Sherlock Holmes is the detective character audiences just can't get enough of. But what if Sherlock had a sister? That's the premise of Nancy Springer's novel, "Enola Holmes," and the new Netflix film directed by Harry Bradbeer and starring "Stranger Things" star Millie Bobby Brown as the girl detective who has mystery solving in her blood.
The film, rated PG-13 for some violence, is a rollicking, swashbuckling, teen adventure film. Although it's too mature for small children, teens and preteens will very much enjoy this self-reflective tale, in which Enola tracks down her brilliant missing mother (Helena Bonham Carter). Equipped with her powers of disguise and penchant for wordplay, she lends a capable hand to a marquis or two along the way. Henry Cavill plays big bro Sherlock, and no complaints with that casting choice here.
But Enola Holmes is just one in a long line of plucky girl detective characters from young adult literature and books. Why, Nancy Drew has been running circles around the Hardy Boys since 1930, though a screen representation of the iconic Nancy hasn't quite stuck yet. Just last fall, the CW launched a "Riverdale"-style teen series featuring the character, which is now on HBO Max, with plans for a second season to drop in January 2021. Emma Roberts also inhabited the character in the PG-rated family-friendly 2007 film directed by Andrew Fleming ($2.99 rental on all digital platforms). Another PG-rated Nancy Drew reboot, "Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase," arrived in 2018, starring Sophia Lillis from "It" as the titular detective. That's available to stream now on HBO Max.
It seems all of Gen Z spent their preschool years with "Dora the Explorer," the cheery adventurer who loves to find clues and solve problems, equipped with her trusty backpack. The animated series for preschool age children is available on Amazon Prime or through Noggin. The 2019 action-adventure movie "Dora and the Lost City of Gold" stars Isabela Merced as a teenage Dora and struck just the right note of humor and thrills to appeal to kids who grew up with the show and those encountering the character for the first time. Stream it now on Hulu (rated PG for action and some impolite humor).
Don't forget "Harriet the Spy." Based on the beloved young adult book, the 1996 feature film stars Michelle Trachtenberg as the idiosyncratic young spook who loves to spy on her neighbors, scribbling in her notebook. Check it out on Prime Video (rated PG for mild language and some thematic elements).
For something a bit more retro, 1985's "Young Sherlock Holmes" (directed by Barry Levinson) is available to stream on Prime Video, CBS All Access or Pluto TV with ads. Scottish actor Nicholas Rowe made his debut in the film as the teenage detective, investigating a rash of deaths stemming from inexplicable delusions. It's rated PG-13, so perhaps more appropriate for older kids and teens.
