Enola Holmes 3

• Directed by Philip Barantini
• July 1, 2026 (Netflix)
• Based on The Enola Holmes Mysteries by Nancy Springer

Enola and Tewkesbury are to marry in Malta when Sherlock goes missing leading to a greater mystery.

Before I even watched I noticed Enola Holmes 3 is the shortest of the series. It comes in at under two hours. Kudos on that. I had some hope it was an indication they decided to keep it tight.

Tookie Pooh (Louis Partridge) and Enola (Millie Bobby Brown) are getting married after an almost tepid on-screen courtship. The pair only really developed as a couple in the second film. Now they are ready to wed. Fine. They need to make these two people a married couple because it is easier than building a romance. They manage some romantic scenes here that should have been done before to make the marriage less ill-fitting.

There are a few revelations (for the audience) about Tewksbury that I would think would come to light before marriage yet Enola is surprised when he brings them up. Like his actual last name isn’t ‘Tewksbury’. Getting married means you know (or should) a good chunk about the person. Turns out Enola does not know Tewkesbury’s birth name is Earnest Augustus Tebbity-Gore.

The change in venue from London or even England to Malta and the whole wedding aspect makes Enola Holmes 3 more of a vacation adventure story than it does a mystery. It doesn’t help that there isn’t much solving going on or the villain of this movie is obvious from the tease in the opening. It reminded me of those how-they-did-it TV shows and not a mystery. The actual reveal comes at about the midpoint in the film which is far too early. This should’ve been the big surprise of the story but it was just wasted.

Who is the villain? It is female Moriarty (Sharon Duncan-Brewster) who once again uses that same expression as in Enola Holmes 2 like she’s about ready to spill some of the juiciest gossip ever. It’s kind of funny but also kind of undermines her position as the villain. She should seem like an evil genius and not your best friend at the office who is about ready to tell you what she just heard.

In moments where we see Moriarity interacting with Enola or with other characters, she engages in villain monologues and tells us most everything SHE is doing. The real mystery though surrounds what she is after. That in a moment.

The other big question is: where is Sherlock Holmes (Henry Cavill)? He’s been kidnapped as has Lady Tewkesbury (Hattie Morahan). Mostly for gloating since neither knows anything to further Moriarty’s goal. Not sure if they explain why Mycroft was not notified or called in. Not even sure if he gets mentioned but Dr. Watson (Himesh Patel) gets Enola rather than the experienced adult.

Characters do each contribute something to the story but it does take away the focus from Enola being able to handle it herself. She should not be the sole driver but a main driver of things. Too much gets handled by Tewkesbury or even her mother Eudoria (Helena Bonham Carter) who is finally stated as a militant suffragette because mail bombing is a smart way to get the vote. Even Mikiel (Joe Azzopardi), a member of the Partito Anti-Riformista, gets in on the fun. Too many good guys and not enough suspects.

The story gets into things like British colonialism and privilege with Moriarty berating the good guys on both and cast members who are on the good side seemingly agreeing with her. Too often these days there’s a need to make villains kind of right leaving the impression that they’re going about whatever cause the wrong way. Moriarty is trying to get gold and get revenge. Theft and vengeance are not good deeds yet she’s not completely in the wrong! 

Rather than continuing fixing weaknesses like the second one did, this instead engages in a whole new set of weaknesses and shortcomings making for an at times annoying presentation. Enola does less looking at the camera, but other characters do in the moments where they are figuring out what was done and why.

The lack of a complete mystery with the story used instead as a way to a complain about modern concerns mixed with the villain being not totally bad made this just bothersome. I tuned in for a mystery and got not much of one. The acting was fine but things were almost superficial.

My mind started trailing off as my interest ebbed and flowed. I felt little need to invest in the story or characters. Moved to a more interesting location, it did little to showcase the beauty or different nature of the environment. The mystery itself involving hidden stolen gold was one that could have happened anywhere. It was only special because of where the gold came from.

Enola Holmes 3 is okay. Not a great revelation and not a continued improvement. I wasn’t disappointed but being less of a mystery than the first two and a relatively underwhelming villain I just wouldn’t watch this again.