The Captive Nanny (2020 Lifetime)
Stars: Austin Highsmith, Karynn Moore, Michael Aaron Milligan
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Synopsis (via Lifetime)
Chloe is a nanny who desperately wants to adopt but needs to get her life together first. She finds the perfect live-in nanny position with the Brown family–Emily, Michael, and their son. She quickly learns they’re oddly strict about security, with coded locks on all doors. Emily explains it’s due to her famous musician ex named Baz, who stalks her. Horrified, Chloe agrees to help Emily and Michael keep their son safe. But when Chloe notices things seem a bit off with the Browns, Emily and Michael turn on Chloe and accuse her of being a spy for Baz. Chloe soon learns that it’s not Baz that’s making bad things happen–it’s Emily, who is determined to win back Baz by any means necessary.
Thoughts
A woman cries into a camera, Blair Witch style. She says she thinks they are going to kill her, and then we hear her scream for her life from behind a locked door.
Cut to a nanny named Chloe, who is looking to adopt a child with her mop-haired husband, Rob. The adoption agency is skeptical of the couple’s family history/background. Even Rob isn’t sure he wants to adopt a child. Chloe takes a break from Rob and temporarily stays with her pregnant friend, Stephanie. (Who is a Cecily Strong knockoff.)
With no money coming in, Chloe takes a live-in nanny job with a young couple, Emily and Michael. Michael is a musician, and Emily is in fashion. They live in an adorable cottage home and have a few rules. Their child, Tommy, is not allowed to leave the house; Chloe must respect their privacy and use a cell phone they supply her. The house has many electronically locked doors and hidden areas. When Chloe first meets Tommy, he is hiding under a stairwell accessed via a secret tunnel. Apparently, he has MANY hiding spots. He leaves her notes and bobby pins. Chloe has to remind herself not to get too attached.
Things get strange quickly. Michael installs nanny cams into teddy bears, and Emily dances in the middle of the night in the backyard by a bonfire. Tommy also has terrible night terrors that can only be tamed by a creepy song. (with dance moves!)
Chloe doesn’t follow the rules and takes Tommy out to a park. At the park, Chloe meets another nanny and learns that she isn’t their first live-in nanny. The nanny warns Chloe to be careful because Michael and Emily are crazy… Chloe gets caught, and Emily explains WHY Tommy can’t go outside. According to Emily, she used to work as a costume designer for a boy band. One of the band members, named Baz, became obsessed with her and stalked her and her family. They are keeping a low profile.
Chloe and Tommy play hide-and-seek, and she does more seeking than hiding. Chloe finds files on herself and previous nannies. She also notices that all the windows have key locks. While in the basement, Tommy hears someone behind a locked door and tells Chloe. Chloe calls the police and grabs a knife. Emily pops out of nowhere and claims it was her in the basement. She reprimands her for calling the police. They want to keep a LOW PROFILE.
Chloe visits her VERY pregnant friend Stephanie and her hot cop boyfriend, Kevin. They talk about the strange occurrences and creepy people Chloe is working for. (Michael even escorts her to the house, waiting outside in his car.
The low profile doesn’t last long when the boyband comes to town, and a ticket to the concert ends up in the household. Chloe is locked in her room without her phone and is given a bucket. Emily and Michel think she is working with Baz, the boyband guy. Chloe is surprisingly calm and keeps repeating, “You can’t do this!”
Somehow, Chloe gets an iPad and watches old nanny-cam footage from Sylvia. (the previous nanny.) Chloe realizes that he is in real trouble. She attempts to pass notes to Tommy to get her help. Stephanie stops by because she hasn’t heard from Chloe in a few days. She threatens to come back with her cop boyfriend if she doesn’t hear from Chloe soon.
To protect herself, Chloe makes up lies about Baz from the boy band. She tells Emily that Baz is still in love with him and promises to get Rob to let Emily backstage for the secret concert. Later, Michael ransacks the room looking for something, and Chloe pleads with him to let her out. In his frantic state, he forgets to lock the door, and Chloe escapes. As she sneaks out of the house, Chloe hears the couple arguing about murdering her and doing a better job than last time. (YIKES!)
Chloe steals a flash drive from a teddy bear and hides in the basement in one of Tommy’s spots under the stairs. Emily makes Tommy think it is a game and sends him to find the nanny. He does, but Chloe begs him not to tell. Chloe finds a hidden shrine to Baz’s band, “Blank Slate.” Emily discovers Chloe in the room and pulls a gun on her, forcing her to cooperate.
Rob shows up at the house, looking for Chloe. Michael lets him in and sits him down with Chloe so they can talk while monitoring the conversation. Chloe steers the conversation to Baz and the concert. Rob explains that there is a stalker, and the band is very concerned. Chloe asks if he can get Emily backstage, and Rob is reluctant at first but eventually agrees.
Emily gets all dolled up in her most sequined outfit and heads out to the concert. While she is away, Michael finds her shrine and screams “no” while punching a wall. He grabs a knife, gets Chloe, and they rush to the venue.
At the concert, Emily is backstage in the green room alone with Baz, who isn’t worth all the hoopla. Emily introduces Tommy as Baz’s son. He tells her to get away from him and that she is crazy. Emily doesn’t listen and pulls a gun on him. Baz begs for his life and says she has designed his life to avoid her. Emily is flattered. Then he tells her that he doesn’t love her, and she shoots him but accidentally shoots Michael instead. Emily runs onto the catwalk of the theater and starts shooting at people below. Chloe wrestles the gun from Emily, and the police arrive to apprehend Emily and take her away.
On a randomly snowy AF day, Chloe and Stephanie go for a walk. Stephanie had her baby, and Chloe has adopted Tommy and is back with Rob. They have a cute house with a turquoise door. That door may be the only thing I liked about this movie.
Side Note
Marvista Joint. I usually like them, but this one was sooo stupid.
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Overall rating: Put a Cork in it
🔪 (1 Knife)
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*Photo Credit: © 2020 Lifetime
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Please buy me a coffee (or glass of 🍷) Support Lifetime Uncorked by leaving a $3 tip.