Six years have passed since the first Enola Holmes hit Netflix in 2020. Adapted from the Enola Holmes Mysteries, a novel series by Nancy Springer, Enola Holmes brought all of the mystery, intrigue, and intelligence of Sherlock Holmes to a younger, more female-oriented audience. It quickly became a hit on Netflix, gathering a dedicated fanbase. Though the first two films were somewhat lighter in nature, early teasers for the third film confirmed that it would be more mature and darker than those films were.
Enola Holmes 3 gives us an Enola Holmes (Millie Bobby Brown) that is happily in love with Lord Tewkesbury (Louis Partridge), but who is also uncertain about how to move forward. Marrying him would mean that she would become a Lady, which would change how she would be able to live her life and also do her job. At this point in the series, Enola is a seasoned detective, one almost good enough to give her brother Sherlock (Henry Cavill) a run for his money.
However, the wedding comes to a screeching halt on the beautiful island of Malta. Enola finds out that Sherlock has been kidnapped, ditching her nuptials to try and deduce who took him. Not long after, Lady Tewkesbury (Hattie Morahan) is abducted as well. Enola must turn to Dr. Watson (Himesh Patel) for help, but don’t mistake that Enola isn’t the one in charge.
“A Holmes does not disappear without leaving clues for a Holmes,” she says.
Philip Barantini (Adolescence) is at the helm for this installment, bringing along Jack Thorne to pen the script. Though the tone is somewhat darker, that does not mean that the film does not have the Enola Holmes humor that the franchise is known for. There are several moments of lines delivered to the camera, including Enola’s iconic “‘Tis I!”
The location and its villain
One thing the film does is utilize its landscape. We are treated to sweeping shots of Malta, including the castle where it all is taking place. On an island as gorgeous as Malta, it truly would be a crime not to let the views speak for themselves. In fact, the first part of the film features a carriage sequence with a chase, where Enola gets to prove that Lady or not, she is always going to be as daring as ever. Her identity, she is sure to reinforce, will never change.
And if you thought Sharon Duncan-Brewster’s Moriarty was out of the picture, think again. After all, what is a Holmes without its Moriarty? Brewster brings back the same chaotic energy to the character, though she does sometimes feel underutilized for what she is capable of. That was a place that the plot stretched a bit thin and could have used some padding. We do, however, get some impressive fight scenes between Holmes and Moriarty, and Brewster is sure to do as much of it as she is allowed. It’s the kind of action Enola Holmes 3 needed in between scenes.
Final thoughts on Enola Holmes 3
With an overarching story about colonialism, gender, and legacy, it successfully sets itself apart from the previous films. It does, however, suffer from dragging at times, along with a plot that has simply too much going on at once. There are moments of much-needed quiet, like Enola and Tewkesbury’s conversation at the end of the film, but simply not enough scattered throughout.
It is still an undeniably fun film. Fans of the franchise won’t be disappointed, and there is an important message in there about not letting your titles or expectations define you. For Enola, though, it was a nearly picture-perfect ending of another chapter of her life.
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