Film

Enola Holmes

A sharp, fizzy Sherlock spinoff centred on his younger sister, a prodigious detective in her own right. Enola Holmes is funny, fast-moving, and genuinely clever about deduction—it treats its teenage protagonist like an adult mind trapped in a world that won't let her be one. For anyone who loves mysteries with personality and period charm without stuffiness.

TMDb rating3.6

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you like a brisk, cheeky mystery where the detective is a clever teenager who talks straight to the camera and enjoys being underestimated by everyone around her.

Skip it if you find the Holmes family banter tiring, or want a tight caper that moves briskly; at 124 minutes it can drift, and its cheerful tone rarely lets up.

What it asks of you: Two hours of playful asides to the viewer, a mystery you follow more for character than clue-chasing, and an emotional thread carried patiently.

If you liked this

Knives Out2019

A locked-room mystery that's wildly entertaining and respects its audience's intelligence. Daniel Craig's Southern accent alone is worth the price, but the puzzle is genuinely satisfying and the cast is having so much fun you can feel it.

But Some people find it slightly pleased with itself, and the twist lands differently depending on how much you've seen it coming. It's not as tightly constructed as it first appears.

Knives Out poster

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel2017

Witty, propulsive, and gorgeous to look at. A woman finding her voice in the 1950s—sharp dialogue, perfect pacing, and an ensemble cast that genuinely delights in each other. Each season crackles with energy.

But The charm can feel relentless; some viewers find it exhausting rather than exhilarating. And the later seasons lose a bit of the narrative momentum the early ones had.

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel poster

Fleabag2016

Brilliant, rude, anarchic. Phoebe Waller-Bridge breaks the fourth wall, breaks your heart, and makes you laugh at things you shouldn't. Six episodes of genuine genius that proved TV comedy could be art without losing its edge.

But It's very London and very now; some of the cultural references won't land everywhere. Also genuinely sad under the jokes—don't come expecting pure fun.

Fleabag poster

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Enola Holmes

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

The Alienist2018

Both use the specific tools of forensic deduction as the spine of narrative, but The Alienist asks what that obsession costs you. It's Enola's logic turned inward and darkened.

A serial killer procedural set in 1890s New York with the psychological depth of actual criminal anthropology. Daniel Brühl as a man parsing the mind of a murderer—it's dark, meticulous, and utterly absorbing. The period detail serves the story rather than decorating it.

But It's genuinely disturbing; the crimes are graphically depicted and the violence isn't softened. Also slower and grittier than Enola—no charm, all consequence.

The Alienist poster
More like this (7)

The Pillars of the Earth2010

A grander, earthier historical epic with intricate plotting and real stakes. Sweeping medieval drama with strong characters and genuine moral complexity. Ken Follett's prose translates beautifully here.

But It's long and sometimes melodramatic. The pacing can drag in the middle, and some plot threads feel overwrought compared to others.

The Pillars of the Earth poster

Murder on the Orient Express2017

Kenneth Branagh's take on Agatha Christie is visually sumptuous and genuinely clever about how a mystery works. The ensemble cast brings real personality to the closed-room puzzle, and Branagh's Poirot is oddly compelling.

But Some fans of the 1974 version find it overwrought and self-important. The solution hinges on accepting a big moral leap that not everyone will.

Murder on the Orient Express poster

Gentleman Jack2019

A lesbian period drama that's genuinely funny, sharply written, and unapologetically smart about its heroine's interior life. Sally Wainwright's dialogue crackles, and Suranne Jones is electric.

But It's deliberately provincial and slow-burn. If you need constant plot momentum, you'll find it meandering. Also very Yorkshire, which isn't for everyone.

Gentleman Jack poster

Only Murders in the Building2021

Three middle-aged people stumble into solving a murder in their apartment building. It's funny, the mystery is genuinely engaging, and Marty Short, Steve Martin, and Selena Gomez have real chemistry as unlikely partners.

But The tone can feel uneven—it can't quite decide if it's a parody or a real mystery. Some plot resolutions feel more convenient than earned.

Only Murders in the Building poster

The Seven-Per-Cent Solution1976

A thoughtful, affectionate take on Sherlock where he's a human being rather than a genius myth. Robert Redford and Nicol Williamson together, solving a kidnapping across Europe. Smart, humane, genuinely clever.

But It's less a mystery than a character study; the plot winds through several threads before resolving. If you want a tight puzzle, this meanders pleasantly instead.

The Seven-Per-Cent Solution poster

Andor2022

Both are about smart young people learning that the system they live in is rigged and choosing to act against it. But where Enola is playful, Andor asks what resistance actually costs.

A prequel to a space franchise that became something entirely its own: a slow-burn political thriller about how ordinary people become rebels. Precise, intelligent, and morally complicated. Every scene earns its place. This is what happens when a streaming show gets trust and budget.

But It's deliberately paced and deeply serious. There's no winking at the camera, no charm offensive, no plot convenience. If you need immediate gratification, you won't find it here.

Andor poster

MINDHUNTER2017

Like Enola, it's about the power of reading people and situations. But it's the darker mirror: deduction without the joy, seeing darkness and learning to live in it.

The birth of criminal profiling in the 1970s FBI. Methodical, clever, genuinely suspenseful. David Fincher's precision applied to the mechanics of how you understand a mind. The best supporting cast on television, and every scene is about observation.

But It's incomplete—cancelled after two seasons on a cliffhanger. It's also relentlessly interior, focused on interviews and analysis rather than action. If you need resolution and momentum, this will frustrate you.

MINDHUNTER poster

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