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Enola Holmes is back for another outing on Netflix, and this time it’s her most personal case.
Millie Bobby Brown returns as the titular Enola Holmes, Sherlock’s little sister created by Nancy Springer for her book series. Audiences first met Enola as a fiery girl trying to prove she could step out of the shadows of her two older brothers, Sherlock and Mycroft.
Now, Enola is a woman about to marry the love of her life, Tewkesbury (Louis Partridge). But moments before her Maltese wedding, she has cold feet; will she have to give up her independence and freedom and become the thing she despises the most… a demure lady?
Enola Holmes 3 Trades London Fog for Malta Sun in a Fun but Formulaic Family Mystery
Before she can worry too much about what her future has in store for her, a new case is dropped onto her lap, and this time it’s personal. Both Sherlock and Lady Tewkesbury have been kidnapped at their wedding, and it’s down to Enola to work out who took them and how she can get them back.
Enola Holmes 3 hits many of the beats of the first two films, effectively watering down the Sherlock Holmes formula to a YA audience. Like many Netflix ventures, the dialogue and voiceover are exposition-heavy, leaving no room for ambiguity. This film is more than happy to explain itself two or three times in case you were looking down at your phone. If you’re here as a Sherlock lover looking for a good, complex mystery, you might be disappointed. If you want a Victorian romp the whole family can enjoy, this movie hits the nail on the head.
The action moves out of London and transplants itself in Malta, for reasons that may become clear later in the film. This gives the threequel a unique identity and some freshness. It also allows the film to dabble in an underexplored side plot involving a Free Malta, anti-monarchy, anti-UK anarchist group. Expect a few anti-colonial jokes, a topic too heavy and complicated to really work as comic relief.
Millie Bobby Brown is great, but Helena Bonham Carter is having more fun stealing-scenes
Enola Holmes continues to be Millie Bobby Brown’s best performance to date. She totally embodies the plucky, strong-willed woman who battles the expectations of Victorian society. She may be a grown woman now, but Enola has lost none of her rebellious spirit. In the times where womanhood is being encouraged to be watered down, and girls are told to “stop being difficult”, the youngest Holmes is a breath of fresh air.
But, as talented as Brown is, she is outacted by her peers. It’s not because she is bad as Enola but because her co-stars are having great fun. Helena Bonham-Carter returns to scene-steal as Enola’s pyrotechnic-loving mother who gets all the best lines. It’s not entirely sure if Carter knows what she is doing or who she playing, but she is having a ball either way. There are a few moments when she reanimates her wacky early 2000s Tim Burton style of performance, and frankly they are some of the franchise’s best.
Returning to play the mentor role now the Holmes brothers are sidelined (Mycroft doesn’t even get a first-name mention) is Himesh Patel’s Watson. We first met his Watson in the second film’s post-credit scenes, but he takes on a bigger role here, carrying much of the emotional weight of the movie. Thankfully, Patel is one of the more skilled actors in the cast, so it’s a relief that he gets given the big emotional monologues. He is the straight man here, bolting down the story in some of its more eccentric moment.
This movie marks a rare chance to see Watson without Holmes, allowing him to step out of his shadow and take on the mentor role himself. He helps Enola not just think like her brother, but to take her intelligence to a brand-new level that is entirely her. He is a great addition to the universe and a fantastic on-screen portrayal of the famous doctor.
Also returning from the second film is Sharon Duncan-Brewster’s Moriarty. This film also expands her lore and transforms the classic Moriarty character into something more modern. Considering Moriarty is now a fierce black woman, there seem to be too many wasted opportunities with her character in this threequel. Brewster’s physicality and performance deserve much more than this uninspired version of Moriarty.
Enola Holmes 3’s interesting characters are let down by an unimaginative script
Philip Barantini takes over the directing duties from Harry Bradbeer, and Enola Holmes 3 struggles with many of the issues of Netflix originals. Much of the details and the scenery (and sometimes even a clue or two) get lost in the poorly lit cinematography. As charming as the set-up is, the film never looks as interesting as its protagonist.
While Enola Holmes 3 takes well-loved literary figures to interesting new places and explores them in new depths, the story does slightly fail them. Written by Jack Thorne, fans of the franchise will feel comforted by the formulaic nature of the mystery, while others may find it slightly repetitive and unimaginative. But, for a film aimed at a younger audience, there is a lot of fun to be had here.
No matter how old you are, it’s hard not to be slightly moved by the message of Enola Holmes 3. After all, aren’t we all just trying to prove ourselves to our loved ones and society in the hopes of getting some kind of recognition?
Grade: B-
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Enola Holmes 3
Adventure follows detective Enola Holmes to Malta, where her plans to tie the knot unravel when Sherlock's disappearance plunges her into a perilous case.
Release Date: July 1, 2026
Director: Philip Barantini
Cast: Millie Bobby Brown , Louis Partridge , Henry Cavill
