Film Recommendation: Enola Holmes 2 (History, Mystery, and Really Good Fun)

I love a good mystery, especially if it's historical. In the case of Enola Holmes 2, now on Netflix, it's both, and a lot of fun to watch. I enjoyed the first Enola Holmes film, so I thought I'd give this one a shot as well. Yes, it plays a bit loosely with literary characters (Enola is Sherlock's young sister, and their radical, suffragist mother, played so well by Helena Bonham Carter is a fun, added character), but it was spot-on in its blending of Sherlockian deduction, a lot of intrigue, and its putting a spotlight on an event in British labor history as well. 

The match-girl strike in 1888 is really worth looking into. In order to produce matches cheaply, factory owners switched to white phosphorous, and, when the workers were dying at a tragic rate from "phossy jaw" --a terrible form of bone cancer-- they dismissed the wave of deaths as typhus, in order to cover it up. The nearly 1400 women and girls who worked for dirt wages were led to strike by one Sarah Chapman. Their labor action is the first organized by women; it was successful, and the women's demands were met. Unfortunately, white phosphorous was not banned for about 20 more years, which (miraculously?!) brought about an immediate end to "phossy jaw" in England. 

The women and girls (who started their work around age 13) were subject to 14 hour days, and during each day's shift, they were also levied various fines (unscheduled bathroom break, dirty feet, talking at all, etc.), resulting in little to no pay each day. Shareholders, on the other hand, were paid handsomely, with dividends somewhere upwards of 20%. Weaving this historical event into the film was not preachy, but it was quite effective. 

Of course, Enola, with help from various friends and her famous brother (his current case was entangled with hers), manages to expose the dirty and dangerous plot, identify the killer and the corrupt police enforcers, and the famous Sarah Chapman is saved from their nefarious plans.

O, and Enola's "love interest," who happens to be a young Lord, is a true reformer, and he pushes through social and political reforms that reflect the interests of the common workers in factories. Huzzah!

Yes, the plot is fictional and a bit silly at times, but the movie is really enjoyable. The target audience is a younger crowd (early teens would like it, I think), but it was satisfying to watch nonetheless. 

Have a good day!

C