Enola Holmes, the titular character of the Enola Holmes franchise, has returned to solve her third mystery, this time in Malta. Enola has had a great taste of the detective life—both on her own and through helping her older brother, Sherlock Holmes—since audiences have last seen her, sure of who she is now and no longer fighting to prove herself.
The third installment was released July 1, 2026 exclusively on Netflix, directed by Philip Barantini, a switch from director Harry Bradbeer, who directed the previous two films in the franchise.
The film opens with Enola’s signature humour as she prepares for her wedding ceremony to Viscount Tewkesbury, which she is already late for. Her hesitation isn’t born out of a crisis of love for Tewkesbury, but rather hesitation over taking his last name and his title, effectively handing over her freedom as a young female detective in the process. This is a moment where the film pauses its mystery to focus on the larger theme of gender inequality, something that the previous film, Enola Holmes 2, did nicely as well. The mystery remains at the forefront of the story, however, this time with Sherlock disappearing and Enola racing to find him before their shared enemy, Moriarty…kills him? The details aren’t specific, and there’s no real chance of Sherlock actually dying, but it’s fun, nonetheless, watching Enola discover the clues Moriarty leaves behind to bait Enola into playing her game.
It’s very easy to get lost in this mystery and the beauty of Malta’s streets and beaches (the film was actually shot in Malta, including the country’s capital city, Valletta), but sticking out like a sore thumb are the film’s costuming and makeup in specific scenes. Most noticeable is the wig that Brown wears for Enola, and, at times, her makeup, particularly during a flashback scene where Enola and Sherlock are solving a mystery together. To see an oversight in this department, especially when the previous films in the franchise were as historically accurate as one can expect from a mystery/adventure film that doesn’t take itself too seriously, was a bit of a shock.
Throughout the mystery of Sherlock’s disappearance and having Enola contend with the film’s villain, Moriarty, the audience also gets a very bare-bones history lesson on Britain’s occupation of Malta. The lesson being that Britain is in control of Malta’s military, with details of the occupation explained to the audience through the character of Mikiel Mizzi, a member of the Partitio Anti-Riformista. The film concludes with a vague idea of Malta potentially being freed from the British as a bookend to getting Sherlock back, and the arrest of Moriarty. At the same time, Enola realizes she would like to keep her last name, marrying Tewkesbury for love and not for a perceived want of his title (a title that he gives up anyways after a conversation with Dr. Watson, Sherlock’s mystery solving partner, about guilt over the actions of the British empire).
Including details about Malta’s colonial history, as well as having Enola push back against the rigid society rules for Victorian women, are good ways to teach the audience, especially younger viewers, a little more about history, and the change we can enact today. Neither of these topics are explored in extreme detail, but for a film that’s billed as a fun, family-friendly mystery/adventure, Enola Holmes 3 ended up holding far more weight than just a silly relatively low-stakes mystery.
Overall, the film was an enjoyable watch. The classic fourth-wall breaks from Enola, the mixed media pop-up elements, and an interesting but somewhat predictable plot makes this third entry in the Enola Holmes franchise fit in well with its predecessors, while still giving it something unique to say. Extra points for highlighting the beauty of Malta and for Enola taking us on vacation with her.