Enola Holmes confirmed Millie Bobby Brown as one of Netflix's biggest stars as it was, at the time, one of the streaming service's most-watched original movies.
Based on the book series by Nancy Springer, the entertaining origin story allowed Brown to flex her comedic chops in a role that's a world away from Eleven in Stranger Things. In hindsight, the smartest decision the first movie made was to not be a direct adaptation of the book.
It's allowed returning writer Jack Thorne and director Harry Bradbeer to expand the world in Enola Holmes 2, while delivering more of the same formula that worked in the first movie. (If you liked "'Tis I" in the first movie, you better believe you're getting more of that, especially.)
Enola Holmes 2 ends up doing a bit too much plot-wise, but it's still a breezily entertaining detective romp that builds on the promise of the first movie.
The sequel takes little inspiration from the second book and crafts its own mystery instead that, like the first movie, ties in with a real-life event. This time around, it's the Matchgirls' Strike of 1888, although the central mystery itself is totally fictional.
Following the events of the first movie, Enola has opened up her own detective agency to follow in her brother's footsteps. Unfortunately for her, Sherlock (Henry Cavill) has ended up with all the credit for solving the Lord Tewkesbury case, meaning nobody trusts her enough with their cases because she's a – shock, horror – girl.
She's on the verge of shutting up shop forever when Bessie (Serrana Su-Ling Bliss) comes in, hoping that Enola can solve the mystery of her missing sister Sarah. They work together at the matchstick factory, which turns out to be only the starting point of a sinister mystery that takes Enola right into the heart of high society.
At the same time, Sherlock is faced with a case that even he is struggling to solve. Sensing the danger facing Enola (and to avoid his own vexing case), he takes over the search while mansplaining detective work to Enola. Not that she's going to let a little thing like her big brother stop her from finding the truth.
In the books, Sherlock and Enola have an antagonistic relationship as she attempts to stay one step ahead of him. The sequel develops the warmer side of Sherlock as Enola's ward and while it might annoy fans of the books, it's the strongest aspect of the sequel as the pair reluctantly team up.
Separate, Millie Bobby Brown and Henry Cavill are engaging to watch, but together, their chemistry and interplay elevates both of their already-strong performances. It's telling that the sequences of their solo investigation feel dry compared to when they're both on the case. Fear not, this is still Enola's show, though, with Sherlock a supporting character.
The sequel ramps up the fourth-wall breaking from Enola, but thanks to Brown's excellent comic timing, it never becomes twee or irritating. With the origin out of the way, Brown is also given room to develop Enola's character beyond the one-note independence of the first movie.
Even Brown's talent, however, can't make the undercooked romance between Enola and Tewkesbury (Louis Partridge) work. While Tewkesbury is more involved than other returning characters, their blossoming relationship is second fiddle to the mystery and isn't given enough space to fully endear. It's sweet but uninvolving.
The pace has improved in the sequel too, aided by the fact that it throws viewers right into the mystery. The runtimes are similar for both, but freed from setting up the world, returning writer Jack Thorne weaves a denser, multi-layered mystery that has a satisfying denouement – one that could even cause debate among Sherlock Holmes fans.
Where the script stumbles is that once the mystery is solved, it decides to set up the future rather than wrapping up its own story. It's fun to see the connections to Sherlock canon being built, but we'd hope that a third movie – should it happen – doesn't forget that this should be Enola's franchise and not Sherlock's.
Otherwise, Enola Holmes 2 does everything a good sequel should. It doesn't just rest on the formula, but builds on it to expand the world and right some wrongs of the predecessor. There are still flaws and slight improvements to be made, but it's a winning return for Millie Bobby Brown's sleuth.
The game is afoot, and we're looking forward to playing.
Enola Holmes 2 is available to watch now on Netflix.
