In her short time in the spotlight, Hailee has gathered an impressive portfolio of reviews and critiques. Below are just some of the media’s finest film critics generously praising Hailee on her acting abilities.

Reviews for Hailee in “True Grit”
• “Steinfeld more than holds her own in this high callibre company, shining in her role, as the Coen’s shift the focus of the film on to her character to mirror the original novel’s style.”
          Giles Hardie – Sydney Morning Herald

• “Riding shotgun, Steinfeld gives it her all as the feisty – but faintly one-note – heroine.”
          Xan Brooks – The Guardian

• “Performances across the board are flawless here. Newcomer Hailee Steinfeld – only 13 years of age at the time of filming – is nothing short of incredible in the lead role of Mattie. It is almost impossible to fathom she has never acted in a feature film before. [...] Steinfeld takes everything in her stride and makes every scene her own, an achievement made all the more remarkable given she is on screen for virtually the entire picture. Quite often with two of the best actors in the game at her side.”
          Leigh Paatsch – Herald Sun

• “It is Steinfeld, however, who steals the film; as Mattie, she insists on joining the posse and, through facing the brutal nature of the wild west, slowly comes to acquire the “true grit” she so admires in Cogburn.”
          Jim Schembri – The Age

• “The big names in the cast all do excellent work, but the biggest surprise is all but unknown Steinfeld. Mattie is the film’s essential role, and though Steinfeld is but 14 and without major feature experience (Kim Darby was 21 when she played in the original), she nails it, handling the highly stylized language like she was born speaking it.”
          Kenneth Turan – The L.A. Times

• “Steinfeld communicates a blend of innocence and shrewdness ideally suited to the role. She’s the picture of restraint in her braids and serviceable hat, yet deep reserves of emotion surface: sadness over her father’s death, a lonely sense of purpose, and yes, gritty determination.”
          Claudia Piug – USA Today

• “All the same, the star of this show is Hailee Steinfeld, and that’s appropriate. This is her story, set in motion by her, narrated by her. This is Steinfeld’s first considerable role. She nails it. She sidesteps the opportunity to make Mattie adorable. Mattie doesn’t live in an adorable world. Seeing the first “True Grit,” I got a little crush on Kim Darby. Seeing this one, few people would get a crush on Hailee Steinfeld. Maybe in another movie. But the way she plays it with the Coens, she’s more the kind of person you’d want guarding your back.”
          Rogert Ebert – The Sun Times

• “For her part, Hailee Steinfeld makes an uncommonly assured debut as the invincible Mattie Ross, whose father, when “True Grit” opens, has been shot by a man named Tom Chaney.”
          Ann Hornaday – The Washington Post

• “Hailee Steinfeld’s exceedingly accomplished performance dominates surprisingly humorless Western [...] Although mostly divested of what, in the book, was her rigorously Christian outlook, Mattie is otherwise everything she’s meant to be in Steinfeld’s exceedingly accomplished performance [...] Dark haired and clear-eyed, Steinfeld convincingly conveys the character’s refusal to be deterred, without a trace of gamine-like coyness or girlish cuteness.”
          Todd McCarthy – Hollywood Reporter