‘Enola Holmes 3’ Review: The Young Detective Tackles Marriage and a New Case in an Entertaining Yet Forgettable Trilogy Closer
According to CinemaDrame News Agency, film critic Alice Bennett writes in an exclusive review:
When we first met Enola, the younger sister of Sherlock Holmes, she was a vibrant, fiercely intelligent teenager, yet an unseasoned novice in the art of criminal investigation. However, in Enola Holmes 3—a title that breaks no new ground in creative naming—she has evolved into an experienced and mature detective capable of challenging even her older brother. Concurrently, she finds herself on the precipice of marriage to the dashing Tewkesbury (Louis Partridge), who has now ascended to his lordship.
Millie Bobby Brown returns to the titular role in this installment, which is adapted from Nancy Springer’s bestselling book series. The narrative kicks off with an anxious Enola preparing for her wedding in Malta. Yet, being a Holmes means that complications are never far behind. This time, her brother Sherlock (Henry Cavill) is abducted, followed shortly by her future mother-in-law, Lady Tewkesbury. Enola must crack the case with the assistance of Dr. Watson (Himesh Patel)—and if you think the cunning Moriarty (Sharon Duncan-Brewster) isn’t pulling the strings behind it all, you haven’t been paying attention. Fortunately, Sherlock managed to leave a trail of clues before his disappearance because, as Enola notes: “A Holmes never vanishes without leaving clues for another Holmes.”
Heightened Action and a Darker Tone
Directed by Philip Barantini, the film opens with a high-octane sequence that showcases Enola’s newfound authority and grit. While riding in a carriage, she realizes she is being pursued by a mysterious horseback rider. Dressed in her white wedding gown, Enola fearlessly climbs onto the roof of the carriage and aims her pistol at the pursuer. This intense opening sets the stage for a high-energy film that, much like Robert Downey Jr.’s Sherlock Holmes movies, relies as much on visceral action, horseback chases, and hand-to-hand combat as it does on deductive reasoning.
While the tone and visual aesthetic of this installment lean slightly darker than its predecessors, it faithfully preserves the beloved elements of the franchise. This includes Enola’s witty, sarcastic fourth-wall breaks delivered straight to the camera by Millie Bobby Brown, complemented by creative animated graphics woven throughout the screen. The film also incorporates helpful recaps of the prior two entries, which serve as useful reminders for returning fans and newcomers alike—a necessary inclusion, given that while the Enola Holmes films are thoroughly entertaining, they are rarely memorable in the long run.
Performance and Themes
Millie Bobby Brown has grown comfortably into the role, demonstrating a grounded inner strength alongside her sharp comedic timing. Henry Cavill, despite being absent for large stretches of the narrative, maintains a commanding screen presence as the most physically imposing Sherlock Holmes in cinematic history. Helena Bonham Carter shines once again as Eudoria, the eccentric and brilliant mother of Enola and Sherlock, even when saddled with clichéd dialogue like: “The answers we receive are rarely the ones we were looking for.”
Enola Holmes 3 occasionally suffers from pacing issues in its second act, particularly during sequences that dwell too heavily on emotional melodrama and romantic montages—such as a poetic swimming scene between Enola and Tewkesbury—that cause the movie to resemble a young adult romance novel cover. Nevertheless, the film offsets these shortcomings by integrating a strong anti-colonialist undercurrent, adding a layer of thematic substance to an otherwise lighthearted piece of escapist entertainment.
Ultimately, it remains a simple, formulaic, yet thoroughly delightful and engaging watch.
