Enola Holmes (2020)

You are Enola Holmes’s sidekick whether you signed up or not. She turns to the camera every few minutes to explain a clue, roll her eyes at her brothers or check that you’re keeping up, and after a while it feels less like a trick and more like a nervous habit. The mystery is the weak spot. Two cases fight over 123 minutes, her missing mother and a runaway young lord, and the one the movie opens with gets parked for most of the runtime. Millie Bobby Brown makes up for a lot. She plays Enola as a kid raised on books, chess and martial arts, all speed and confidence, and it’s a blast. Henry Cavill gives Sherlock a surprising softness, like a big brother who’s quietly proud. Sam Claflin’s Mycroft is a stiff collar with opinions. Critics gave it 91% on Rotten Tomatoes. A 6.4 because Brown carries it and you’ll crack the case before she does. $7,187 says you try the newspaper word puzzle this weekend and peek at the answer key before lunch.

What works: Millie Bobby Brown is quick, funny and fully in charge, and Henry Cavill’s gentle Sherlock is a nice surprise.

What doesn’t: The missing-mother mystery gets sidelined for most of the movie, and the constant asides to the camera wear thin.

Who it’s for: Teens and families who like their mysteries breezy, their heroines sharp and their Victorian London colorful.