The Nanny is Watching (2018 Lifetime)

The Nanny is Watching (2018 Lifetime)

Stars: Talya Carroll, Cinta Laura Kiehl, Adam Huber

Listen to the Lifetime Uncorked Podcast here!

Synopsis (via Lifetime)

Following a break-in, Scott and Mara decide to install a deluxe home security system and give their new nanny, Rachel all the passcodes for day-to-day duties in taking care of their kids, including their adopted daughter. With the codes, the nanny spies and torments the couple by controlling the smart home’s system from her laptop. When the couple discovers what Rachel is doing, they immediately fire her but unbeknownst to them, Rachel’s boyfriend is the home security company contact, and Rachel is the biological mother to their adopted daughter who will stop at nothing to get her back.

Thoughts

The most adorable child is showing her mother a picture. The mother asks bitchily, “Is that supposed to be me?” The kid responds with sass, “Duh, Mommy.” The mother’s name is Mara, and she has a hunky husband named Scott. Their adopted daughter is Beth, and they also have a newborn baby. Someone is watching the family as they hang out in their living room.

Mara and Scott are busy handling kids and work. The couple is continually bickering over little things, like the trash. They have a nanny helping them out named Rachel; she is young and beautiful. Mara is a bit jealous when Rachel text Scott that she is running late. When Rachel arrives, Beth is super excited, and Mara is annoyed.

Mara is late for work and misses a meeting due to the wifi being out at their house. (Been there, no thank you Comcast!) Mara does an ambiguous pitch about social media and content. Eric is her hot boss with good style. (He also has cool wine glasses) He complements Mara on a job well done and invites her to dinner, but not in a creepy way.

In the middle of the night, Mara feeds her baby a bottle from the fridge and hears someone in the house. A hooded figure charges at Scott as he screams, “Get out of my house!” The police are called, and they advise them to install a security system. It is another thing for Scott and Mara to argue about. They can’t decide what to get, and Rachel recommends a company that her mom uses. Later, when Mara is researching at work, Eric notices and says his sister used the same system. It is called “The Vault System.”

The Vault system installer is a hunk too, can they cast a bad looking man in this movie so my heart rate will go down. The hunky installer talks about what he is installing. The system comes with: Shatterproof glass, microphones, cameras, and an automated monitoring system called Sam. It can be controlled by your phone and program it to your schedule. Scott and Mara are impressed and talk to Sam causally. Little do they know Rachel is also monitoring them.

Sam opens the blinds, makes coffee, and keeps inventory of the groceries. We see the cool things Sam can do in a montage. Sam can even read emails from Eric. Mara chooses to read it herself instead of having Sam read it in front of her husband. The productivity is so amazing that the couple gives Rachel the day off.

At home, Rachel’s life is not so great. Her father died, and her mother basically calls her a slut and smacks her. Rachel slaps her back, and the mother locks herself in her room and cries. Rachel passes the time spying on the family and setting the lawn sprinklers to spray Mara. (Haha, rude.)

Mara and Scott’s relationship seems to be on the mend. They have a nice dinner and dance to music played by Sam. Then they go to the bedroom where Scott takes off his shirt to read a book. Rachel listens in and is enraged when Mara suggests cutting back Rachel’s hours. Then they have sex, and Rachel watches. Creepy. (Did I mention that Beth is Rachel’s screen saver?)

In the middle of the night, Mara hears Beth talking to someone. She is in the living room, “talking to Sam.” It creeps Mara out. The next day with all her spare time she has now, Mara goes for a run. She bumps into Rachel’s mom and tells her how great Rachel is and to thank her for the recommendation. Rachel’s mom says she doesn’t have a security system, and she isn’t sure why Rachel lied.

Scott confronts Rachel about the lie. She says her mom has psychological issues from the abuse they suffered from her dead father. Scott feels terrible for bringing it up and hugs her. She begs him to let her stay the night and kisses him. Scott sends her home ASAP. He fills in Mara later.

At home, Rachel yells at her mother. Her mother knows about the surveillance cameras and tells her daughter that she is sick. Rachel’s mother steals her phone and calls Mara to warn her, but Rachel kills her before she can say everything. Mara answers the phone and just keeps repeating, “hello.”

Mara realizes that Rachel is probably spying on them and breaks into her house while Rachel is burying her mother in the backyard. Her fears are confirmed, and she finds multiple pictures of Beth on her computer. Rachel comes inside with a shovel and which is a better weapon than Mara and her glass? Mara tells Rachel that she is going to call the police and tell them everything. Then she threatens Rachel and demands she leave her family alone.

Dan, the hot installer guy, resets the system and installs extra impenetrable security measures.

It doesn’t matter because Rachel breaks in in the middle of the night and almost steals Beth but is stopped by Mara. Scott apprehends Rachel and tells Mara to get Beth to Saftey. When Mara turns the corner, she bumps into Dan. He is in on it too. Scott and Dan fight it out, which Mara hides Beth. Lots of fight choreography happens here, and Scott gets stabbed in the leg.

Mara grabs the baby and locks herself in the laundry room with injured Scott. Dan and Rachel are determined to get Beth. (Am I assuming they are Beth’s birth parents?) Mara decides to sneak out of the laundry room and get to her cellphone to call the police and get Beth. She almost makes it up is stopped by Dan with a crowbar. Mara stops him with a paperweight, and they again have a lot of fight choreo.

Rachel gets the baby and holds her with a huge knife. She wants Beth, and if she doesn’t get her, she will kill Scott, Mara, and the baby. Mara asks why. Rachel says that she deserves her to have her baby back. Rachel is the biological mother and was forced by her parents to give the baby up for adoption. That baby was Beth. Mara tries to reason with Rachel, but it is way past that point. Rachel is about to stab the baby, but Mara grabs the knife and slits her throat. While Rachel dies, Mara says, “I told you to say away from my family.” It is pretty badass.

One month later, Scott and Mara wake up to an old fashion alarm clock and open their blinds. They make their coffee without a fancy smart machine. Even though all these things are not as convenient, they have one another. Mara is working from home now and passes on lunch with cool boss Eric in exchange for family time. They throw Sam in the trash.

Side Note

Minority Report: Rachel, Beth, Eric, Dan.

Also known as Nanny Surveillance

Don’t forget to listen to the Lifetime Uncorked Podcast available on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts!

Donate to keep the blog and podcast going 😊

Overall rating

🔪🔪🔪🔪 (4 Knives)

🍷🍷🍷 (3 glasses of wine required.)