The Millie Bobby Brown Mystery Movie That's Taking Over Netflix
Trends in arts and entertainment come and go, but a good mystery never goes out of style. That's one of the reasons why the character of Sherlock Holmes has seen so many new iterations and adaptations since he began appearing in the stories of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in the late 19th century. Netflix just delivered a fresh take on the iconic sleuth in its new original film Enola Holmes – and interest in Holmes, it seems, hasn't waned much. The movie is currently No. 1 on the list of the top 10 most-watched movies on the platform in the U.S.
There's one significant twist regarding Netflix's version of Sherlock, though: He's not the main character of this story. Instead, we follow the adventures of Sherlock's younger (but not only) sister, the titular Enola, played by Millie Bobby Brown. Enola wasn't a character in Conan Doyle's original works; she was invented for The Enola Holmes Mysteries series of novels by Nancy Springer. Those books were a hit, and it seems like the Netflix adaptation is following suit — because whether you're a hardcore Sherlock fan or just looking for a fun mystery romp, there's likely something of interest for you in Enola Holmes.
Here's what you need to know about the movie that's currently killing it on Netflix.
What's Enola Holmes about?
Turning 16 is rarely an easy time in a person's life, and for Enola Holmes, it's exceptionally complicated. The younger Holmes sibling was raised by her mother, Eudoria (Helena Bonham Carter), to be a well-rounded and worldly thinker. Conversely, Enola has little respect for the societal rules that govern women in late Victorian-era England. All of those skills and counter-cultural attitudes are put to the test when Eudoria goes missing on the occasion of Enola's sweet 16.
When she tries to enlist her brothers Sherlock (Henry Cavill) and Mycroft (Sam Claflin) to help her track their mother down, Enola's older siblings respond by trying to ship her off to boarding school. But Enola is both convinced that there's more to the case of her mother's disappearance than it first appears and unwilling to give up her freedom to become a proper lady of the time. Thus, Enola dons a disguise and runs away to London to pursue her mother. The big city tests Enola's mettle, and the case of Eudoria's disappearance proves to be much more complex than she could have ever imagined.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's estate isn't pleased with Enola Holmes
The character of Sherlock Holmes and many of the specific stories he appeared in are old enough to be in the public domain. Despite that fact, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's estate is currently suing Nancy Springer and the team behind the movie over its depiction of Sherlock. According to The Verge, there's a very specific reason why.
Though the character and most of his adventures are in the public domain, there are still several Sherlock Holmes stories that were published later in the author's life and are still owned by Conan oyle's estate. The plots and specific character details from these stories are still subject to copyright, and that's the basis for the estate's lawsuit.
The estate claims that depicting Sherlock Holmes as an empathetic and caring person is reflecting changes to the character that weren't made until those later stories. According to their complaint, Conan Doyle's experiences during World War I caused him to evolve the character: "Conan Doyle made the surprising artistic decision to have his most famous character — known around the world as a brain without a heart — develop into a character with a heart. Holmes became warmer. He became capable of friendship. He could express emotion. He began to respect women."
The estate claims that those descriptors could also apply to the way the character is depicted in Enola Holmes – which, in their estimation, constitutes copyright infringement. There's no word yet on what effect, if any, this lawsuit will have on the books or film.
Critics agree that Enola Holmes is a star-making turn for Millie Bobby Brown
Enola Holmes has been getting sterling reviews from critics, and currently has a 92 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. While even some of the positive reviews note that parts of the movie have, as Danny Leigh from The Financial Times put it, a "flat-pack quality," one consistent highlight for critics has been Brown's performance. Although she's already well-known thanks to Netflix's beloved sci-fi series Stranger Things, Brown hasn't played many significant roles other than Eleven. By all accounts, Enola Holmes is proof that she's not a one-part-wonder.
Glen Weldon of NPR said that Brown delivers a "lively, intelligent and charming performance." He went on to write, "She's so good here that even the character's tendency to turn to the camera and address the audience ... never gets wearying."
Molly Freeman of ScreenRant argued that "much of Enola Holmes' success comes from Brown's spirited and clever performance as the titular heroine." Meanwhile, Variety's Peter Debruge had a very favorable comparison to make: "Brown's acting style recalls the effusive spontaneity Keira Knightley brought to Pride and Prejudice, shattering the straitlaced propriety of so many Jane Austen adaptations before it."
At the moment, a sequel to Enola Holmes hasn't been officially announced — but based on its success on Netflix, the positive reviews, and the fact that Brown recently told Variety she's hopeful for another outing as the teenage sleuth, it seems likely that this isn't the last we'll be seeing of Enola Holmes.