystery this time around. The main mystery is not very engaging nor compelling, taking a predictable path that is just not quite as satisfying. It’s also extra frustrating when considering how the film took 4 years to make, and the production could not have come up with a better story. One could only think that the issue could have been the main crux of the director change. Meanwhile, the story features far too many flashbacks, which cause the film to have somewhat of an odd structure. With the wedding subplot featured heavily in its marketing, over the mystery element, it feels like an afterthought.

Enola Holmes 3 might not reach the same heights as its predecessors, but this third entry still provides a decent third chapter that should satisfy the fans and give Millie Bobby Brown another vehicle to show off her undeniable talents. Ending this trilogy on a good note, while also leaving the door open for possibly more in the future, if Brown or the production team ever decide to come back. Though a slight step down, as far as Netflix franchises go, the ‘Enola Holmes’ franchise is undeniably one of their more successful offerings, and the level of care put into this franchise is commendable, despite the finale falling short of the films that preceded it.

still courtesy of Netflix

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Connor Carey

www.connorsmoviereviews.com/