Movie Review: "Evil Nanny" (2016)

Tweet

Lifetime Channel movies generally follow a woman in peril formula. Occasionally a better than average entry appears such as “Evil Nanny.” Beyond the expected histrionic melodrama, there is an interesting thought provoking plot device quite chilling if it were to happen to you. Alexa is quickly established a psycho sociopath torching her orphanage resulting in a number of deaths. Fay and Tim are moving into her grandmother’s vintage home that she inherited and both are starting new jobs. They need a nanny to care for young son Alan and bay and Alexa now calling herself Jen responds to the ad. Here is the important thing to remember. They cannot afford to pay salary and offer room and board in exchange. There is nothing in writing. Jen is a horrible nanny and fired. She will not leave the premises. This stalemate leads to a fascinating look into legality. Laws favor tenants and Jen simply cannot be kicked out. The eviction process is long and drawn out with Jen throwing legal roadblocks. Her game is to extort $20,000 to go away which they cannot afford. Jen makes life miserable with noisy parties and drug dealing thug boyfriend. Every attempt to oust her is stymied either legally or clever tactics by Jen. Being Lifetime, the outcome is inevitable but ultimately disappointing as Fay feels compassion for a vicious multi murderer. You can feel the nightmare of the situation and ponder what you would do. Laws enacted to protect tenants from landlords have now gone too far in the opposite direction. In Los Angeles, it can take six months to evict a deadbeat tenant. France observes squatters rights. The moral of “Evil Nanny” is beware whom you let that spare room to.