Movie Review Roundup: ‘Nancy Drew And The Hidden Staircase’ Is A Fresh New Take On An Age-Old Story

Nancy Drew was last seen on screen back in 2007, when Emma Roberts was tapped to play the childhood book hero for Andrew Fleming‘s take on the classic heroine. The film received adequate reviews but couldn’t seem to appeal to a wide audience – and now director Katt Shea is trying to bring the female detective back.

In theaters on March 15, Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase is produced by Warner Brothers and adapted from the 1930 book by Carolyn Keene, with a script from veteran writers Nina Fiore and
John Herrera (The Handmaid’s Tale). The film stars Sophia Lillis as the titular character, who is best known for her role in 2017’s It. 

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Although many question the need for another Nancy Drew film and wonder if the film will succeed in attracting an audience, nonetheless early reviews of the film are relatively positive. Fresh Fiction‘s Courtney Howard called the film “a solid, engaging mystery and sweet story about female friendship, loss and family,” while also praising the direction for its “innovative throwback vibe.” Felix Vasquez from Cinema Crazed praised the remake with adapting “to a more kid friendly role in the iconic heroine.” And overall, critics had high praise for Lillis, calling her performance “genuine,” and “universally excellent,” according to The Pop Break‘s Marisa Carpico. The only specific critique came from The Wrap‘s Dan Callahan, who questioned the film’s “sex-positive feminism” that he fears encourages young women to dress up for attention.

As of now, the film has an 83% approval rating on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes. The film, which follows Nancy as she attempts to investigate a haunted house in her new town, also stars Sam Trammell and Linda Lavin.