NANCY DREW AND THE HIDDEN STAIRCASE

US, 2019, 89 minutes, Colour.
Sophia Lillis, Zoe Renee, Mackenzie Graham, Andrea Anders, Laura Wiggins, Sam Trammell, Linda Lavin.
Directed by Katt Shea.

Novels by Carolyn Keene during the 1930s were very popular with their young readers, especially young girls, identifying with the central character, the teenager, Nancy Drew in her roles as reporter, detective… She is played with some zest by Bonita Granville.

During the 1970s, there was some television films. And, in 2007, there was a film simply entitled, Nancy Drew, starring Emma Roberts.

This version is adapted for the 21st-century though the spirit of the active, often hyper--active, assertive Nancy Drew from the past is certainly in the performance by Sophia Lillis (who appeared as the young Beverly Marsh, Jessica Chastain the older Beverly, in It and It, Chapter 2).

In this situation she is in a small town, trying to make friends, but finding it particularly dull. Her father has moved from Chicago after the death of his wife, Nancy’s mother. He is particularly involved in the preventing of a railway coming through the town and disrupting the way of life. A close friend from his past is leading the promotion of the railway.

We first see Nancy in tough action against a local bully, the setting of blue dye in the shower and his being transformed – and mocked by everyone. She is reprimanded by her father and by the local detective and has to do community service.

She connects with a young (looking very young) policeman in the town as well as the officer in charge. Suddenly, she becomes involved in a story where an elderly woman, played with enthusiasm by Linda Lavin, fears her house is haunted. Nancy comes in with some of her friends takes charge, finding that there certainly are some strange things going on in the house.

Which means that she has a whole lot of detecting to do, also being threatened by a local tough, and it emerges that this is one of those stories where the capitalists want to take over the house of a resistant citizen holding up the progress of their plans and resort to all kinds of devices to terrify the woman, making her feel better house is haunted and so she will sell.

So, confrontations with the toughs, her father and his friend coming into conflict, and the old lady winning her case.

Nothing startling but an entertainment for the young audience and an opportunity for Sophia Lillis in another assertive role.