Millie Bobby Brown reveals the meaning of Enola Holmes' inspiring last line

(Image credit: Netflix)

Enola Holmes has debuted on Netflix and the new movie is seemingly the talk of the internet. Stranger Things actor Millie Bobby Brown has captured us again with a story about a young woman in search of her missing mother. There are riddles and puzzles to solve, and it's all neatly captured by director Harry Bradbeer.

While we won't go into plot details, the Enola Holmes ending is one of optimism, particularly as Brown's eponymous character tells the audience, "The future is up to us." The actor has expanded on the importance of that line, telling Deadline why that was such an important sentiment to end on.

"I do feel ours is an amazing generation, and I know that many of my friends – and especially the kids on Stranger Things­ – we’re all very strong people and we haven’t necessarily had the most amazing role models in the generation above us, but we have had to find our own role models. And for me, I think Audrey Hepburn, and everything she ever did, really, I’m kind of obsessed with. So, we’ve all found people from previous generations to look up to and admire.

"I feel like our generation is specifically formed of very open-minded people, and we’re classed as new thinkers. We’re trying to be accepting of new things... Look at the amazing people we have around us. Greta Thunberg. She’s not sitting there listening. She’s doing something about it. For me, in the areas where I feel like I want to show my voice, I will do it. I don’t want to sit here and listen. I don’t want to watch it on the news. I want to go out there and help change it.

"That’s what our generation is about, and that’s what our film is about. She’s not going to sit there and listen to people trying to find her mother. She’s going to do it herself. 'Our future is up to us,' is something we’re all living by right now. It’s a message I’ll live by for the rest of my life, because if we don’t do anything about our world now, we’re going to have bigger complications in the future. Take Malala Yousafzai, for instance. She’s an amazing activist and I believe she’s living by that phrase, because she’s speaking up for something she feels passionate about. The things that you want to see change in, go and do it. This is what this film stands by. And it has a really, really big message."

(Image credit: Netflix)

Inspiring. We've also recently had reports that discussions concerning Enola Holmes 2 have been had, with Bradbee recently teasing that Enola Holmes' mother, played by Helena Bonham Carter, "will certainly be looked into in future movies.” 

Movies plural!? “I know quite a bit, which I can’t divulge,” he added. “But I’m excited about the other things that she’s going to do. She’s such an extraordinary character that we’re going to dig out some more secrets about her. If we do go again, there’s a lot of issues left in this dysfunctional family.

“It’d be wonderful to get five more movies out of this scene. I do think they’re extraordinary stories to tell, and what a period.” 

Brown plays the charismatic and curious Enola opposite Henry Cavill as Sherlock (who is already getting some viewers talking) and Sam Claflin as Mycroft. The three wind up chasing one another across London as Enola juggles various mysteries of her own while finding her feet in the shadow of her brothers. 

Probed further about whether he was already in talks with the Netflix overlords, Bradbeer promised: “There’s discussion.” The game is very much afoot, as a Holmes might say. In the meantime, check out some of the best Netflix movies and best Netflix shows currently streaming.

Jack Shepherd
Freelance Journalist

Jack Shepherd is the former Senior Entertainment Editor of GamesRadar. Jack used to work at The Independent as a general culture writer before specializing in TV and film for the likes of GR+, Total Film, SFX, and others. You can now find Jack working as a freelance journalist and editor.