Millie Bobby Brown shines in this new addition to the Sherlock Holmes franchise with the role of Enola. The whole movie is centered on the theme of taking one's own life into their own hands, something which is denied to many women in that time period and is powerfully shown here. Raised in isolation with only her mother and one handservant for company, it comes as a shock to Enola when she is suddenly forced down a certain path by her brother Mycroft (played by Sam Clafin whose role comes across as wonderfully punchable) after the disappearance of her mother (played by Helena Bonham Carter who unfortunately doesn't get much to do). Henry Cavill's performance as Sherlock is, thankfully, not as prominent as it could be which allows Enola Holmes to shine that much more. Despite this, Cavill manages to make each moment he has with the role matter, playing a distant and slightly uncomfortable older brother that slowly warms up to his younger sister. But it's Millie Bobby Brown who is the true star, showing once again how powerful an actress she is, even more so than in Stranger Things as she has more dialogue and facial expressions. And her fourth-wall breaking was very funny and insightful to her character and mastered almost as well as Deadpool. Refusing the path set by Mycroft, Enola sets out on her own to find her mother and prove herself. Along the way, she gets thrust into an adventure with Viscount Tewksbury (Louis Partridge) whose chemistry with Enola is delightful to watch. Unlike many other male interests, Tewksbury doesn't come off as a useless sidekick tag-along but manages to help Enola almost as much as she helps him. There are three criticisms I make here. One is that Burn Gorman's role as the hunter is just disappointing. After seeing his acting chops in Pacific Rim and the Expanse, I was expecting a little more from his role than this but he is basically a forgettable enemy. This brings me to my second criticism, of the climax. While the end reveal is good enough to save the scene, the final battle with Gorman's Linthorn is a little unbelievable and wouldn't happen in real life. The third criticism I have is of the mystery sounding Enola's mother. I know that it is setting up for a sequel, but it sort of leaves certain plot points dangling in a messy way and brings the film down a little. Despite all this, the overall story of a girl's right to decide her own path, and Millie Bobby's Brown performance more than make up any criticism I have. This film was a delight to watch and I am already anxiously waiting what is next.
Favorite Scene: Nincompoop.
