Enola Holmes, the noncanonical sister of fictional detective Sherlock Holmes, is the brainchild of author Nancy Springer, whose Enola Holmes Mysteries novel series made their cinematic debut in an eponymous film on Netflix.

It's a little bit sweet and a whole lot charming. It's quite, quite good.

A lot of the credit goes to Millie Bobby Brown, the 16-year-old Stranger Things star whose personal enjoyment of the Springer books spurred her to make the film. Her passion for the subject matter makes her portrayal of the quirky teen sleuth palpably more enjoyable to watch.

In the story, Enola's father is dead and she lives with her mother Eudoria (Helena Bonham Carter) on the sprawling country Holmes estate. There, she gets an unconventional education from her mother, ranging from boxing and jujitsu to the art of chess and the language of flowers; the womanly graces that were expected in that era are largely absent from Enola's upbringing. Meanwhile, Enola's much older brothers Mycroft (Sam Claflin) and Sherlock (Henry Cavill) have been absent for years, both making their way in London -- the former in government and the latter, of course, as a detective.

When Enola wakes to find her mother missing, she summons her brothers, neither of whom knows her well enough to recognize her at the train station where she meets them. They are seemingly unconcerned about their missing matriarch, but are quite put out at the state of the estate and of Enola's upbringing. Mycroft, as the elder brother and heir, takes her as his ward, which means enrolling her in an uptight finishing school to polish away her sharp edges. She, of course, has other ideas and escapes into the night, disguised as a boy.

On the train, she encounters the young Viscount Tewkesbury (Louis Partridge), a runaway Lord-to-be who balks at the responsibilities being heaped on his shoulders. Enola reluctantly aids him once she realizes his pursuer (Burn Gorman) is bent more on murder than retrieval.

Her troubles increase once she reaches London, but Enola proves to be resourceful, clever and a mistress of disguise.

Mystery fans might be disappointed because there's not much of a puzzle here to solve. This is a young-adult adventure story, not a murder-mystery. And, while it's obviously made with teenage girls in mind, it is quite enjoyable for persons of any age or gender.

The movie succeeds because it has a solid script, slick direction, an eye-catching visual presence and an excellent cast.

And, of course, an enthusiastic performance by Brown. Let's hope she returns in the role and we get to see how Enola blossoms.

(Kudos, by the way, to Netflix for picking up the film for distribution after Warner Brothers pulled its theatrical release due to the COVID-19 pandemic.)

Be sure to check out the series of books by Nancy Springer, available through Amazon.com.

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