NANNY CAM

US, 2014, 100 minutes, Colour.
Laura Allen, India Eisley, Cam Gigandet, Farah Mackenzie, Carol Herman, Richard Portnow.
Directed by Nancy Leopardi.

One of the classics of the menacing babysitter genre is The Hand That Rocked the Cradle. There have been many variations. Here is another.

A busy couple, Laura Allen and Cam Gigandet, have a rather precocious eight-year-old, Chloe, played with American too-cutesy style by Farah Mackenzie. The couple employ an elderly friend as a babysitter – but she is showing signs of dementia and has had an accident with their daughter. They are looking for another babysitter and a very attractive young girl, Heather (India Eisley) turns up, charms the couple (although the wife is wary), has only one reference but gets the job and immediately hits it off with the little girl.

The mother is busy, working at an advertising agency, preparing a presentation but wants to know what is going on. An associate suggests she buy a Nanny Cam which is installed in the house and the wife is distracted from her work spending a lot of time looking at the camera and wondering what is bonding babysitter and daughter.

We know that she is up to no good, is being provocative with the husband, is cruel to the demented lady. There is a climax when the wife is making a presentation and the babysitter has substituted video of her sexual encounter with the husband…

But, there is more, the babysitter not having a real family but being adopted and reacting against these parents’ strictness. She knows the wife’s secret, that she gave away a child – and assumes that she is that child. Which brings things to a head, a somewhat violent climax and an ambiguous ending which may be real or which may just be a gimmick.

1. A familiar babysitter theme, thriller, expectations? Title?

2. Ordinary family, or the American city, homes, workplaces, building restoration, the world of the babysitter, socials? Musical score?

3. The situation, husband and wife, relationship, the daughter, age, characters, work, at home, absent from home, busy?

4. The old babysitter, her age, friend, dementia, the accident, the effect on Chloe, dismissed? Her being upset, the torment from Have? Her death?

5. Chloe, precocious, dominating her parents, her reaction to the older babysitter, friendship with ever?

6. The situation, Heather, her age, presence, attractive, her story, her family, lies on the surface, her care for Chloe?

7. The parents, the interview, just the one reference, trusting Heather, yet the mother is suspicious? The mother’s visit to the adoptive parents and discovering that Heather has been adopted, the consequences?

8. At work, discussions with her friend, the revelation about the Nanny Cam, her interest, buying it, the setup at home, watching, the sessions with the two together, taking up time for her work at the agency?

9. Watching, the puzzle, wary, the bond between Heather and Chloe their spending so much time talking? Heather’s answers when asked?

10. The seeming normal, but the child identifying with the babysitter? The mother, her situation at work, her wanting the contract, preparing the presentation? The husband, at home, Heather acting seductively with him, the drug, the sexual encounter, his not telling the truth? At work, the presentation to the company, the video of the sexual relationship?

11. Heather, erratic, confrontations, her anger, her story? Her accusing the wife of being her mother, having researched the story, the pregnancy, giving away the child?

12. Never, the confrontation, calling her her mother? The truth about the child, the real child, the meeting, death?

13. Heather, upset, the upstairs window, at the window, her for – walking away?

14. The final scene, however, the baby – realism or just a gimmick for the ending?