Is Enola Holmes 2 woke?
Enola Holmes 2 (2022)
Movie
Released: January 1, 2022
Wokeness Score
7/10
Strongly Ideological
Woke messaging is very prominent and often feels forced or shoehorned in. Characters and plot are primarily shaped to serve the ideology. Many viewers feel the agenda overshadows the entertainment.
Key Summary Points
- Strong feminist messaging with Enola defying Victorian sexism to run a detective agency and champion women's rights.
- Incorporates historical Match Girls' Strike to promote female solidarity and collective action against male oppression.
- Casting a Black woman as Moriarty frames villainy as response to patriarchy and white supremacy.
Wokeness Analysis
Enola Holmes 2 centers on a young female protagonist defying Victorian gender norms by running her own detective agency, which serves as a vehicle for repeated commentary on systemic sexism and the need for female solidarity. The plot incorporates the real historical Match Girls' Strike of 1888 to highlight exploitation of working-class women and the power of collective female action against male authority figures. Diversity elements include casting a Black actress as the mastermind villain Moriarty, whose actions are framed as a response to patriarchal and racial oppression, turning a classic antagonist into a figure of progressive grievance. The story frequently pauses for scenes where characters lecture on women's rights, suffrage, and challenging male dominance, with Enola's independence and Tewkesbury's reformist politics reinforcing modern egalitarian ideals. While the mystery and action provide some entertainment, the narrative prioritizes ideological messaging about empowerment, sisterhood, and dismantling traditional hierarchies, often at the expense of subtlety. Conservative viewers note the forced inclusion of these themes feels shoehorned to appeal to contemporary audiences, with the ending twist on Moriarty and Watson's casting further emphasizing identity politics over historical fidelity.
Plot
In Enola Holmes 2, the teenage sleuth Enola Holmes, played by Millie Bobby Brown, opens her own detective agency in Victorian London after solving her first case. Facing skepticism due to her age and gender, she takes on a case from a young match factory worker whose sister has gone missing. The investigation uncovers a conspiracy involving dangerous factory conditions, blackmail, and high-society corruption. Enola teams up with her brother Sherlock Holmes, her love interest Lord Tewkesbury, and other allies to solve the mystery, which ties into the real 1888 Match Girls' Strike. The story blends adventure, humor, and period elements while exploring themes of independence and social change.