I know this isn’t exactly a horror flick, but I’m going to allow it as part of Halloween Hangover since it features two of my favorite Scream Queens of the last decade or so, Maika Monroe and Mary Elizabeth Winstead. The original film was one of the first and best of the “From Hell” subgenre of studio thrillers that dominated the ‘90s. The genre has lost its potency over time, especially once Lifetime basically adopted the format for their original movies. This remake updates the premise for the times and even adds in some sexual tension between the two leads, which is certainly welcome.
Winstead plays a new mom who could use a hand around the house, so she hires a seemingly perfect nanny (Monroe) to watch the kids. At first, she finds small ways to undermine her employer’s authority, like secretly giving the children cupcakes when they aren’t allowed to have sweets. Eventually, she’s swapping out breast milk for formula before doing more devious activity like poisoning Winstead’s home cooking. Before long, she learns her new nanny has a score to settle, and she won’t stop until Mary’s life is thoroughly ruined.
Director Michelle Garza Cervera does a good job at broaching uncomfortable subject matter within the context of a Hollywood thriller. When Winstead’s young daughter comes out as gay, she suspects Monroe had a hand in coaching her and calls her out on it, which naturally makes her look like a homophonic piece of shit. These micro manipulations by Monroe keep Winstead (and the audience) off balance.
Cervera’s handling of the cringey plot reveals is pretty effective and her staging of the more typical thriller cliches is moderately entertaining the whole way through. If you have to do a remake, this is the approach you should take. Keep the bones of what made the original work and add in new layers and nuances to keep it fresh.
It helps that Winstead and Monroe are both quite strong. They play off one another extremely well and once the sparks finally fly, it’s fun to see them go at each other. All in all, it’s a solid remake that’s definitely worth checking out.
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