Though Enola Holmes 2 could have been called “The Adventure of the Missing Matchgirl,” the mystery isn’t the draw for this spirited sequel set in the world created by Arthur Conan Doyle. Instead, the movie is buoyed by another cheeky turn from Stranger Things’ Millie Bobby Brown. It delves into more serious themes than the first film, but don’t worry: Enola Holmes 2 remains a delightful diversion, largely thanks to Brown’s winning presence.

While its predecessor was adapted from a specific novel in Nancy Springer’s book series, Enola Holmes 2 is an original story, with writer Jack Thorne drawing on both the established characters and bringing in more of the reality of Victorian England. At first, the opening card — “Some of what follows is true. The important parts at least.” — appears to deserve an eye roll, given the purely fictional status of Enola Holmes. Yet the film does feature some lesser-known historical characters that help build upon the feminist, progressive message of the first film. As sequels often do, Enola Holmes 2 goes bigger, expanding beyond the first film’s focus on Enola and her mother and into the broader world of women in the late 19th century. 

Enola Holmes 2 leaves the Holmes manse Ferndell Hall behind, with Enola living  — if not yet fully established — in London. She has set up her own detective agency, but she struggles to escape the broad-shouldered shadow of older brother Sherlock (Henry Cavill) and convince potential customers that a teenage girl can solve mysteries. She’s packing her office and ready to give up when young Bessie (Serrana Su-Ling Bliss) arrives at her door, desperate for someone to help find her missing sister, Sarah. Enola is the perfect person to investigate, going undercover at a matchstick factory and blending in with all the women and girls who work on the floor. 

From its opening scene to the reveal of the villain, Enola Holmes 2 comments on what kind of people society sees and values — and who it doesn’t. As it expands Enola’s world, it reflects on the importance of both independence and cooperation. Enola’s self-determination is one of her greatest assets, particularly in a world that doesn’t support that trait in women, but her mother (Helena Bonham Carter) encourages her that it’s okay to rely on those around her for help. 

Relatedly, this sequel gives Cavill a bit more to do than Enola Holmes did, particularly in a charming scene that has the actor playing the detective drunk. Louis Partridge is also back, co-starring as the progressive Lord Tewkesbury and Enola’s love interest. I appreciate that there’s more emphasis on the mystery than on their romance (since that’s what many movies made for teen girls focus on), but Partridge and Brown are admittedly adorable together. 

Yet Brown is simply wonderful in every scene, regardless of which of her fellow actors she’s bouncing off of — sometimes literally, since Enola gets to put her jiu-jitsu skills to work quite frequently. There’s a marvelous fight scene set to Handel’s “Hallelujah,” and even though Enola Holmes 2 is modern in its sensibilities and style, I was thanking the heavens that they didn’t use a contemporary song to show Enola & Co. kicking ass. Brown just sparkles here; her performance is filled with joy, and she’s such a good fit for her curious, enthusiastic character. 

Director Harry Bradbeer could have been content to rely solely on Brown’s talent to propel his movie forward — she really is that good — but instead, he continues to add stylistic flourishes, even beyond Enola’s trademark asides to the camera. (Perhaps not coincidentally, Bradbeer also directed every episode of famous fourth-wall-breaker Fleabag but the pilot) There’s jaunty animation and judicious use of old-timey dust and scratches on the “film,” and it sets it apart from most of the visually blah Netflix movies, while never feeling like it’s trying to ape the approach Guy Ritchie took with his frenetic cuts in his Sherlock Holmes.

Like its predecessor, this adventure film does go on a little long, again stretching past the two-hour mark and taking extra time to hammer in its themes and real-world relevance. Though the mystery is theoretically the main plot, it’s not as compelling as Enola herself and it’s not too difficult to figure out what’s going on. Unsurprisingly for a burgeoning franchise, there’s a mid-credits sequence that teases where Enola Holmes 3 could go, introducing a character/actor that made me literally clap, so now I know how all the Marvel and DC stans feel at the end of every superhero movie, when the less-committed viewers have already booked it for the bathroom. 

Though the world has enough franchise films, it’s hard not to root for more of this one — and more of Brown. Thanks to her ebullient performance and Bradbeer’s nimble direction, Enola Holmes 2 creates a different experience from standard superhero IP and other Sherlock adaptations. Even though it’s a sequel, set in a familiar world with characters who have appeared on screen in countless iterations, Enola Holmes 2 still manages to feel fresh. 

B+

“Enola Holmes 2” streams Friday on Netflix

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