Enola Holmes 3 has plenty going for it: Millie Bobby Brown remains an easy fit for the title role, the Malta setting gives the movie a fresh visual backdrop, and the action is lively enough to keep the 105-minute runtime moving.
But the third film also shows some of the limitations that come with extending a franchise built around the same formula.
The critical response is mixed. Enola Holmes 3 currently sits at 65% on Rotten Tomatoes from 79 reviews, while Metacritic gives it a 58/100 based on 17 critics, placing the movie in the “mixed or average” range.
That split makes sense once you look at the individual reviews. Some critics found the new adventure energetic and enjoyable, while others thought the story had become increasingly messy and that the series was beginning to lose some of its original spark.
Millie Bobby Brown Remains The Film’s Biggest Strength
Nell Minow of RogerEbert.com gave Enola Holmes 3 a positive review, praising its dynamic action, clever puzzles and romance. She also highlighted Brown’s performance, describing her Enola as “true-hearted, passionate, determined, and fearless.”
Minow particularly liked how Brown handles Enola’s direct-to-camera narration. For her, that fourth-wall-breaking style still makes the audience feel involved in the character’s story rather than simply watching another period mystery unfold.
The Irish Times’ Donald Clarke reached a similarly positive conclusion about Brown and the core cast. Clarke praised the chemistry between the actors and argued that the series still has enough energy to justify continuing. He particularly enjoyed the film’s more adventurous sequences, including Enola firing a rifle from a moving stagecoach.
That chemistry is important because Enola Holmes 3 isn’t relying entirely on its mystery to carry the movie.
The Critics Don’t Completely Agree On The Mystery
This is where the reviews become more divided.
The Guardian’s Benjamin Lee gave the film a much cooler assessment, calling it an “often thoughtful yet ultimately lesser threequel.” His review argues that the franchise is beginning to lose momentum rather than building toward something stronger with each installment.
That criticism lines up with the current Rotten Tomatoes consensus, which praises Brown and the action but specifically points to a “muddled story” and a diminished spark compared with the earlier films.
TechRadar’s Jasmine Valentine was more forgiving but still landed firmly in the middle. She called the movie engaging, entertaining and fun, while criticizing its glaring continuity errors and relatively safe storytelling. Her verdict essentially treats Enola Holmes 3 as a comfortable three-star continuation rather than a major improvement for the franchise.
That is probably the most useful description of the movie: it works, but it rarely feels like the filmmakers are taking the franchise somewhere dramatically new.
Variety Sees A Franchise That Has Matured
Variety’s Tomris Laffly gave the movie a 70/100 score, describing it as a chapter that splits the difference between something more grown-up and the playful tone of the earlier movies.
Laffly’s review sees the franchise as maturing alongside the young audience that has followed Brown’s Enola since the first film in 2020.
That is an important distinction.
Enola Holmes 3 isn’t necessarily trying to abandon the formula. Instead, it is attempting to let its central character grow up while keeping the humor, romance, action and fourth-wall-breaking style that made the first two films accessible.
Whether that feels like progression or simply a slightly older version of the same formula depends largely on how much you enjoyed the earlier movies.
The Irish Times Likes The Fun, But Has Some Reservations
Donald Clarke’s Irish Times review is one of the more enthusiastic takes, calling the film the “right kind of fun” while praising Brown, Partridge and the supporting cast.
But even this positive review isn’t blind to the film’s weaknesses.
Clarke criticizes the newspaper and handbill animation for wearing out its welcome and argues that the movie uses fourth-wall breaks perhaps a little too frequently. He also notes that the film moves away from the traditional fog-and-gaslight Holmes atmosphere.
That criticism is useful because it doesn’t reject what Enola Holmes 3 is trying to do. It simply suggests that the movie occasionally pushes its stylistic gimmicks too far.
TechRadar Thinks The Franchise Has Found Its Comfort Zone
Valentine’s TechRadar review may be the bluntest description of the franchise’s current position.
She praises the movie’s entertaining cast, animated title sequences and Malta setting, but argues that the story is deliberately safe. The mystery is enjoyable enough to follow, but not particularly difficult to predict.
Her biggest criticism concerns continuity, including details involving Brown’s makeup, nails and certain cuts within scenes.
Those aren’t necessarily problems that will bother every viewer, but they do reinforce a larger criticism appearing across several reviews: Enola Holmes 3 is polished enough to be enjoyable, yet not consistently sharp enough to feel like the strongest entry in the series.
The Malta Setting Gives Enola A Fresh Playground
The third movie moves the action away from the familiar London surroundings and into Malta.
Netflix’s own Tudum confirms that the story takes place in 1886, with Enola and Lord Tewkesbury planning to marry in Malta before Sherlock’s kidnapping sends Enola into another investigation.
The setting gives the movie a different visual identity and provides plenty of opportunities for chases, outdoor action and larger-scale sequences.
RogerEbert.com’s Minow praised the production design and costumes for immersing the movie in its Victorian setting, while Radio Times’ Jayne Nelson gave the film an 80/100 and praised its inventive plots, fights and chases.
So even critics who have reservations about the screenplay generally have something positive to say about the film’s momentum and presentation.
Sherlock Holmes’ Kidnapping Gives The Sequel Its Hook
The central mystery begins when Sherlock disappears.
Enola is preparing to marry Tewkesbury when she learns that her brother has been kidnapped, forcing her to abandon the expected path toward marriage and return to detective work. Netflix’s official synopsis confirms that Sherlock’s disappearance becomes the case driving the movie.
Henry Cavill returns as Sherlock, while Himesh Patel joins the investigation as Dr. John Watson.
That gives the movie another advantage over a completely standalone mystery: the audience already has an investment in Enola’s relationship with Sherlock, Tewkesbury and the rest of the Holmes family.
So, Is Enola Holmes 3 Actually Good?
Yes — but with an important qualification.
The critics aren’t describing a disaster. RogerEbert.com’s 88/100, Radio Times’ 80/100 and Variety’s 70/100 all show that there is plenty to enjoy here.
At the same time, The Guardian sees the third movie as a step down, while TechRadar argues that the franchise has settled comfortably into safe, three-star territory.
That puts Enola Holmes 3 in a fairly clear position: it’s an entertaining continuation, but not a reinvention of the franchise.
Brown remains the reason to watch it. The Malta setting adds some freshness, the action is energetic, and the supporting cast continues to work well together.
The weaker mystery, continuity problems and familiar formula keep it from feeling like a major step forward.
Our Verdict: 3.5/5
Enola Holmes 3 doesn’t need to reinvent Enola to work. Millie Bobby Brown is still charismatic enough to carry the character, and the combination of mystery, romance, action and humor remains easy to watch.
But after three movies, the formula is becoming increasingly visible.
The strongest reviews — including RogerEbert.com’s and the Irish Times’ — find enough energy and charm to make the flaws worthwhile. The more critical takes from The Guardian and TechRadar suggest the franchise is beginning to run out of surprises.
For a third adventure, that’s a respectable result. Enola Holmes 3 is fun, well-cast and perfectly watchable — just not quite as fresh as Enola’s first case.
