‘Nanny’ Review (Amazon Prime)
Stars: Anna Diop, Michelle Monaghan, Sinqua Walls, Morgan Spector, Rose Decker, Leslie Uggams, Olamide Candide Johnson, Jahleel Kamara | Written and Directed by Nikyatu Jusu
Anna Diop (Titans’ Starfire) stars as an immigrant nanny in this striking and stylish horror debut from writer-director Nikyatu Jusu. By turns chilling and unsettling, it explores some intriguing themes from a refreshingly different perspective.
Diop plays Aisha, who moves to New York from her native Senegal, leaving her young son Lamine (Jahleel Kamara) in the care of an elderly relative (Olamide Candide-Johnson). She takes a job as a nanny, looking after Rose (Rose Decker), the daughter of wealthy couple Amy (Michelle Monaghan) and Adam (Morgan Spector).
However, Aisha soon finds herself micro-managed by Amy, and tensions set in as the couple seem increasingly unable or unwilling to pay her what she’s owed. At the same time, Aisha begins experiencing nightmarish hallucinations involving two West African folklore figures: Anansi the trickster spider and Mami Wata, a seductive water spirit or mermaid. But what do they want?
Nannies in films are often presented as sinister figures, exploiting the inherent suspicion of a stranger looking after your child. Here, the film centres Aisha’s perspective, finding the deep-rooted heartbreak in the idea of giving up your child, home and country in order to raise someone else’s child in someone else’s home in someone else’s country.
The script also exploits the often uncomfortable power dynamic to full effect – Aisha is acutely aware that she’s essentially at Amy and Adam’s mercy, and that in addition to simply not paying her, they could even get her deported if they turn against her. There’s a moment where Adam makes advances towards Aisha and while the film doesn’t go to that extreme, the constant sense of threat remains.
In addition to creating a chillingly oppressive atmosphere, Jusu cleverly weaves in the folklore imagery, sometimes making it explicit, sometimes having it in the background, so you’re not quite sure whether you saw something or not. As a result, there are both effective jump scares and deeply creepy little moments, such as a spider crawling into Aisha’s mouth as she sleeps.
The performances are excellent. Diop makes a deeply sympathetic lead, with a strong sense of resolve, despite the vulnerability of her position. Similarly, Michelle Monaghan is effectively cast against type – she’s usually sweet, likeable and charming – and there are strong turns both from young Rose Decker and from Sinqua Walls as Malik, the building’s doorman, who begins a relationship with Aisha.
Jusu builds tension and suspense effectively throughout, in part because you’re never entirely sure of the nature of the supernatural threat, so it’s not easy to predict where the story is going. This results in a powerfully emotional climax that is devastating in its simplicity, though Jusu also stumbles a little in her closing scenes, wrapping things up too easily when it might have been better left as it was.
In short, Nanny is an impressive writing-directing debut that marks out Jusu as a serious horror talent to watch. It also serves as a terrific showcase for Diop’s talents, so no doubt we’ll be seeing a lot more of her in future. Recommended.
**** 4/5
Nanny is available to stream now on Amazon Prime.