‘Nanny'(2022) – A Horror Movie on Prime Video – Review: Evocative, Hypnotic, Subtle

December 17, 2022

Nanny is a horror movie written and directed by Nikyatu Jusu, starring Anna Diop, Michelle Monaghan and Sinqua Walls.

An impressive display of cinematographic excellence. Hypnotic and paced, it wins the viewer over slowly but surely, and will not let you go.

Premise

Aisha is hired as a nanny by a well to do New York Upper East Side couple, while she prepares for the arrival of the son she left behind in Senegal. An ominous presence shows up in her her dreams and when awake, putting her pursuit of the American Dream at risk.

Movie Review

The subtle foreboding, without overt brutality or spectacle, is a constant in this feature film. Very measured in its pace, it takes its time to gain momentum, but the narrative flows so well, hand in hand with stunning visuals, that one gives into what can best be described as an almost hypnotic experience – to which mention should be made to the Art Director Rina Yang. Here we have a movie that is different, highly stylized and that deserves being viewed.

A horror movie that leans on the psychological element, of uncertainty, and ever so faintly. Unfolding as a drama during most of the feature, to then subtly dive into the horror, which has in the first acts been intelligently suggested.

It niftily inserts the mythological theme of the mermaid into the story invoking the past of the protagonist’s life that evidently still has a pull in her. The protagonist, Aisha, is excellently portrayed by Anna Diop.

This is a movie that is artfully brought about, and that has a believable premise which the script – written by Nikyatu Jusu – develops full of suggestion and hints, making it all the more absorbing.

Where to Watch Nanny

Amazon Prime Video

Reviews

The film is an experience for the senses; you’ll hold your breath as you’re consumed.
Pilar Galvan: NPR

Though the drama occasionally stints on specifics, it packs immense symbolic resonance in its physical and metaphysical details alike.
Richard Brody: New Yorker