Netflix’s Enola Holmes – A Messy YA Adaptation (Early Review)

Initially, Enola Holmes is a confusing film as it’s unclear who it was intended for. Possessing elements of the mysteries and adventures of her older brother, Sherlock Holmes, and more of a youth-centered focus, this film attempts to straddle the line between a young adult audience and those that are slightly older. Based on the successful YA book series, The Enola Holmes Mysteries, it does a valiant job in capturing the essence of the intelligent Holmes family albeit through a more youthful perspective. Nevertheless, there is still something missing in its translation from page to screen.

The cast of Enola Holmes of course features Brown, as the titular character, while Cavill played Sherlock, and Claflin played Mycroft, the eldest Holmes. Each do well in their respective roles with Brown doing her best to embody the literary character of Enola Holmes by adding a whimsical element of charm, wit, and perspective that is fun to watch as she interacts with the world around her. Meanwhile, both the cinematography and screenplay are strong supporting elements as the main character frequently breaks the fourth wall through the use of comical monologues while the bright colorization does its best to combat the drab coldness of 1800s era London with the beauty of the English countryside.

However, where Enola Holmes truly falters is in its script. It attempts to juggle far too many plot points all the while giving each of them equal importance thus the film eventually succumbs to its own narrative weight. The final product is unfortunately reduced to a mess that would have been better suited as a 4-part series or a much shorter version of this 2+ hour film in order to do it justice. For the most part, the film has entertaining moments and interesting characters but its story has very little emotional stakes. The central conflict revolving around Enola’s mother’s mysterious disappearance offers little to no satisfaction or provide any kind of justification whatsoever for the film’s 2+ hour running time. While the film may be sufficient for young adult audiences, it doesn’t feels like something in which young adults will gravitate towards on the streaming platform.

At the end of the day, Enola Holmes is a film that is held captive by its source material – it cannot stretch to something beyond a standard PG-13 audience as it would mean departing from that material. The choice to stay within the confines of the original character will surely alienate a large portion of potential viewers who still happen to be on the fence. Ultimately, fans of the source material are sure to find enough to enjoy here though those who are new to the character, there is little to get excited about beyond its high-profile cast

still courtesy of Netflix

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