Starring Henry Cavil as Sherlock Holmes, Helena Bonham Carter as Eudoria Holmes, Sam Claflin as Mycroft Holmes, and Millie Bobby Brown as the main character, Enola Holmes. Or Alone spelled backward. The story immediately gets started. We meet Enola riding on a bike, and the background music gives me a Goonies type feeling. Enola is narrating her story as we go alone we take the journey with her. She quickly tells the story of her life and her unusual relationship with her mother. Life was great until she wakes up on her the morning of her 16th birthday to find herself alone and her mother missing. Now she has to find out where her mother has gone to, so she enlists the help of her brother’s Sherlock and Mycroft to help her find their mother. I’m sorry, but there is no Watson in this one.
Oh yeah, this movie takes place in the late 1800s. So, women were supposed to demure and very ladylike and discreet. And Enola is everything but that, thanks to her mother. She gave her a very unconventional upbringing for that time. And her brother’s are pretty appalled at her appearance and upbringing. They don’t stop their evaluation when they reach the house either. Which has not be kept up exactly. So, they are upset at a number of things and there is a lot of confusion going on about the type of woman their mother is. The brother’s are home and they instantly begin to set things straight. Starting with Enola and sending her boarding school to become a lady. And who is the headmistress? Miss Harrison played by our very own Aunt Petunia or Fiona Shaw. But Enola has other ideas.
In the end, she disguises herself and sneaks off to find her mother. She boards the train and notices some people having a discussion. But that doesn’t stop her. She then encounters a boy in her carriage that seems to be hiding. She also knows that someone is after him and doesn’t want to be involved. She tries to get him to leave but that doesn’t work out. She ends up leaving the carriage but goes back after seeing the same man being told that the man is searching the carriages looking for him. She then sees Linhorn trying to push Tewkesbury off the train. She saves him by striking Linhorn and saves him as the train enters a tunnel. Linhorn is still after them so they jump off the train and escape. He impresses Enola when they have to camp outside and she starts to develop a crush on him.
They make it to London and Enola has had a wardrobe change. She is no longer dressed as a boy, and instead dressed as a fine and upstanding young lady. Now, she can get to work on her mother’s case, but it just leads to more questions than answers. And she is lead to an address. At the address, she finds chemicals one of which is gun powder. Confused and shocked Enola doesn’t know what to do anymore. Should she continue looking for her mother or does she need to stop her mother from doing something that could potentially harm a lot of people? Suddenly, she is attacked by Linhorn, and almost dies. But she manages to escape and makes the decison to help Tewkesbury.
She wears another disguise to gain access to the Tewkesbury’s house and borrows more boy’s clothes to help look for information on where the Viscount might be hiding. During her investigation, she runs into his grandmother who allows her to escape because she believes that Enola may be able to locate him. And so she does. She finds him working in London at a flower stand. She explains why she is there and that his life is still in danger. She tells him all that she learned and Tewkesbury doesn’t take this information too well. And that heated discussion allowed Lestrade to sneak in their room and almost catch them both. She tells him to get away and allows Lestrade to catch her instead.
Enola is learning how to become a traditional lady at Miss Harrison’s finishing school. But she is not exactly adjusting and the other girls are making fun of her. When things seem to be at their worst her brother comes to visit her. But it is not the brother she thinks. It’s Sherlock and he is on her side. He tells her that Their mother really does love her and knows that she is capable of doing anything she sets her mind too. And her mom gave her all the tools she needs to be extraordinary. Back in her room, Enola finds another clue in the paper she stole and finds out that her missing mother and Tewkesbury are related. Soon, her musings are interrupted by a knock on the door. And she received a rather large basket containing none other than Tewkesbury who is there to bust her out and save the day. They escape and drive off in Miss Harrison’s motorcar.
They make it to the house only to find Linhorn there and he is trying to take both of them out. But Tewkesbury, has an unlikely enemy. His own grandmother. They manage to escape with their lives and Enola has solved that case. But there is still a missing piece. Where is Eudoria Holmes? Enola thinks she may have gotten a secret message from their mother and goes to try and meet up with her. But instead all she finds is her brother’s. Mycroft and Sherlock. Mycroft has given up his quest to turn her into a lady. And she knows that her mother isn’t coming. She is devastated that her mom didn’t show, but learns she has a visitor upon returning home.
The visitor is none other than Eudoria Holmes. She explains why she left and that it is because she wants to make the world a better place. And to do that she had to leave. She wants Enola to change the world and tells her that she will always be there for her when she needs it. But she is not able to stay by her side. Allowing her to walk her own path and find her own purpose in life. I would not be surprised if they made a part 2. Overall I found this movie to flow at a great pace, witty humor, and an overall feel-good vibe. Girls everywhere will fall in love Enola and want to become just like her. The cast was great too, although I would have liked to see more of Miss Grayston and Eudoria and even Miss Harrison. If they make a sequel or I could even see this being a series, I would love to learn more about those characters. Even if there will be something brewing between Enola and Tewkesbury in the future. Either way, it leaves you fulfilled and your imagination running wild with possibilities. A must-see from Netflix.
