Perfect Nanny (2019)

Perfect Nanny is the kind of intimate thriller that doesn’t rely on cheap shocks so much as the slow, tightening feeling that something in a seemingly perfect routine is subtly off. Lucie Borleteau stages domestic life with unnerving precision, letting everyday gestures—school runs, meals, bedtime—become charged as Louise quietly shifts from helpful presence to indispensable center of gravity. Karin Viard is mesmerizing, delivering a performance that’s both sympathetic and unsettling, while Leïla Bekhti grounds the film in the real-world push and pull of ambition, guilt, and family pressure. It’s a discomfiting character study more than a conventional crime movie, so if you prefer your suspense clean and comforting this may feel too close to the bone—but if you want a drama that lingers, it’s hard to shake.

Perfect Nanny is clearly aiming for a slow-burn domestic nightmare about class, motherhood, and the quiet power shift that happens when a stranger becomes essential to a family. The problem is it often feels like it’s pushing pieces into place rather than letting dread build naturally, so the tension can come off thin and a bit contrived for a crime thriller. When it gets to the finish line, the ending may strike you as more calculated than earned, which can feel exploitative instead of devastating. If you want a genuinely gripping, edge-of-your-seat thriller, this might disappoint—but if you’re open to a chilly character study with strong performances and an uneasy home atmosphere, it can still hold your attention.