Enola Holmes 2 Parent Guide

Enola Holmes (Millie Bobby Brown) is on the case. A desperate little girl (Serrana Su-Ling Bliss) has sought her help in finding her missing sister, Sarah (Hannah Dodd), who has been accused of theft by the match factory where both are employed. As Enola navigates the dark world of London’s 19^th century slums and factories, she soon finds herself entangled in a web of crime, corruption, and murder.

The introductory story of Sherlock Holmes’s little sister made its debut on Netflix in 2020 and this sequel is a welcome addition to what I hope will be an ongoing film series. Enola is an engaging character, intelligent, fiercely independent, and guided by a strong personal ethic. She has an unbending commitment to standing up for the weak, fighting for underdogs, and seeking the truth at any cost. If parents are looking for female role models who aren’t clad in spandex and endowed with superpowers, Enola can be a good place to start. In a real plus, Enola is not only brilliant; she is also a unique, distinctive personality. Seeing that kind of teenage girl celebrated on screen is a big win for girls who don’t feel like they fit into prevailing social norms. Enola doesn’t succeed despite her unusual attributes; she succeeds because of them and that’s a message all parents hope their tweens and teens will internalize.

There’s a lesson for Enola in this story as well. Although she solved her first case largely single-handed, in this one she receives help from her two staunchest allies, her brother Sherlock (Henry Cavill) and her friend, Lord Tewkesbury (Louis Partridge). Her mother wisely advises her to “Find your allies. Work with them and you will become more than you are.” The reminder that cooperation doesn’t just make us more successful, it makes us more well-rounded, is timely for kids – and their parents.

As with the first film, the biggest negative issue here is violence, as there are frequent scenes of brutal combat scattered throughout the film. There are also two murders, of which the immediate bloody aftermath of one is shown on screen. And it’s not just the violence that’s problematic; it’s the celebratory attitude that surrounds it. Characters are repeatedly praised for their ability to fight (and set off explosives) and in one triumphal scene, Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus” plays as three women decimate a group of men. Also of concern in this episode is a scene where a character is portrayed as being very drunk. On the bright side, there is no sexual content aside from a brief kiss and only a single term of deity. The PG-13 rating is fair, but the movie could be enjoyed by younger viewers. If they’re not deterred by the violence found in superhero flicks and have an interest in mysteries and period settings, tweens might find this an exciting whodunit.

It’s not often that I get excited about films, but I really appreciate what the Enola Holmes movies have to offer family audiences. There’s non-stop action, a decent plot, intriguing characters, historical detail, and some dry wit. In this outing, Enola Holmes broadens its perspective to include a look at a true historic evil and the people who fought to bring it to an end. Kudos to director Harry Bradbeer for managing to add an educational component to his fast-moving entertainment while giving audiences a jolly good time.