NANCY DREW
An exciting, faithful mystery the whole family can enjoy.
Should You Watch It?
You should see this if your family wants a mystery that is exciting without abandoning faith or integrity. NANCY DREW is fun, heartfelt, campy, suspenseful, and moral. Its heroine uses wit and wisdom, rejects the idea that the end justifies the means, and faces danger without surrendering her values.
The film also gives families a heroine worth admiring. Nancy is vulnerable and normal, yet gifted, intelligent, dedicated, and courageous. The story clearly refutes theft, greed, murder, manipulation, kidnapping, peer pressure, and ridicule while affirming personal integrity.
There is action violence, drinking, one lightweight obscenity, and several very lightweight sexual suggestions, but no nudity and nothing bloody. The practical answer is simple: NANCY DREW is worth the trip for older children through adults.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESNancy Drew is a teenage detective living in River Heights, where she uses wit and wisdom to stop two thieves robbing a church. When her father moves them to Los Angeles, Nancy promises she will stop sleuthing.
But the haunted mansion they find has a dark history. A Hollywood starlet named Dehlia Draycott died there 20 years earlier, and the mansion's mysteries keep drawing Nancy back in. With a younger admirer named Corky, Nancy begins uncovering a dangerous puzzle.
Is It Any Good?
Four stars means this is a great film, not merely a pleasant family diversion. The movie is extremely well plotted, with suspense that steadily raises the jeopardy and keeps the audience enthralled. Emma Roberts plays Nancy as a vulnerable, normal 16-year-old girl who is likeable from the beginning.
The retro style and campy touches work because the danger remains real and the story never loses momentum. The filmmakers exceed expectations with a well-constructed mystery and a rewarding ending.
The Worldview
NANCY DREW presents a very strong Christian worldview openly and confidently. The film includes references to Jesus Christ, suggests that thieves should talk to a pastor, places Nancy inside a church, and shows a priest praying for her safety. It also refutes the idea of ghosts and presents a clear moral order.
The film exalts personal integrity, intellect, dedication, courage, and the wise use of one's gifts and talents. Nancy struggles to keep her promise not to sleuth, but she apologizes profusely, and her father recognizes that investigating is part of her gift. The story rebukes theft, greed, murder, manipulation, kidnapping, peer pressure, and ridicule.
The movie's central moral claim is stated plainly during a chase: “the end doesn't justify the means.” That conviction aligns with Scripture's praise of integrity: “The integrity of the upright guides them” (Proverbs 11:3).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Content Summary
Very strong Christian worldview (including overt references to Jesus Christ) with heroine, Nancy Drew, suggesting that some thieves need to talk to the pastor, Nancy takes thieves into church, priest prays for Nancy, plus a very strong plot that refutes the idea of ghosts and affirms very strong moral values, including personal integrity, intellect and dedication with a couple great references such as the ends does not justify the means, plus Nancy has a problem keeping her promise not to sleuth but she apologizes profusely and her father recognizes that this is her gift and her talent, and theft, greed, murder, manipulation, and kidnapping are all refuted in very clear terms, and high school peer pressure and ridicule are also refuted; one exclamatory reference to God and one very lightweight obscenity; lots of action violence including heroine almost falls off church roof but recovers quickly to let herself down as if climbing down a mountain, car runs heroine off the road, heroine knocked out, heroine defuses bomb, and villain hit by shovel, but nothing bloody, though there is a reference to opening up an allergic person's windpipe to get them some air; one kiss and several very lightweight sexual suggestions; no nudity; drinking; no smoking; and, miscellaneous immorality is rebuked.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
Nancy says, “the end doesn't justify the means.” What does integrity look like when doing the right thing makes a situation harder?
Proverbs 11:3 · Philippians 4:8Nancy struggles to keep her promise, then apologizes. How should we respond when we fail to keep our word?
Matthew 5:37 · 1 John 1:9Nancy's gifts and talents help her face danger. What abilities has God given you, and how can you use them faithfully?
1 Peter 4:10 · Romans 12:6–8The film contrasts Nancy's faith and values with theft, greed, manipulation, and ridicule. How can you resist pressure while treating others with wisdom and kindness?
Romans 12:2 · Ephesians 4:29The Final Word
NANCY DREW is a rollicking, suspenseful mystery with a bright flashlight of faith and values. It gives families an admirable heroine and a classic story of good overcoming evil, with only minor content concerns. WORTH THE TRIP for older children through adults.
