Lifetime Review: 'The Nanny Is Watching'

Things for the Franklin family have gotten a little chaotic lately. With Mara (Talya Carroll) working to provide for the family while her husband Scott (Adam Huber, on his way to becoming a Lifetime regular) stays at home to care for their children, their lives appear to be an endless cycle of trying to keep everything together.

Thankfully, help is close by in the form of their attentive nanny Rachel (Cinta Laura Kiehl), who has become friends with Mara and Scott and provides much-needed support as the Franklins try to find their bearings. But after a break-in inspires Mara to install a security system recommended by Rachel, the Franklins begin to notice that Rachel may not be as perfect as she has initially appeared to be. After finally seeing Rachel's true form, Mara warns her to stay away from her and her family. But with Rachel's secret connection to the Franklins, she's not planning to give up her place in the family—and will do whatever it takes to get what she wants.

"The Nanny Turns Out To Be A Psycho" is a common plot thread for Lifetime, and for the most part, The Nanny is Watching (originally titled Nanny Surveillance) doesn't do a whole lot to deviate from the typical formula. Despite that, The Nanny is Watching isn't a bad movie because of this; this is thanks in part to the film's storytelling allowing us to get invested in the plot and its' characters. While the middle does drag out a bit longer than it needs to, it's not enough of a stretch to drown the movie in unnecessary padding.

Another contributing factor in keeping The Nanny is Watching fresh is the excellent casting, with Cinta Laura Kiehl clearly having a blast playing the erratic and psychotic Rachel. While she ultimately loses any possible sympathy in the conclusion, Rachel's backstory gives her some more depth than most Lifetime evil nannies, showing that her deranged behavior can at least be partially blamed on her horrendous upbringing. Tayla Carroll and Adam Huber also play well off each other, giving an authentic portrayal of marital struggles and becoming protagonists that are easy to root for. Carroll in particular also delivers an impactful performance to match Kiehl's, with the film's third act being dedicated to showing just how far Mara will go to keep her family safe from the threat she unknowingly invited into their lives.

Speaking of the third act, this is the point of the film where The Nanny is Watching truly shines in how intense it is. As Rachel shows just how violent and psychotic she can be, as well as how ruthless she is in trying to get what she wants from the family that once trusted her, the situation truly appears dire and the sympathy the viewer is likely to have built for Mara and Scott comes into play as it looks like they might not escape their nanny's clutches with their lives. The climax also goes to darker places than Lifetime is typically known for going, making it a surprise for long-time viewers of the channel and allowing for the film to end on a very cathartic note.

The Nanny is Watching is by no means a perfect film. As mentioned before, the first and second acts have moments where things are unnecessarily dragged out and there's a moment between Rachel and Scott that feels out of place for her character and doesn't really get developed on in any significant sense. But these problems aren't strong enough to tank this movie, as its fairly well-done storytelling and strong cast makes The Nanny is Watching a solid movie to watch for anyone in need of a good thriller.

Score: 8 out of 10 nanny cams.