A breezy, romance-tinged mystery with enough charm and period-playfulness to satisfy fans, but it sounds more like a light franchise caper than a sharply plotted detective story. The Malta setting and the family-detective dynamic should keep it lively, though the reception suggests uneven balance between casework,… Read more
Enola Holmes 3
Where to watch: Buy
Movie · Adventure · Crime
Tue · 1h 49m
Director: Philip Barantini
Starring: Millie Bobby Brown, Henry Cavill, Helena Bonham Carter
Overview
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.
Director
Philip Barantini
Cast
Millie Bobby Brown, Henry Cavill, Helena Bonham Carter
Curator Review
Verdict
A breezy, romance-tinged mystery with enough charm and period-playfulness to satisfy fans, but it sounds more like a light franchise caper than a sharply plotted detective story. The Malta setting and the family-detective dynamic should keep it lively, though the reception suggests uneven balance between casework, comedy, and relationship material.
Best for
fans of light historical mysteries
viewers who like adventure-romance hybrids
audiences attached to the Enola/Sherlock family dynamic
people who want an easy, playful watch rather than a dense puzzle
Skip if
you want a tightly constructed mystery
you dislike franchise sequels that lean more on charm than logic
you prefer serious Victorian crime stories
you are tired of teen-skewing period adventure tone
Overview
Enola Holmes 3 looks built to deliver the same winning formula as the earlier films: brisk sleuthing, a cheeky modern sensibility, and a heroine who treats Victorian propriety as a suggestion. The Malta setting gives the series a fresh travelogue sheen, and the premise of a wedding colliding with a disappearance is exactly the kind of soapier hook this franchise can handle well.
Worth noting
The downside, if the reaction is any guide, is that the movie may be more enjoyable in fragments than as a mystery. The jokes, romantic beats, and family dynamics seem to be doing a lot of the heavy lifting, while the actual detective work may feel secondary. That can still be fun, but it makes the film more of a comfort watch than a standout crime adventure.
Bottom line
If you like polished production design, playful anachronism, and a heroine who can carry a franchise with attitude, this should land. If you want the satisfaction of a clever, airtight whodunit, it may leave you wanting more.
Top Letterboxd reviews
˗ˏˋ ꒰ jules ⭐️ ꒱ ˎˊ˗ (3★) · 12206 likes
they had some amazing lip combos in the 19th century
𝐉 (3★) · 9234 likes
At this point this franchise is the only thing keeping millie british
khushi (3★) · 7388 likes
the way i was hoping that at some point they will just start playing “drop dead” by olivia rodrigo
Hiasko (4★) · 5888 likes
Enola you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love
alana (3.5★) · 5803 likes
they knew tewkesbury would be too powerful with a normal name so they nerfed him by calling him earnest
Themes
female detective, family mystery, wedding disruption, missing person case, adventure abroad, romantic comedy, Victorian-era setting, sibling dynamics