Movies Like Enola Holmes for Young Sleuth Adventures
Plucky young detectives with adventure, heart, and spirited independence.
Plucky young detectives with adventure, heart, and spirited independence.
Best first watch
See How They Run (2022)
92% fit99 min · IMDb 6.5 · RT 75%
Constable Stalker mirrors Enola's wide-eyed determination, bouncing off Sam Rockwell's weary Inspector Stoppard the way Enola spars with Sherlock. Tom George sets his whodunit in the theatrical world of 1950s London, matching Enola Holmes' period charm while leaning harder into Agatha Christie-style structure. The playful self-awareness about detective tropes feels like a natural next step from Enola's fourth-wall breaks.
Watch if
You want a witty period whodunit with a rookie detective proving herself.
Skip if
You need the lead to actually be a teenager.
For you if
- You want mysteries led by young, resourceful protagonists who think on their feet.
- You enjoy period settings that add charm without slowing the pace.
- You love detective stories that mix puzzle-solving with personal growth.
Not for you if
- You want dark, gritty crime thrillers with real-world stakes.
- You prefer slow-burn procedurals focused on forensic detail.
- You need hard-boiled mysteries with morally gray protagonists.
How Enola Holmes (2020) alternatives compare
Pick See How They Run for the sharpest humor and most layered whodunit. Nancy Drew (2007) is the safest family pick with its PG rating and classic charm. Young Sherlock Holmes delivers the most adventure and genuine stakes. Wicked Little Letters offers the biggest laughs but skews adult with its language. Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase is the quickest, easiest watch for younger viewers.
How much mystery solving?
Heavy whodunit
How funny is it?
Very funny
How kid-friendly?
Teens and up
Period costume charm
Gorgeous 1950s
How much mystery solving?
Steady sleuthing
How funny is it?
Playful
How kid-friendly?
All ages
Period costume charm
Retro-modern mix
How much mystery solving?
Slow reveal
How funny is it?
Laugh-out-loud
How kid-friendly?
Adults mostly
Period costume charm
Rich 1920s detail
How much mystery solving?
Action-mystery mix
How funny is it?
Mostly serious
How kid-friendly?
Tweens and up
Period costume charm
Victorian boarding school
How much mystery solving?
Light mystery
How funny is it?
Light humor
How kid-friendly?
All ages
Period costume charm
Contemporary
Not sure what to watch?
Date night
Saoirse Ronan and Sam Rockwell's mismatched banter carries a stylish, grown-up whodunit you'll both enjoy.
Quick watch
Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase (2019)
At 89 minutes, Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase wraps up fast with zero filler.
Friend group
Wicked Little Letters gets the biggest group laughs with Olivia Colman leading foul-mouthed chaos.
Find your pick
Do you want a mystery led by grown-ups rather than teen sleuths?
Moments you loved
Best movies like Enola Holmes (2020)
1. See How They Run (2022)
99 min · IMDb 6.5 · RT 75%
Constable Stalker mirrors Enola's wide-eyed determination, bouncing off Sam Rockwell's weary Inspector Stoppard the way Enola spars with Sherlock. Tom George sets his whodunit in the theatrical world of 1950s London, matching Enola Holmes' period charm while leaning harder into Agatha Christie-style structure. The playful self-awareness about detective tropes feels like a natural next step from Enola's fourth-wall breaks.
Watch if
You want a witty period whodunit with a rookie detective proving herself.
Skip if
You need the lead to actually be a teenager.
Where to watch
2. Nancy Drew (2007)
99 min · IMDb 5.9 · RT 50%
Emma Roberts' Nancy Drew is practically Enola's American cousin: a resourceful teen transplanted somewhere new, solving a murder that adults have written off. Andrew Fleming leans into the fish-out-of-water comedy of a small-town girl navigating Hollywood's glamour, similar to how Enola navigates Victorian London's patriarchy. The tone stays PG-bright and the mystery builds through Nancy's stubborn cleverness rather than action set pieces.
Watch if
You want another plucky teen detective who refuses to let adults handle things.
Skip if
You prefer your mysteries with more edge and fewer penny loafers.
