Enola Holmes Review: 7 Ups & 3 Downs

2. The Mystery Plot Underwhelms

What is any Holmes story without a memorably twisty detective yarn at its core? Sadly this is the main area where Enola Holmes falls down, as neither of the central mysteries manage to be anything more than typical Holmesian crime fodder, laden with predictable plot twists no less.

Even though the film is absolutely propelled forward by its persuasive style and strong performances, it's a shame the detective work is so stock and forgettable.

Sure, it's clearly aiming for a younger audience than other Holmes works, but even so, the anagram mysteries and dead-obvious secrets hiding in plain sight will seem a tad weak for those well-versed in Holmes lore.

Even if you're only paying cursory attention, you're likely to have the particulars of these mysteries figured out long before film's end, denying audiences the satisfaction of having an ingenious solution unraveled before their very eyes.