Five mystery movies to binge after ‘Enola Holmes 3’
If there is one sleuth who can stroll into a room and clock what’s going on before anyone else has even blinked, it’s Enola Holmes, isn’t it? The girl’s got brains for days. After winning everyone over with her quick mouth, Enola Holmes 3 is bringing our lass back for another mad adventure.
And eh, this time, it was way more fun than we thought it would be. But does that put Enola off? Does it heck! She’s chasing clues left, right and centre, proving once again she’s every bit as clever (if not cleverer) than her famous brother. But now you’ve finished and can’t sit straight.
Well, calm down; we’ve got you covered. If you are still in the mood for mysteries and women who couldn’t care less about playing by anybody else’s rules, we’ve rounded up five films that’ll be right up your street.
And here’s the best bit: every single one of them has got a brilliant woman right at the centre of the story, just like Enola. If there’s one thing these films prove, it’s that the sharpest minds in a mystery usually belong to the women leading the charge. So go on, binge them all.
Five mystery movies to binge after Enola Holmes 3
The Good Nurse (Tobias Lindholm, 2022)
Did you like Enola Holmes 3 for the clever and quick wit of Enola? Then The Good Nurse needs to be next on your list. It follows Amy Loughren, a nurse grafting long shifts while dealing with serious health problems, when she becomes friends with a new co-worker, Charlie Cullen. He seems sound enough… A reliable and comforting person. But just then, patients start dying under suspicious circumstances, and Amy’s doubt goes straight to him.
But do you know this actually happened? Charlie Cullen turned out to be one of America’s most notorious serial killers, which makes the whole thing even creepier. Jessica Chastain has played Amy with amazing realism, while Eddie Redmayne manages to make saying next to nothing feel properly unnerving. It’s miles away from Enola’s adventures, but watching Amy outsmart someone far more dangerous is just as satisfying.
The Woman in the Window (Joe Wright 2021)
Now imagine trying to solve a mystery when nobody believes a single word you’re saying. That’s Anna Fox’s life in The Woman in the Window. She is stuck indoors because of agoraphobia and spends her days watching the neighbours. One night, she sees what looks like a murder, but there is one massive problem. Everyone reckons it never happened. So now Anna is not just trying to solve a crime; she is trying to prove she has not imagined the whole thing.
Amy Adams is fabulous in the entire film because you are never quite sure whether to trust her. That’s what makes it such a good watch. Unlike Enola, who is an extraordinarily confident woman and is almost sure about every mystery she solves, Anna is forever doubting herself… and before long, so are you.
Lost Girls (Liz Garbus, 2020)
But have you ever thought that not every mystery needs someone wandering around with a magnifying glass? Have you? Because that’s something you are going to witness in Lost Girls. Here, they have hands-on jobs with a mum who refuses to accept that her daughter’s disappearance isn’t worth looking into. After Mari Gilbert gets brushed off, she starts asking questions herself. What she uncovers leads straight to the Long Island serial killer case and exposes just how badly lots of families were let down.
This one is less about massive twists and more about sheer determination. Amy Ryan is brilliant as Mari, playing her as knackered and angry instead of some larger-than-life hero. Enola fights because she wants to. Mari fights because she hasn’t got another choice. That’s what makes this one hit so hard.
Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase (Katt Shea, 2019)
Fancy something that has got that same fun energy as Enola Holmes? Go ahead and say hello to Nancy Drew. It all starts with stories about a haunted house, but Nancy is not buying any ghost tales. She starts digging and follows one clue after another. This woman is after secrets that the town wanted to keep buried. It’s proper old-school mystery stuff, and that’s exactly why it works.
Sophia Lillis gives Nancy the same fearless confidence that made Enola such a laugh to watch. She is curious and couldn’t care less about waiting for grown-ups to sort everything out. If your favourite part of Enola Holmes 3 was following the clues, then Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase has to be your next watch.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (David Fincher, 2011)
Ending the list with something with a darker tone, we have got you David Fincher’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. It follows journalist Mikael Blomkvist and hacker Lisbeth Salander as they investigate a young woman’s decades-old disappearance. Before Knives Out, Daniel Craig was helping Rooney Mara solve mysteries in this cult classic.
Lisbeth Salander isn’t as cheerful or quirky as Enola, but don’t let that fool you. They are both women who refuse to be underestimated, and they are usually the smartest people in the room. Rooney Mara disappears into the role for a reason: it earned her an Oscar nomination. Just one little warning, though: this is easily the darkest film on the list. If Enola Holmes is your way into mystery stories with a hint of comfort, think of it as quite the opposite.