Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase marks the first starring role of teen actress Sophia Lillis since her breakout role as Beverly in 2017’s It, in what’s a complete change of pace for the talented young actress. Based on the popular teen mystery novel series, the film takes the 1930 book and updates it to a 2019 setting, with Lillis as the title character teaming up with a high school rival named Helen (Shameless’ Laura Slade Wiggins - whose over ten years older than the rest of the high school cast, by the way) to investigate a supposed ghost haunting Helen’s aunt Flora’s (Linda Lavin) home.
The fact that this film is an updated version of a 1930 novel winds up being both a good and a bad thing. What’s charming about the movie is despite its modern atmosphere, it still retains this air of nostalgia about it. The film often has the feel of an old 1930’s “whodunit” or even an old episode of Scooby Doo from time to time. It’s a straight-up teen detective movie that has this overall sense of nostalgic innocence about it not seen in as many films and TV series to this day. In a world these days where teens are suffering through more traumatic experiences earlier on in their lives at a more frequent basis, this film keeps its plot refreshingly simple for the most part, and the throwback aspect of the movie is much welcomed.
The only major fault in the plot is the transition going from its first half to its second half. The movie initially only focuses on the ghost storyline, mostly wrapping it up before diving into a kidnapping subplot in the second half. While these two parts of the movie do tie everything together, it feels slightly awkward getting from Point A to Point B. It’s as if the film can’t multitask and couldn’t add little hints of certain plot elements in the second half from early on in the film. Instead, both major stories are kept completely separate, and while it’s nice the plot is kept simple, this division makes it feel a bit too simple at times.
Additionally, the film’s dialogue doesn’t translate so well into modern times, and the movie makes a big mistake by retaining very 1930’s-esque dialogue that just does not fit well with the rest of the movie. It’s chalk-full of “golly gee”s and “gee willikers” that when spoken, makes the film feel like it suddenly doesn’t know what time period it belongs in anymore. These bits of dialogue can often seem jarring and tend to take one out of the moment. While it’s great to have an “old-time” feel, it still needs to sound believable.
When the film’s dialogue isn’t too busy rattling off outdated catchphrases, it often feels like it’s trying too hard to teach a lesson. Characters are often talking about the importance of friendship, the effects of bullying, and the meaning of family. The film tends to be a bit too direct in its approach, coming off more like it’s trying to be a morality tale rather than telling a quality story. It tends to repeat itself at times, especially with many conversations revolving around characters telling Nancy how she can’t do whatever she feels like doing, and must follow certain rules.
The major charm that makes this movie watchable is its likable cast, mainly Lillis and Wiggins. While neither are working with material nearly as meaty as what made them popular, they still do a fine job with what they have to work with. Lillis maintains the confidence she exuded in It, which allows her to feel like she’s constantly leading the scene each time she’s on screen. She also manages to feel a bit more relaxed here, allowing her to show off more of a likable charm that wasn’t seen in It. Wiggins, meanwhile, also gets to display a more likable side to her, and shares some solid chemistry with Lillis, with their bickering making for some entertaining exchanges. While the dialogue at times doesn’t feel believable, their energetic delivery managed to elevate it from being cringe-worthy.
This revival of Nancy Drew isn’t exactly the big kick-off to a new popular movie franchise as maybe the creative minds behind it would have hoped, but it’s still a moderately entertaining venture. While its dialogue just doesn’t work most of the time and its storytelling can be a little shaky, it has a fun throwback feel to it that’s further boosted by a pair of very likable performances that at least make it enjoyable for a one-time watch. While hopefully Lillis and Wiggins will team up again for something that allows them to expand their acting chops, this is a decently fun first time to see them work together.
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