Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase
Warner Bros. | Release Date: March 15, 2019 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
55
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 10 Critic Reviews
Positive:
4
Mixed:
4
Negative:
2
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
75
The Seattle TimesRick BentleyMar 14, 2019
Even with that major miscue, Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase works well for its target audience. It shows that anyone can stand up to peer pressure, bullying or even a ghost if they are smart and strong enough. As for the mystery of how good the movie is, the case is closed on a positive note. Read full review
70
Film ThreatNorman GidneyMar 18, 2019
This is innocuous, pop entertainment and, taken on those grounds, it does the job just fine. Read full review
70
VarietyPeter DebrugeMar 15, 2019
But here’s the cool thing: The film’s consistently clever script, from empowerment-minded “The Handmaid’s Tale” writers Nina Fiore and John Herrera, isn’t nearly as interested in the mystery as it is in Nancy Drew herself, or in the circle of characters and relationships that surround her. And that’s the smart way to approach such a case, since the movie was clearly intended to be more than a one-off. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesKimber MyersMar 14, 2019
As played by It standout Lillis, Nancy is smart, independent and loyal, and it’s easy to see how she’ll charm a new generation of viewers — and hopefully readers. Read full review
60
New York Magazine (Vulture)Bilge EbiriMar 14, 2019
It’s a charming movie, with charming characters. Lillis is ideally cast as Nancy, often cheerfully undercutting some of her character’s more precocious proclamations, cracking smiles and reminding us that she’s still a kid. Read full review
58
The A.V. ClubJesse HassengerMar 12, 2019
It’s a watchably low-key family adventure, but that’s a low bar to clear for Nancy Drew, so well-suited to function as a gateway text—to Sherlock Holmes, Veronica Mars, Philip Marlowe, Brick, House, Encyclopedia Brown fanfic... almost anything involving advanced noticing. Read full review
50
Austin ChronicleSteve DavisMar 13, 2019
Screenwriters Nina Fiore and John Herrera have modernized Keene’s decades-old storyline without completely chucking the quaint qualities of the original. Read full review
50
TheWrapAlonso DuraldeMar 11, 2019
Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase is clearly made by people who have thought through the material and tried to make it enjoyable and palatable, but the set-up at the end for further sequels feels a little too hopeful. Read full review
38
Movie NationRoger MooreMar 20, 2019
Here’s one to catch at Red Box, on Netflix or your favorite “family” movie channel. Everything about Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase says, firmly and with conviction, “TV movie.” Read full review
25
ObserverRex ReedMar 19, 2019
Ineffectual, irrelevant and amateurishly conceived from start to finish, this movie is so bad it could kill off Nancy Drew forever. Read full review
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