A Babá

As the many offended reviews on here attest, you should make sure to keep away if you are after Hollywoodian action heroes, generic slasher thrills or spectacular supernatural horror; I kinda sympathise with teenagers approaching a movie dubbed by marketeers as 'horror,' with clear expectation, that can only be disappointed. If you're looking for stylish zombie killing with a Senegalese twist, try Herbulot's Saloum instead. If, on the other hand, your attention-span has not yet shrunk to standard size, and you can cope with a slow build and appreciate an acutely observed portrait, for what it says, rather than what it does, this might be worth your time!

The writing is good: subdued and self-aware, playing with our expectations of 'minority horror', avoiding obvious tropes and hinting at some disquieting of class, race and gender (though I feel the odium might have been spread more evenly between Amy and Adam). The acting is very good (Anna Diop is subtle and shows a great range, Rose Decker is convincing throughout. Again only Amy felt a little too monolithic); The cinematography is sharp and expressive, with the 'water' theme an occasion for a few interesting visual experiments (i.e. The bathtub scenes) and a few that fall short (i.e. The damp bed scenes). The production is a little over-polished for my taste (did Malik the concierge need to drive a convertible?) and on occasion a bit easy (are date scenes awash in multi-coloured neon lights mandatory those days?) But on the whole this is balanced, subtle and elegant: the contrast between Aisha's flat and that of Amy is spot on; the 'modernised' Dutch-wax dresses immediately build characters; etc. The sound effects are good, but the music is a mixed-bag: I'd have gone with less trap and more kora (which has great creepy potential).

Where the film really shines is in its subtle and iconoclastic portrayal Black characters (i.e. The girl at the Western Union counter, the weird fellow nannies on the playground or Aisha herself is refreshingly nuanced, neither loud nor supine but self-assured, articulate and unflinching. She's not the most likeable character on earth (the core relation to her son is on screen only through photographs) but she brings a healthy dose of social realism in a genre always at risk of constructing its own clichés. Aside from those vignettes, the fantastic element which connects them is a little extraneous and disappointing. It feels a little 'tacked on' and this nudges the whole thing toward magical realism rather than horror or fantastic. I also think 'Trickster' figures simply don't fit the feature film format all that well: they lack the time to display the various aspects of their ambiguous character, and end up merely confused and confusing. That is what happens here. The vague New Age womanist references also don't help clarifying the lore out.

In short, there's room for improvement, a stricter production and a tighter scenario would have pleased many more. But all the same, this is an impressive first feature-length entry from Nikyatu Jusu, whom I'll make sure to follow in the future.

Although this is labeled as a horror movie, I would rather put it more as a mistery/thriller. The director has found an interesting way to portray the difficulties of immigrant lives , especially the women immigrants which this movie is all about. If u lower your expectations and watch this movie for what it presents, you'll get a decent watch, if you expect something outstanding well, this one isn't that. There is an excellent twist towards the end and the ending itself, however if you are a huge filmophile and watch movies of this genres regularly you will probably see it coming. If you are a fan of Anna Diop or Michelle Monaghan you can expect good performances(although I expected a bit more than a side role for Michelle).

Nikyatu Jusu's debut boasts a distinct visual style that works in its favor. While the writing in the final act and the predictable twist leave much to be desired, Nanny never falls short of engaging. It is led by a committed Anna Diop performance, and significantly aided by the sharp commentary on migrant issues, trauma, and African folklore. While Aisha (Diop) is well-written and performed, the other characters are found wanting. I thought Michelle Monaghan's character had a lot more to contribute to the story than just being a burnt-out, rich mommy. Turns out, the plot was simpler than you believed it to be. The truth about Aisha's son is something anyone can anticipate mid-way into the film, and it doesn't startle at all. Neither does the "Mami Wata" aspect acquire a more wholesome shape.

But, in essence, the film also gets some little details right. There's the banter between Aisha and Malik that's always interesting to listen to. We also get quick "life updates" whenever Aisha visits her regular money transfer service. I also liked how the intensity (and duration) of Aisha's nightmarish visions escalated each time. The film also duly acknowledges the struggles of nannies including not being paid on time and also, frequently overworking them. It's just that Jusu presents a lot of promising elements in the film, but they don't all come together as spectacularly as I'd have liked. But whatever shes does next will be exciting to keep an eye on!

The primary reason I wanted to see this movie was because it won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance in 2022. So how bad could it possibly be, especially since they awarded it to CODA in 2021?

After sitting through this, I am absolutely clueless how this could have possibly won anything, much less such a prestigious prize. All these clues are building and building throughout the movie, and then when the "payoff" happens, you're just scratching your head wondering how they squandered it all.

The only good thing I can say about this movie is that Anna Diop is excellent as the Nanny, and I wouldn't be surprised if she becomes a big star down the road.

Other than that, I can't stress enough not to waste your time with this one. Look at all the other negative reviews this is receiving on IMDb! You'll thank us all if you avoid it.

The movie captivated me through beginning to about 2/3 through. Its well acted and filmed. I was expecting horror and all that comes with it. It has some of the beginnings of it: strange visions or possibly the character's' imagination- director leaves the answer unclear. Some mystical, African, supernatural myths. It also showcases the plight of hardworking immigrants and the struggles that come with being undocumented, plus the elitist, self-serving duplicitous nature of a Manhattan-based , socially sympathetic WASP couple posing as being caring, activist-oriented, and racially blind. Aahh! That may have been thee horror part, but I say it's simply drama focusing on the the great social divide. The end really leaves the audience with a lot of new and old questions. But no answers- perhaps that's purposeful. The big picture of the ending is clear enough but left me feeling cheated - very much like the main character. Wrapped up better, this could easily been a highly recommended drama (IMDB 6, 7 maybe 8), or even a horror movie . But it's simply a mostly, watchable film.