quite a successful run on Netflix thus far. It's received a great deal of praise thanks to its smart political storyline, its amazing performances and the characterization of Sherlock's younger sister, Enola Holmes. Needless to say, a sequel is largely expected for the film.
However, there's certainly a case to be made that this film should remain a standalone picture. There's a lot of great reasons as to why it should continue on, with sequels and perhaps even spin-offs, but there's such a lack of standalone films currently that maybe Enola Holmes sits perfectly in that category.
Sequel: Exploring The Character Further
The character only really found her feet towards the end of the film. Enola Holmes is really about a young girl becoming a woman and deciding exactly who she wants to be. Finding her place in society is an incredibly difficult thing to do.
Not only is it a challenging time for young people as it is, but the addition of the societal expectations put upon her makes that time even more complex. Now that Enola has indeed found her place, there's room to continue to explore that.
Standalone: Completely Unique
There's something astoundingly unique about Enola Holmes that makes it feel like a standalone piece. It may be the fourth wall breaking, the moments of both hilarity and emotional depth, or even the clever techniques used to portray the story further, such as entries from journals.
It's really quite a special film to watch and that unique quality could be taken away if it is seemingly replicated once again. There's always a fear that copying and pasting these ideas to a sequel will make it feel like a thinly veiled cash grab, rather than creative development of the world.
Sequel: Cavill's Holmes
Another element that fans absolutely loved about the film was Henry Cavill's turn as Sherlock Holmes. There's never quite been a Holmes on screen quite like this portrayal, who was warm, inviting, yet equally as intelligent as his predecessors.
There are already rumors circulating that Netflix may be looking to create a film around the famous detective. This may be a welcomed addition as it would be a lot of fun to see this quite different version of Holmes take on some classic cases.
Standalone: A Lot Of Holmes Stories
It's fair to say that there has been a huge variety of adaptations when it comes to the famous work of author Arthur Conan Doyle. From various modern day adaptations, to huge blockbuster films set within the era.
Each live action iteration of the books brings something different to the table. There's even been a few crazy versions, involving animated gnomes! With the advent of the new Enola Holmes, perhaps there needs to be a slowing of the pace in of these adaptations.
Sequel: Enola's Mother
One of the most outstanding characters in the film was actually Enola's mother. Although only appearing briefly throughout the movie, she's both a great inspiration to her daughter as well as a fierce warrior for the rights of women.
The movie really didn't get enough of a chance to explore this charming and intelligent activist further, but a sequel could certainly open the doors for more of Enola's mother and their complex relationship. Especially since her plan never fully came to fruition.
Standalone: Focus Away From Enola
Other spin-off films could take away from the whole point of Enola Holmes. This project was all about putting a focus on a person with the intellect of Sherlock, but with a much larger capacity for emotion. Indeed, it's this element that gives Enola the edge.
By creating a version of Sherlock Holmes based on Cavill's character, or any other kind of spin-off, it really takes away the focus from Enola herself. There are so many adaptations of these characters that it would be a shame to pave over something new.
Sequel: Talent Of Millie Bobby Brown
Millie Bobby Brown is an absolute delight to watch in Enola Holmes. The cast is incredibly strong as it is, but the young woman managed to lead this film and display all the right characteristics that bring Enola Holmes completely to life.
It's as if Brown was born to play this role and it would be a great shame not to continue to see her thrive in the part. It's quite easy to imagine Enola heading up a whole range of adventures, as the character matures and faces greater mysteries.
Standalone: Precedent For Change
Enola Holmes has set a precedent for change not commonly seen in the industry currently. The concept behind the film meant that a new character was really developed from the ground up, despite existing in a world with an already famous detective.
To create a sequel or a spin-off from this really misses the point. This should be encouragement for other major franchises to do something completely unexpected and pave the way for new stories with radically different characters in the lead.
Sequel: Classic Adaptations
There's a lot of really fun Sherlock Holmes stories that Enola could jump straight into and put a new twist upon them. Some of these adventures have been seen countless times, but Enola could really change them up for the better.
From the famous hounds, to perhaps even a run-in with Moriarty himself. It's actually quite a fascinating idea to see how Enola Holmes would interact with stories that fans are already so familiar with.
Standalone: Perfect Story
Enola Holmes does act like a perfect story though. With a great deal of thoughtful character development and a mystery that feels new and intriguing, perhaps it's best that it remains as a standalone film.
The story works for that character incredibly well. There's certainly a lot of directions the franchise could now go in, but should it be going in any of them at all, or does Enola Holmes signify that a singular film can be just as enjoyable and celebrated. If there is a sequel then the key to it would have to be the evolution of Enola.
