Certificate: 12A

Running Time: 105 mins

UK Distributor: Netflix

UK Release Date: 1 July 2026

WHO’S IN ENOLA HOLMES 3?

Millie Bobby Brown, Louis Partridge, Henry Cavill, Himesh Patel, Helena Bonham Carter, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Jason Watkins

WHO’S BEHIND THE CAMERA?

Philip Barantini (director), Jack Thorne (writer, producer), Millie Bobby Brown, Robert Brown, Michael Dreyer, Alex Garcia, Ali Mendes and Mary Parent (producers), Aaron May and David Ridley (composers), Matthew Lewis (cinematographer), Tommy Boulding (editor)

WHAT’S IT ABOUT?

After her brother Sherlock (Cavill) is kidnapped, Enola Holmes (Brown) sets out to save him…

WHAT ARE MY THOUGHTS ON ENOLA HOLMES 3?

Netflix may have failed in their bid to acquire and effectively take over Warner Bros – though its new probable owners are by no means any better – but their initial words on embracing a more theatrical model were, for at least a short while, comforting to hear at a time when cinema attendance is steadily climbing back to pre-pandemic levels. But even if they had purchased the famed studio, Netflix still needs to fix its vastly mediocre approach to original movies, which stick to particular safe formulas and are more often than not instantly forgettable.

Take, for instance, Enola Holmes. Despite strong reviews and even stronger viewership, the streamer’s series of films, as adapted from Nancy Springer’s collection of young adult mystery novels, has struggled to last in the collective consciousness. Other than the fourth wall-breaking antics of its star and producer Millie Bobby Brown, as well as the indubitable casting of Henry Cavill as her on-screen brother Sherlock Holmes, there are precious few memorable elements that many can recall about it, leaving the franchise doomed to forever be trapped in that endless Netflix scroll of throwaway content.

Sadly, this latest entry, simply titled Enola Holmes 3, isn’t likely to bring the film series out of its state of forgettability. While not without its moments, the charm that may have once been there has largely evaporated, replaced by bland plotting and haphazard filmmaking that makes it hard to care about Miss Holmes’ latest case.

Though when we first meet her here, Enola (Brown) is on the cusp of being a “Miss” no more, for she is engaged to her lover Tewkesbury (Louis Partridge), the dashing young Lord whose family insists on the wedding taking place in Malta, where they share history in conquering the country as part of the British Empire. However, just as Enola is about to walk down the aisle, she is alerted to a grave situation by Dr. John Watson (Himesh Patel), the companion of Enola’s older brother Sherlock (Cavill); it transpires that the great detective has been kidnapped, and has seemingly left behind clues for her to solve in order to rescue him. With the wedding put on hold, Enola teams with Watson and Tewkesbury to solve the mystery, but when bodies begin piling up, she realises that a great enemy might be behind it all.

Anyone who may be at all familiar with classic Sherlock Holmes storytelling, whether it be the original Arthur Conan Doyle books or the many film and TV adaptations, could quickly take a correct guess as to where things may be headed, not to mention who may be involved and what might be at stake. That’s the main problem at the heart of Enola Holmes 3: the fact that this central mystery is perhaps too easy to figure out, to where you’ve unearthed clues long before our titular detective has, pretty much robs it of any real suspense. Sure, you could argue that it’s aimed more towards a younger audience who may not yet have the same deduction skills as either Holmes sibling may have, but even still there’s little to keep the viewer interested in all the details surrounding this heavily predictable mystery, which means that they have little other option than to pay attention to how bare-thread it all feels, and may therefore find their patience wearing thinner than usual.

It is also a much less accomplished production than either of its two predecessors – which is odd, given how it’s directed by Philip Barantini and written by Jack Thorne, the respective director and co-writer of Netflix’s groundbreaking miniseries Adolescence, a significant filmmaking accomplishment in itself. Here, though, it’s like they hired less talented people with the same names, because Barantini’s direction is haphazard and marred by overly hyperactive editing that often feels like it was put together in a blender, while Thorne’s script is, aside from its lacklustre predictability, a dull affair that barely develops its central characters or their relationships with one another. The only times that Thorne’s script starts to spark is when it is exploring the harsh colonialist history of Malta, with the local people being treated with fiery contempt by their British oppressors and sometimes being unfairly scapegoated for the latter’s crimes, but they are unfortunately too few in between all the stuff with the underwhelming plot and less engaging characters.

As for the actors, including Brown, they are certainly trying to make it work, and in a few instances, you can tell that they are revelling in going somewhat over-the-top. But their efforts can only take this material so far, with even Brown’s wide-eyed acknowledgment of the viewer coming off as more forced this time round (it felt more natural under original director Harry Bradbeer, whose experiences on Fleabag had certainly prepared him to integrate such a gimmick more naturally). Many of them simply aren’t given much to do, least of all Henry Cavill who continues to be well-cast in a role where he should be more active than he is, especially within a narrative where he plays an integral part, while Helena Bonham Carter only shows up in what is essentially an extended cameo as Enola and Sherlock’s fugitive mother who all too coincidentally happens to be in Malta at the same time.

In all, Enola Holmes 3 is just as forgettable as its two predecessors, but its less organised storytelling and chaotic filmmaking ironically make it more memorable in how much lesser quality it is. How it is that the guys behind Adolescence were able to make a less coherent mystery movie than The Sheep Detectives is a case that only a Holmes can solve.

SO, TO SUM UP…

Enola Holmes 3 is a forgettable new entry in the film series that is weighed down by an underwhelmingly predictable mystery and surprisingly haphazard filmmaking by director Philip Barantini, who along with writer and fellow Adolescence collaborator Jack Thorne struggles to generate new life into this franchise.

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