RELATED: Best Occult Detective Fiction Movies, Ranked
With Enola Holmes 2 premiering on Netflix in November 2022, it’s the ideal time to revisit the first movie. Those who enjoy it and would like to see more movies similar to Enola Holmeshave multiple options to choose from. Even though the movies have different heroes and stories, their characters would often fit in well with Enola.
5 Penelope (2006)
One of the main villains in Enola Holmes is the murderous Linthorn who almost killed Enola. Having starred in the Doctor Who spin-off series Torchwood, Burn Gorman is no stranger to fantasy and science fiction movies. One of his best fantasy movies is the modern fairytale Penelope about a cursed girl who has to figure out how to break the curse…presumably by finding true love.
The movie has a lot of charm and playfulness to it, something it seems to share with Enola Holmes. It offers a similarly strong cast, such as Christina Ricci, James McAvoy, and Peter Dinklage. As for Burn Gorman’s role, he doesn’t have a main part in the movie but still leaves a strong impression, and his character Larry is more sympathetic than Linthorn in Enola Holmes.
4 Sherlock Holmes (2009)
Sherlock Holmes is one of the most adapted literary characters. Of all the modern movies with the detective, the first Guy Ritchie Sherlock Holmes movie is probably the closest to Enola Holmes when it comes to the story’s overall mood. The movie is aimed at an older audience than Enola Holmes, which explains its bigger emphasis on violence.
RELATED: The Best Detective Board Games (That Will Make Players Feel Like Sherlock Holmes)
At the same time, it offers just the right amount of jokes and quips between Holmes and Dr. Watson, similar to the dynamic between Enola and her new friend Tewkesbury. As a result, both movies come across as feel-good stories about brilliant detectives and strong friendships. The movie also got a sequel in 2011.
3 The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (2016)
Closest to Enola Holmes’s mood of all Henry Cavill’s movies is the 2016 underrated spy action comedy. Cavill stars as Napoleon Solo, a CIA agent who’s forced to cooperate with a KGB agent in order to stop a dangerous enemy. Both Enola Holmes and The Man from U.N.C.L.E. offer a mix of comedy and action. One minute, the characters make the audience smile and the next, they have to fight for their lives, which brings a lot of tension to the story.
Cavill doesn’t disappoint in the role and the onscreen buddy chemistry between his Solo and the KGB agent Kuryakin makes the movie even more enjoyable. The story itself offers a fair number of surprising plot twists, just like detective and spy movies often do. And even though The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is set decades after the events of Enola Holmes, in the 1960s, both movies have a pleasantly retro feeling to them.
2 Ocean’s 8 (2018)
What do Ocean’s 8 and Enola Holmes have in common? More things than people might originally believe! Both movies fit into the detective genre, give a lot of space to female heroines, and also star Helena Bonham Carter in an important supporting part. What’s more, in both cases, the actress’ character breaks the law in a way, albeit for different reasons. Ocean’s 8 tells the story of a group of women who join forces to pull off an epic heist…that can go wrong in so many ways. As a result, the tension is high, and the movie keeps the audience hooked until the end.
RELATED: Most Iconic Kid Detectives In Anime
Even though the main characters are criminals, it manages to make them sympathetic, thanks to the performances of Sandra Bullock, Rihanna, Cate Blanchett, Helena Bonham Carter, and other talented actresses. The final similarity is that both movies run forward smoothly, keeping a fast pace for the entire story, and focus on characters that are related to a better established male hero (Enola to Sherlock, and Bullock’s Debbie to George Clooney’s Danny Ocean from the Ocean’s Eleven series).
1 Love Wedding Repeat (2020)
Sam Claflin has a strong supporting part in Enola Holmes as Mycroft Holmes, Enola’s oldest brother. Unlike the more supportive Sherlock, Mycroft disapproves of his sister’s free-spirited behavior and wants to make her a proper lady. Unsurprisingly, thanks to Enola’s determination (and a bit of help from her friend), Mycroft’s plan fails. Claflin played another slightly disapproving brother in the 2020 unusual romantic comedy Love Wedding Repeat. As the title hints, the movie tells the story of one wedding happening in several potential ways. Claflin plays Jack, the brother of the bride, who’s having a hard time making sure the wedding goes smoothly for his little sister. Especially once he learns a few secrets.
The movie has the audience laughing and gasping in surprise, sometimes both in a single scene. It takes the genre of romantic comedy and offers it with a twist, just like Enola Holmes did so for detective stories. Love Wedding Repeat didn’t get as much attention from the audience as it would have deserved, but anybody who enjoyed Claflin’s performance in Enola Holmes and would like to see him in a more sympathetic role shouldn’t miss out on watching the movie.
MORE: Every Sherlock Holmes Game By Frogwares, Ranked According To Metacritic