Where to watch
3. Wicked Little Letters (2024)
100 min · IMDb 7.0 · RT 80%
Where Enola fights for independence in Victorian England, Gladys Moss and the women of Littlehampton seize it in 1920s seaside England by running their own investigation. Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley trade the kind of sharp, class-crossing banter that Millie Bobby Brown and Henry Cavill share. The mystery hinges on underestimated women proving smarter than the men in charge, a spirit Enola would applaud.
Watch if
You loved Enola's feminist spark and want it amplified by a foul-mouthed ensemble.
Skip if
Constant profanity would ruin the cozy mystery mood for you.
Where to watch
4. Young Sherlock Holmes (1985)
109 min · IMDb 6.8 · RT 71%
Barry Levinson imagines a teenage Sherlock Holmes with the same restless brilliance Enola shows, giving Nicholas Rowe's young Holmes a Watson sidekick and a boarding-school setting that trades Enola's solo adventure for buddy-detective chemistry. The Amblin Entertainment stamp means the adventure sequences carry real weight, with an Egyptian cult plot that pushes into darker territory than Enola ever does. It's the closest thing to an Enola Holmes prequel for her famous brother.
Watch if
You want young Sherlock himself in a Victorian adventure with genuine stakes.
Skip if
Hallucinatory sequences and cult imagery might be too intense for your group.
Where to watch
Beyond movies
TV shows and books that scratch the same itch
Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries
A glamorous, fiercely independent woman solves murders in 1920s Melbourne with wit and charm. Like Enola, Phryne Fisher refuses to play by society's rules, turning each case into a stylish period romp.
Acorn TV
Nancy Drew
A sharp young woman untangles supernatural-tinged mysteries in a small town, driven by the same restless curiosity and self-reliance that powers Enola. Cozy whodunit energy with a modern twist on the classic girl-detective formula.
The CW / Max
Murdoch Mysteries
A gentle, inventive detective solves crimes in Victorian-era Toronto using early forensic science. Shares Enola Holmes's warmth, period setting, and the pleasure of watching a clever mind piece together clues without any darkness getting too heavy.
Acorn TV / Ovation
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
by Alan Bradley
Eleven-year-old Flavia de Luce investigates a murder in her English country estate using chemistry and sheer nerve. She is Enola's spiritual cousin: brainy, fearless, and operating in a world that keeps underestimating her.
Available at major bookstores
Common questions about movies like Enola Holmes (2020)
What is the best movie like Enola Holmes (2020)?
Based on our analysis, See How They Run (2022) is the closest match with a 92% fit score. See the full breakdown above for why it earned the top spot.
Which of these can I watch with my kids?
Nancy Drew (2007) and Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase are both rated PG, safe for ages 8 and up. Young Sherlock Holmes and See How They Run are PG-13 with some violence and mild peril. Wicked Little Letters carries strong language throughout, making it best for older teens and adults.
Do any of these get surprisingly dark or intense?
Young Sherlock Holmes features hallucinatory sequences and a cult subplot that can feel genuinely scary for younger viewers. Wicked Little Letters deals with domestic abuse and features constant profanity. The other three stay light and playful throughout.
Which one will leave me feeling the most upbeat?
Nancy Drew (2007) ends on the sunniest note, with its heroine triumphant and friendships cemented. See How They Run also wraps up with satisfying warmth despite its murder plot. Both deliver feel-good energy without any lingering heaviness.
Which is the quickest watch for a weeknight?
Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase runs just 89 minutes, the shortest of the five. See How They Run and Nancy Drew (2007) clock in at 99 minutes each. Young Sherlock Holmes is the longest at 109 minutes but moves briskly.
How do these compare in tone to each other?
Nancy Drew (2007) and The Hidden Staircase are the most earnest and family-friendly. See How They Run is drier and more self-aware, almost spoofing the genre. Wicked Little Letters is the rowdiest and most irreverent. Young Sherlock Holmes plays it the most straight as an adventure thriller.
Which should I start with if I loved Enola Holmes?
See How They Run is the closest match in wit, energy, and period style. If you want something aimed at the same teen audience, start with Nancy Drew (2007) for its plucky heroine and family-friendly mystery. Both capture Enola's spirited independence.
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