Why Enola Holmes Reviews Are So Positive

Why Enola Holmes’ Reviews Are So Positive

Enola Holmes introduces Sherlock’s youngest sister, and her first big-screen adventure has been very well-received by critics. Here’s why.

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Why Enola Holmes Reviews Are So Positive

Enola Holmes is now available to stream on Netflix, and it has been getting mostly positive reviews – here’s what critics have been saying about it. Sherlock Holmes is one of the most popular characters in literature and has been adapted to all types of media for over 100 years, with recent TV and film versions reigniting interest in his cases. Over the years, various artists have borrowed the Great Detective and other characters from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories to make their own, and some have even expanded the Holmes family.

Such is the case of Nancy Springer and her book series The Enola Holmes Mysteries, which introduced a third Holmes sibling named Enola. The youngest Holmes stopped seeing her brothers Sherlock and Mycroft when she was little, and they reunited 10 years later after their mother, Eudoria, disappeared. This event kickstarted Enola’s journey of freedom as well as her career as a detective, proving she can be at the level of her famous brother. Enola has now made the jump to film in the movie simply titled Enola Holmes, directed by Harry Bradbeer and starring Millie Bobby Brown as the title character.

Enola Holmes covers the first book of the series and sees Enola investigating the disappearance of her mother (played by Helena Bonham Carter) while also running away from Mycroft’s (Sam Claflin) plans of sending her to a school for young ladies. Enola Holmes has already received positive reviews, and has a 91% Tomatometer score at Rotten Tomatoes (which can go up or down as days go by), with critics praising Brown’s performance, Jack Thorne’s script, and the themes addressed in the story, mostly feminism. Here are some samples of positive reviews Enola Holmes has received:

Variety:

On the other hand, Brown (who could pass for “Sherlock” star Benedict Cumberbatch’s sister) brings some of the awkwardness we traditionally associate with the iconic detective to her role: Enola was never indoctrinated by her mother in the ways of polite society, and as such, she’s meant to represent female intellect in its natural, unrepressed state. Her performance may be incongruous with the era, but that’s hardly a bad thing. Brown’s acting style recalls the effusive spontaneity Keira Knightley brought to “Pride and Prejudice,” shattering the straitlaced propriety of so many Jane Austen adaptations before it.

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The Hollywood Reporter:

Adapting the first of Springer’s books as the origin tale in what’s surely intended to be a series of Netflix movies, Harry Bradbeer’s Enola Holmes makes a fine showcase for Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown, who gets to drop the layers of anxiety and trauma that make that show’s El such a compelling character. While no one will ever accuse the picture of overestimating its viewers’ intelligence — Jack Thorne’s script rarely misses the chance to drive a moral point home with one more pound to the head of the nail — it successfully imagines a place for its heroine in Holmes’ world, then convinces young viewers that Enola needn’t be constrained by that world’s borders.

The Playlist:

Brown easily carries the film, has tremendous chemistry with everyone, and radiates appealing charisma— it’s no wonder Netflix hasn’t let her stray very far from their algorithm (she’s far more interesting here than “Stranger Things” ever allowed her to be). Cavill is yet another winning surprise. Often not quite convincing in his own acting skin, especially when playing an American, the British actor demonstrates just how effortless he is when playing cool, collected debonair gentlemen (truly, he and Brown, could make a career and mint solely starring in English period films if they chose, they are so perfect for it). Likewise, Claflin is often uncomfortably shoehorned into leading man roles, but free to be the smug, haughty, intolerant Mycroft, he is an absolute joy to watch.

Of course, among the positive reviews Enola Holmes has gotten so far, there are also some that have had a couple of not-so-good things to say. The most criticized element has been the main mystery Enola is trying to solve (that is, the one about her mother’s disappearance), as well as how underdeveloped Eudoria Holmes is. Others, however, feel that Enola could have benefitted from a Watson-figure, which plays against that leadership many other critics have praised. Still, among the not-so-nice criticism there’s some praise to be found, with some feeling that Brown’s performance was good, but maybe not suitable for film.

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The A.V. Club:

The movie clearly positions Enola as a “wild and dangerous woman,” as her mother is characterized early on. One problem is that Eudoria herself barely exists beyond this description; she speaks primarily in fridge-magnet bromides like “You have to make some noise if you want to be heard,” and barely shares as much as a fully written scene opposite her onscreen daughter. For her first unequivocal film lead, Brown plays Enola with excited energy, but she can’t overcome the lack of a Watson figure to play off.

Empire:

Enola’s emotions are telegraphed plainly in exaggerated body language and expressions, making Brown’s performance feel better suited for the stage. There’s impressive choreography as Enola shows her fight training in some lively action scenes, but few feel instrumental to the storyline, favouring winks to the viewer over chemistry between characters.

The Guardian:

Enola Holmes is the kind of all-star production that might once have been made by the BBC and graced the front cover of the Christmas Radio Times. Brown has a nice, easygoing way with the material, cheekily outpacing her famous brother Sherlock here and there and often doing fourth-wall breaks to smirk at the audience, and I loved Miss Harrison’s steampunky motor car. But there should have been more specifically ingenious deducting and solving from Enola – codebreaking isn’t the same thing. So … is Moriarty’s super-evil kid sister on the way?

In general, Enola Holmes has been well-received thanks to its sense of humor, its different version of Sherlock Holmes, and Enola herself, who has a personality different from those of her brothers but is as intelligent as them – she just needs to practice her deduction and investigative skills. Ultimately, what will give Enola Holmes a sequel or not won’t be the opinion of critics, but that of the audience, as Netflix bases its decision on viewership numbers.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/enola-holmes-movie-reviews-positive-good-reason/

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