By Christina Gabrieli, Caitlin Wang, and Serena Toscani

In September 2020, Netflix released Enola Holmes, a mystery starring Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown, as well as other prominent actors Henry Cavill, Sam Claflin, and Helena Bonham Carter. The movie was instantly a huge success with a 91% Rotten Tomatoes score, and this past October Netflix released a sequel to the hit. After watching the two movies, The Banner took a deeper dive into what each movie brings to the table.

In the first movie, Enola uses her mystery-solving skills and sets out on a brave journey to find her missing mother. She eventually crosses paths with a young runaway lord, Viscount Tewkesbury, and they work together to save their lives from danger. From the soundtrack to the suspense, this movie always keeps the audience on the edge of their seats.

The second movie begins with Enola opening her own detective agency, and her first case involves finding a match factory girl’s sister, Sarah Chapman. Compared to the first movie, the stakes in the sequel are higher; however, it still has the same feeling of playfulness and adventure that the first movie perfected. This movie is also based on the real story of the 1888 matchgirls strike! 

While the first Enola Holmes movie introduced viewers into the enchanting world of Enola and the mysteries she seeks to solve, Enola Holmes 2 further develops this universe through the introduction of more intense, as well as historically relevant, cases. The second movie also emphasizes valuable social justice issues such as poverty and gender inequality. Ultimately, both are highly enjoyable and a must-watch over winter break!