Movie Review: ENOLA HOLMES (2020) ** out of *****

The first starring vehicle for the charming Millie Bobby Brown of Stranger Things fame, Enola Holmes (2020) is a disappointing and troubling film.

One knows something is amiss when the lead character, Enola Holmes, sister of Sherlock, starts talking to the camera, explaining her background. Breaking the fourth wall almost never works, and it doesn't here. For a little while after that, things progress a little better, with a seemingly admirable plot about female empowerment and following one's own path. But as the film moves forward, two things become apparent: that the script leaves a lot to be desired - characters aren't memorable and the plot drags - and that the film uses the Sherlock Holmes mythos as an excuse to tell a subversive, politically-charged story about so-called "social reform".

For a film aimed at children - it is based on the popular children's book series of the same name - there are dangerous and troubling ideas floating around here. Aside from the blatantly socialist/woke agenda of the film, where almost every upper class character is portrayed as villainous, where the police is corrupt, where every man is weak or rigid - Henry Carvill's portrayal of Sherlock Holmes might be the most boring and toothless in cinematic history - there's Enola's mother, who turns out to be a feminist terrorist who calls public bombings "making a little noise" to get results, and is positively portrayed as a good influence on her daughter!

Add to that that the film is blandly directed by Harry Bradbeer, and at two hours plus, it feels bloated and is difficult to get through.

For fans of Sherlock Holmes, this is a travesty. For children, this is a dangerous film with a subversive political agenda. And as entertainment, it fails miserably.

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2020.

Ahmed Khalifa is a filmmaker and novelist. He is the writer/director of the feature film Wingrave, released on Netflix, and the author of a number of novels and short stories, including the YA horror novel, Beware The Stranger, available on Amazon.