The movies have done nothing so much as chart evolution from child actor to movie star. She was 16 when the first 鈥淓nola Holmes鈥� debuted in 2020. As 鈥淓nola Holmes 3鈥� arrives on Netflix, she鈥檚 22.
And all three movies have been driven by Brown鈥檚 natural charisma. The first two were directed by Harry Bradbeer, a veteran of 鈥淔leabag,鈥� and they delighted in her breaks of the fourth wall. 鈥淓nola Holmes鈥� runs on her asides, glances and eyebrow raises.
Everything else in these tales of Sherlock Holmes鈥� younger sister can be a bit over-amped and over-stylized. But 鈥淓nola Holmes 3,鈥� like the two previous chapters, is spirited and fleet of foot, and, crucially, doesn鈥檛 take itself too seriously. When Enola鈥檚 mother, Eudoria (a scene-stealing Helena Bonham Carter) turns up and pronounces, 鈥淭his is all a ridiculous merry mess,鈥� she pretty well nails it.
If the first two 鈥淓nola Holmes鈥� films leaned more Y.A., with a light feminist bent, the third film is a touch more grown up, leading Brown鈥檚 character closer to rom-com territory. In the movie鈥檚 opening scene, she hesitates about her imminent marriage to Lord Tewkesbury (Louis Partridge) before rushing by carriage to the wedding.
Her hesitation isn鈥檛 about her affection for Tewkesbury but out of fear of losing her identity. She鈥檚 worked hard to live up to the Holmes name, creating her own detective agency in London. Becoming 鈥渁 lady鈥� doesn’t sound so good.
Everyone 鈥� well, mostly Tewkesburys since the Holmes are a more mysterious bunch 鈥� have gathered for a glamorous destination wedding in Malta. But Enola鈥檚 wedding drama is put on hold when her brother (Henry Cavill) is kidnapped.
As a case to center the movie around, it鈥檚 not the most compelling. If ever there was someone who needs no saving, it鈥檚 Sherlock. Screenwriter Jack Thorne, working from the character created by author Nancy Springer, throws all manner of secrets, sunken treasure and a British colonialism subplot into a convoluted mix. Anyone who thinks most modern day takes on Arthur Conan Doyle try to paper over their lack of narrative cunning with blander action-movie theatrics won’t be dissuaded by 鈥淓nola Holmes 3.鈥�
Yet director Philip Barantini, while unable to gamely juggle the disparate plot elements, keeps things amiably brisk. The Malta setting and the movie鈥檚 鈥渕erry mess鈥� make for a fine backdrop for Brown鈥檚 continuing evolution as a charming big, or small, screen presence.
鈥淓nola Holmes 3,鈥� a Netflix release now streaming, is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association for some violence. Running time: 105 minutes. Two and a half stars out of four.
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
