In January 2020, the mystical thriller The Turn (known as The Nanny) was released on US screens.
The picture, which premiered during the Los Angeles International Film Festival, was called one of the most anticipated events in the film industry. Critics explained the unprecedented interest of the audience by three main factors: the choice of the plot, the director, and the actors.
Filming
The new thriller was first talked about in 2016. The screenplay, over four years worked by the famous masters Carey and Chad Hayes, was based on the ghost story “The Turn of the Screw” by Henry James.
The mystical story, written by an American writer in 1898, has repeatedly come to the attention of filmmakers. The novel, which has become a classic of the horror genre, was filmed in the USA and Spain. The most successful of the 16 existing film versions are the action-packed dramas The Innocents (1961) by Jack Clayton, The Night Aliens (1971) by Michael Winner, The Turn of the Screw (2003) by Nick Millard. In 1954, composer and pianist Benjamin Britten wrote an opera of the same name, the libretto of which was based on a mystical-psychological work.
In August 2017, after a series of twists and turns that thoroughly ruffled the nerves of the author of the project, Steven Spielberg, the name of the future director was leaked to the press. The production of the film was entrusted to Floria Sigismondi.
The casting, which an energetic, self-confident young talented filmmaker had to go through, ended successfully. A native of Canada, in the recent past, an advanced photographer and clip maker, the public has already managed to caress. Journalists stingy with praise called the paintings of Floria Sigismondi “The Runaways”, “Hemlock Grove” “fantastic”.
After the approval of the actors, it became clear: the expectations are not in vain. One of the main roles was given to Finn Wolfhard (“It”, “Very Strange People”). The film starred Mackenzie Davis (“Friendship and no sex?”, “Blade Runner 2049”), Brookly Keanes (the debut of a young actress), Barbara Marten (“Walk like a Panther”, “Mrs. Wilson”) and others. The music was written by American composer Nathan Barr. Six months later, in Ireland, they began filming a horror film. And the quiet estate of Killurudery in County Wicklow lost its peace.
Plot
The action of Sigismondi’s horror takes place in the 90s of the XX century. The heroine, Kate, an elementary school teacher, lives in dreams and illusions. The offer of a stranger to work as a governess for a baby left without parents, the charming girl accepted with delight. A generous reward painted bright prospects.
The luxurious family estate in the old style, where 8-year-old orphan Flora lives under the supervision of strict servants, struck Kate. Upon arrival, the nanny found out that the girl has an older brother, Miles, a vicious teenager expelled from school for hooliganism.
The arrogant youth does not hide contempt for others. A new governess also falls under the scope. Flora looks like a cute child against the background of her brother, but some oddities in behavior are striking.
The very first night in the gloomy house there were sounds that terrified. This was the beginning of nightmarish events that will continue for an hour and a half. The news that Flora’s former nanny had suddenly disappeared under mysterious circumstances added to the doubts of an already intimidated Kate. A new blow for the girl was the ban on leaving the mysterious castle, shrouded in an ominous fog. Incomprehensible visions begin to haunt the young mentor.
