Film - Enola Holmes

Enola Holmes is a refreshing tale of an independent young Edwardian woman who happens to be the younger sister of Sherlock. With her elder brothers long having left home and established what is commonly referred to as successful careers, Enola is left at home with her beloved mother. Her mum has schooled her in everything from martial arts to fencing and encouraged her to read so she is self-sufficient in every way but relies wholly on her mum for emotional support.

 On her 16th birthday, her mum disappears leaving her a few mysterious gifts via the housekeeper and in the care of Mycroft. Both brothers return home and the only thing Mycroft can ask about is the absence of her hat and gloves after she’s cycled furiously to meet them from the train. Sherlock can see beyond her dishevelled appearance (no s**t Sherlock!) and see the curious and educated mind, much like his own, whereas Mycroft wants to send her away to finishing school to make her a lady. Enola spends a fair bit of time running away from Mycroft while looking for her mum. En route, Enola, meets another runaway non-conformist which adds some colour to the proceedings as it gives her another mystery to solve.

Weaved into the storyline is the upcoming vote to bring in the Representation of the People Act which gave more people the power to vote.

In conclusion, Mycroft is the arse of traditional Sherlock yarns, Sherlock is a little vulnerable and the two women, Mrs Holmes (Helena Bonham-Carter) and Enola (Millie Bobby Brown) absolutely kick arse.

I often find the breaking the third wall thing infuriating, however, Enola Holmes does it so well. We absolutely need her to be talking directly to us. I love how determined she is to live her own life and thanks to her mum, believes she is capable of anything. What a nice bit of inspiration for young girls. More of these stories, please. 

7½/10

Netflix