Zooming into the classic lush green Windows XP wallpaper-ish backdrop, we witness Enola (Millie Bobby Brown) pedalling rhythmically at 4x speed from “The upside-down” (cue eerie Stranger things title track!) to take us on an adventurous retro ride.
Millie has made Netflix her home with the recent release of Enola Holmes which focuses upon the teenage sister of an already-famous Sherlock Holmes (Hollywood's fascination for female spin-offs never seems to fade off!)
The film follows a fourth-wall-breaking narrative style. Remember The Merc with the Mouth smashing open the fourth-wall going "Did I leave the stove on?" (Binging Netflix? Consider Dead pool’s kind notification and go check your stove too!).
Combining this narrative style with the curious case of Enola feels contrived, despite a charming performance from Millie. We end up watching a two-hour-long vlog with Millie missing out on saying the sacred “Like, Share, Subscribe” tagline before the credits roll.
Cycling back into the plot, Enola is home-schooled (Unlike our online zoom classes!) by her mother (Helena Bonham Carter) who goes missing mysteriously on her 16th birthday leaving behind a string of clues as presents to push her into the detective universe.
Enter Enola's estranged brothers, Mycroft (Sam Claflin) appears as a stern imposter of discipline, walking with a customized stick carrying authority up his curved moustache.
Henry Cavill as Sherlock (Man of Steel, literally!) seems hardly-functioning in this movie and never shows any traces of the high-functioning psychopath famously portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock-TV series).
Excluding Enola, each character on screen is strictly one-dimensional and lifeless. The seasoned Sherlock we have seen in the past is known to have securely locked up his emotions, unaltered by human empathy.
Cavill’s version of Sherlock is the only twist in the tale compared to Robert Downey Jr.’s (Iron man suits as Sherlock Holmes-Movie franchise) and Cumberbatch’s who are firm contenders immune to human emotions.
This is perhaps where the problem lies in kick-starting a character-driven mystery drama.
Mycroft and Enola encompass a more mention-worthy dynamic. The former believes that women should be groomed to become sincere spouses and hence sends graceless Enola to an institute of brutality.
This gives the Director Harry Bradbeer and Screenwriter Jack Thorne the space to sprinkle some feminist empowerment subplots. The politics stop with glimpses of protests programmed by Enola's mother with her secret cult, whose fight for female liberation is never displayed on the big screen.
Millie Bobby Brown, however, displays a wide array of whimsical, quizzical persona. With a twinkle in her eyes, she prepares herself to decipher cryptic clues, picks trails by playing spell bee with every word from her dictionary of detectives.
She mentions time and again, how her name Enola is an anagram for “Alone” (but always aloud with her actions and thoughts!).
The story takes a U-turn from its designated course when Enola travels to London by train to find her mother. She ends up rescuing the Viscount Lord Tewksbury, Marquess of Basilwether (Louis Patridge).
He is an innocuous, gullible young lord who fled from his super deluxe lifestyle just like Enola. Their semi-romantic subplot teases tension but fails to provide an intriguing mix to the proceedings.
Though we miss the knock on the door with the bold inscribing 221B! England through the eyes of cinematographer Giles Nuttgens is a treat to watch by brilliantly picturizing the sleek contrast between the warm sunshine of the exquisite countryside to the chaos of London scrapyards.
Daniel Pemberton’s score keeps us awake, coupled with the production set pieces and costume design that would have given Millie, a million more followers with each post on Instagram.
Poorly written subplots, laughable twists, and cartoonish clue trails forming the crux of a sleep spurring suspense tale makes Enola Holmes strictly an average watch.
It’s time for Millie to stack up some eggos, reincarnate as eleven to solve the mysteries in Hawkins. Change your password from Sherlocked to unlock the door to the upside-down. (By the way, Keep the door open 3 inches!)
Written by - Deepan R
Edited by - Ivanova
 - Movie Review){kind=link}
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