‘Enola Holmes’: a feminist film with a thousand twists

Let me start off by saying I had absolutely no idea what to expect from “Elona Holmes.” I was not expecting to thoroughly enjoy myself or feel like I wasted time watching the movie. This is the ideal situation to be in when embarking on the adventure to watch a motion picture. 

I might also add as a slight disclaimer that I am not the type of person who discriminates against certain genres in films, music or literature, and therefore, it is unusual for me to find myself in complete hatred towards any movies.

I found “Elona Holmes” to be a compelling story with a dynamic and complex plot, outstanding acting performances, excellent costume design and brilliantly understated themes of justice and equality. I would personally argue this is near the peak of Netflix productions, as far as movies are concerned. 

In the first week of its release, “Elona Holmes” has consistently remained in the Netflix top 10. The story, written by Nancy Springer and adapted into a screenplay by Jack Thorne, is inspired by Sherlock Holmes. Elona is Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes’ sister, and, as you might expect, finds herself in quite the predicament. Her mother, Eudoria, leaves the night of Elona’s birthday without a trace. When her brothers discover their mother’s absence, rather than help Elona find her, they try to put her into a school for girls (which is practically a prison). Elona runs away after finding some clues her mother left behind and develops an elaborate plan to find her. She encounters a “useless boy” on the way and uncovers a second mystery in desperate need of her detective work. 

There are several twists and surprises in this movie that kept my interest and invested me in the characters’ fates. The twists complify story with more mysteries, though not all of them are quite solved by the end. I rather enjoy a little bit of mystery and uncertainty at the end of films, so leaving some powerful answers and themes unsaid worked well for me. 

This plot could not have worked so well without the talents of several exceptional actors and actresses. Millie Bobby Brown’s portrayal of Elona was nothing short of excellent. She was the highlight of the film. Brown displayed Elona’s fun, spunky and tomboy attitude perfectly. You had to love Elona because of how Brown played her. Elona’s emotion, humor, strength and love was all portrayed beautifully. I also loved the portrayal of Lord Tewksbury by Louis Partridge. The relationship that grows between Elona and Lord Tewksbury is the cutest thing to watch happen. Brown and Partridge engage their characters with astounding class and elegance. 

I was a bit nervous about the portrayal of Sherlock Holmes in this film, but I was pleasantly surprised with Henry Cavill’s performance. His Sherlock gave way to some emotion, which was powerfully executed. Sam Claflin also played a very rough and dutiful Mycroft Holmes — an excellent antagonist. Finally, Helena Bonham Carter did a wonderful job, as expected, playing Eudoria Holmes. Her intense focus and drive spun the character in a very complex and compelling way that I quite enjoyed.

As a side note on casting, as a die hard Harry Potter fan, I loved seeing actresses who worked on Harry Potter together in the same movie again! These actresses include Helena Bonham Carter (Belatrix Lestrange), Fiona Shaw (Petunia Dursley) and Frances de la Tour (Olympe Maxime).

I adored the 1900s setting and costume design in the film. The costumes were so good. Every time Elona had a different “disguise” on, I freaked out a little. They contributed nicely to the overall aesthetic of the film.

Finally, the most important part of the film was the powerful theme of equality, particularly equality between the genders. I appreciated that the movie didn’t overdo feminism; in fact, that theme was very understated. It was clear that equality and rights for women was the message of the movie. You could see it in Mycroft’s treatment of his sister, in how Eudoria Holmes raised Elona, in Eudoria’s absence, in the school for girls and what was taught there, and in Elona’s entire character. Political and social awareness is and has been an important part of being human, that much is clear in “Elona Holmes.”

I may not have loved every part of the movie, but I fell in love with Elona Holmes and her strong nature. “Elona Holmes” is a movie that is just cheesy enough to be a family movie, but socially and politically relevant enough for adults. If I were you, I would watch it this weekend. 

Emily White is a junior studying English and broadcast journalism. She is currently serving as the senior writer for the Lifestyles section of the Statesman.

—emily.white@usu.edu