One of the most moving and haunting films I saw during the 2022 Sundance Film Festival was “Nanny” – a psychological horror movie about a young woman who emigrated to New York City from Senegal to work as a nanny to earn enough money to bring her young son to the United States.
Anna Diop plays Aisha, a warm and attentive caregiver to Rose, the preschool-aged daughter of Amy and Adam (played by Michelle Monaghan and Morgan Spector), a wealthy and unhappy couple living in Manhattan.
What seems like an ideal job quickly turns into a nightmare as Aisha gets caught in the crosshairs of the couple’s volatile relationship. Amy grows resentful of the bond between Aisha and Rose and becomes increasingly critical of Aisha and withholds her pay. Adam is primarily out of the picture while away for business travel. Still, he adds tension by unwelcomely flirting with Aisha when he is home.
Aisha lives with a relative in New York and stays close to her son Lamine through phone calls and video chats while he is being cared for by extended family back in Senegal.
She finds an unexpected connection to her culture in the city when she meets Malik (played by Sinqua Walls), the doorman at the residence where she works. A romance grows between Aisha and Malik. Soon, Aisha meets and develops a spiritual bond with Malik’s grandmother Kathleen (played by veteran actress Leslie Uggams.)
The film turns darker as Aisha’s work tension grows, and her attempts to call Lamine become more frequent but unanswered.
She begins to have disturbing visions that interrupt her sleep and waking hours, and turns to Kathleen for help interpreting these visions. Kathleen explains they are creatures from West African folklore – Anansi, a spider, representing mischief, and Mami Wata, a water spirit half female/half serpent, representing a threat of destruction.
Writer-director Nikyatu Jusu partnered with cinematographer Rina Yang to create haunting imagery to depict Aisha’s visions and to augment Diop and Uggams’ standout performances, which make “Nanny” a film worth watching.
Rated R for nudity and language, “Nanny” runs 1 hour and 38 minutes. Winner of the Dramatic Grand Jury Prize at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival, “Nanny” is now streaming on Prime Video.
