Nanny follows the story of Aisha, who is working hard as a nanny to earn enough money to bring her son to the United States to live with her. The movie is now streaming on Prime Video.
Warning: This article contains heavy spoilers
Plot summary
Aisha, a Senegalese immigrant, starts working as a nanny for the daughter of Amy and Adam, Rose. Amy helps a nervous Aisha relax on her very first day as she gives her a tour of her house.
Amy is relieved to see Aisha and Rose click instantly. Aisha, on the other hand, can’t help but notice how Amy is treating her carefully as she is a person of color.
She also takes note of Adam’s office, which is filled with portraits and art featuring Black people. Aisha ignored everything since she needed that money to bring her son back to her.
Amy often didn’t pay her on time. Aisha even went to Adam and asked him to pay her dues.
Amidst this mess, the only time she felt peace was when her cousin, Mariatou, video-called her so that Aisha can talk to her son, Lamine.
Days went by, and she had a hard time working for the dysfunctional family of Amy and Adam. If that wasn’t enough, at times, she had strange visions of water, Lamine, the sounds of a baby crying, and Mami Wata, a holy water spirit.
She soon found a good friend in Malik, who worked in the same building as part of security.
They began dating, and Malik eventually introduced Aisha to his grandmother, Kathleen, who is a psychic. At Malik’s house, she noticed a painting of Mami Wata.
Aisha learned from Kathleen that Mami Wata lures sexuality, money, and promises of fertility. At the same time, these mermaids are dangerous, unpredictable, and impermanent.
The strange visions for Aisha continued, and she felt like these visions are warning her about something. She almost drowned in the pool on the day she took Rose to swim, as she had seen a Mami Wata attacking her.
Aisha needed to figure out what Mami Wata wanted from her. Kathleen found out about it the hard way after losing her daughter, who was suffering from schizophrenia.
One fine day, Amy caught Aisha feeding Rose her spicy food. She confronted Aisha, who in turn questioned Amy about her payment. She asked what she should serve Rose if she doesn’t have any money.
Amy promised to pay. She was envious of Aisha, as she had formed a bond with Rose that she never had. Aisha’s visions got worse to the point where she came close to stabbing Rose in an attempt to stop these spirits.
Aisha still had no clue about their motives. Rose suggested that it’s Lamine who is doing this; he is jealous that Aisha, his own mother, is with her and not with him.
Nanny ending explained in detail:
What happens to Lamine?
Aisha wakes up the next day and finds the rest of her payment on the table. Adam left a voice note stating that he took Rose for breakfast.
Aisha notices the CCTV camera in the hall and assumes that they have probably seen her manic episode and don’t want her around anymore. Anyway, she got the payment, which is now enough to bring Lamine to her.
Aisha waited for his arrival at the airport with Malik, but neither Lamine nor her cousin, Mariatou, showed up. Aisha tried to call Mariatou and search for them near the airport.
She eventually came across Mariatou, who was all alone and crying. She revealed that Lamine got drowned in the sea while they were on the beach. If only Aisha had hurried up in buying their tickets, Lamine would’ve been here with them.
Does Aisha commit suicide?
Lamine’s death shook Aisha to the core. Talking to her lover, Malik, or his grandmother didn’t work. Aisha no longer had the desire to live.
She went to a nearby river and tried to commit suicide in hopes of reuniting with her dead son. While she was down under the water, she saw her son floating above.
She tried to reach out to him. A Mami Wata arrived and helped her reach the surface. When Aisha woke up, she found herself surrounded by Malik, Kathleen, and a medic.
Kathleen orders the medic to be careful, revealing that Aisha is pregnant.
What did Mami Watta want from Aisha?
The movie never clearly explains the motives of these visions. Kathleen found out about these after losing her daughter.
The movie, at times, signifies how devastating it is when a bond between a kid and a parent is not strong. For example, the bond between Rose and her mother, Amy.
The visions started appearing regularly after Aisha talked to Lamine the last time around. Most of the time, these visions were trying to warn her about her son’s demise.
Later in the movie, even Rose suggested that Lamine tried to lead Aisha to kill her. It’s clear that Lamine has passed away by now, as it has been days since Aisha last talked to him.
Aisha loved her son, but she went far away from him and cared for someone else’s child. Lamine missed his mother and her care.
Aisha was away, but she never lost her maternal instincts. Mami Wata probably acknowledged Aisha’s love for her child when she tried to commit suicide. Mami Wata gave her a second chance.
Aisha got pregnant with another baby and kicked off the life she desired with Malik and his family, though all of this came at the cost of losing a child.
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