Millie Bobby Brown has hit back at fans who spotted a major continuity error in Netflix's Enola Holmes 3, where her character appears to be wearing modern gel nails despite the film being set in the Victorian era. The actress called the criticism 'bleak and boring' in a pre-release interview with the BBC.
Fans Spot 'Glaring' Modern Manicure
Viewers of the streaming giant's latest adventure offering have found themselves distracted by what they consider an unmissable production blunder. In one scene set against a Maltese backdrop, Enola cautiously peers around a corner. Rather than remaining immersed in the tension, audiences quickly noticed that Millie's character — who inhabits the 1880s — appears to sport gel nails.
One supporter posted on social media with the description: 'Enola Holmes taking place in 1885 while Millie's nails giving full 2026 gel manicure.' Another responded: 'Period pieces fail the second modern beauty standards leak in. Audiences read authenticity through tiny details now.'
Brown and Director Respond
Prior to the film's premiere, Millie had already addressed the backlash. Speaking to the BBC, she stated: 'How bleak and boring of the internet, I love a good manicure and so does Enola. I wasn't disappointed but I was like, oh OK, that's what the articles are about. But then again, the internet does not surprise me these days. I've been through it on the internet.'
Meanwhile, the film's director Philip Barantini, who also directed award-winning miniseries Adolescence, revealed he didn't concern himself with 'small things.' He continued: 'Maybe they do for some people but it made me laugh. We just live in a world where everyone is hyper-aware and they find something to zone in on, and it becomes a huge thing.'
Historical Context and Defense
Some supporters have defended the production's error, noting the series has never claimed to be historically precise. The stories are adapted from the book series published between 2006 and 2023, not genuine historical occurrences. A piece in The Guardian suggests that archaeologists have unearthed Egyptian mummies (dating to 5,000 BC) with gilded nails and henna-tinted fingertips, as well as a solid gold manicure set in southern Babylonia dating to 3,200 BC. So perhaps the inclusion of nail art is not quite as historically inaccurate as it initially appears, even if gel sets were not specifically in use during the 1880s.
However, one fan pointed out: 'The polish itself isn't really a problem, it's that that kind of colour and gloss were not "in" in Britain at the time and would not be for a while. It's less of a technological issue and more of a "applying 21st century fashion standards to a time where the rules were different" issue, which is like super duper common in historical fiction films in general.'
Film Performance and Cast
Enola Holmes 3 is the third chapter in the series produced exclusively for Netflix, which first launched in 2020. According to its official synopsis, detective Enola Holmes is swept into an adventure in Malta, where personal and professional ambitions collide on a case more complex and dangerous than any she has previously encountered. Millie Bobby Brown returns as the titular protagonist, joined by Louis Partridge as love interest Tewkesbury and Henry Cavill as brother Sherlock Holmes.
The latest instalment has failed to generate the same critical acclaim as its predecessors, which achieved scores of 91% and 93% on Rotten Tomatoes respectively. Enola Holmes 3 has so far garnered a considerably lower rating of just 73%, reports the Mirror. Enola Holmes 3 is streaming on Netflix.
