Year of Release: 2016
Genre: Horror
Related to/Remake of: N/A
Directed By: William Brent Bell
Music By: Bear McCreary
Starring: Lauren Cohan (as Greta), Rupert Evans (as Malcolm), Jim Norton (as Mr. Heelshire), Diana Hardcastle (as Mrs. Heelshire), and Ben Robson (as Cole)
Basic Plot: A young woman recovering from an abusive relationship travels to England to serve as a nanny to an elderly couples child. Upon arriving, she discovers that boy she’s been hired to watch over is, in actuality, a porcelain doll. The elderly couple, prior to leaving on holiday, give the nanny a list of rules she must follow in order to keep the boy happy, but, shortly after she leaves, the nanny disregards the rules. Bad idea…
Rating (Out of 4): 1
Pros: There are some genuinely good scares here, as well as an effectively creepy atmosphere. The setup is pretty good, but…
Cons: … the payoff leaves a lot to be desired. This movie relies way too much on lazy jump scares and the “it was all just a dream” moments. There’s backstory to the main character that is shoehorned in by means of conversations that probably wouldn’t happen in real life.
