Night Nurse – Movie Review (2/5)

NIGHT NURSE is often called a psychosexual thriller, but to me it felt more perverted. I don’t want to kink shame, so let me just acknowledge that it did not work for me. I can appreciate the filmmaking craft and quality, but I downright loathed the storyline. Read our full Night Nurse movie review here!

NIGHT NURSE is a thriller that also has words like “erotic” and “psychosexual” attached. Well, that may well be, but it did nothing for me. Or, no, that’s not true. It made me cringe as I found no reason for the way the story escalated. I need a lot more storyline or character introduction for any of the plot to make sense.

There’s clearly a wish to make a David Lynch-inspired movie here. And I can see that. However, for me, it came nowhere near what he has created. Instead, and I apologize for this comparison, it made me think of Compulsion. Well, except that the production quality of Night Nurse is much higher!

Continue reading our Night Nurse movie review below. You can find it in select theaters on July 10, 2026.

So, you want to be a scammer?!

The title of Night Nurse may sound good for a thriller. It could just as well have been titled “So, you want to be a scammer” or maybe “Old scammer, young nurse”. Yeah, I am a little bitter because I expected this story to be one thing, and it was something very different.

I mean, if you read a plot about a “starry-eyed nurse” who becomes “entangled with her mysterious patient” and a “series of perverse scam calls”, then you wouldn’t expect this either. I don’t think many would.

It all plays out in an idyllic retirement community. A place not unlike what we see in The Boroughs. Well,  except everyone seems to have a personal nurse. The kind that virtually coddles them, despite these senior citizens looking healthy enough.

Anyway, before you know it, the young nurse will be making scam calls at the behest of an elderly man in pajamas. Next, she just cannot resist him. No one can, apparently. Suddenly, there’s a whole throuple situation (three people in one relationship).

“How? Why?!” you may wonder.

Well, don’t look to me for answers, as I do not understand these characters at all.

And the actors are clearly doing as asked, so I’m not going to go after them.

Real-life inspiration… sort of

To me, this felt like something made by a stereotypical “dirty old man” as a fantasy brought to life on screen. It wasn’t even made by a man, but instead by a younger woman. Now, I have no problem with age differences (as long as two consenting adults are involved), but it just made no sense to me.

Apparently, this movie was inspired by a phone call the director’s grandmother received one night, years ago. This was a scam caller, not unlike what you’ll see in the movie.

Sounds like a great premise, I can appreciate that.

However, how do you go from your grandmother nearly getting scammed – due to feeling needed by the person pretending to be her grandchild – to writing a psychosexual erotic thriller from the POV of the scammer?! I do not understand.

Nor do I really want to, I suppose.

There’s also a love of the iconic doomed “love story” that played a part in the creation of this movie. And I understand this part even less. To me, there is a huge difference between a steamy relationship (that came out of nowhere in this movie) and an actual love story. This one offers neither, as I experience it.

But hey, that’s just me, and I am clearly not the key demographic. Not that I know who would be.

Watch Night Nurse in select theaters

Night Nurse was written & directed by Georgia Bernstein. This is her feature film debut as both director and screenwriter, which presents me with a bit of a conundrum when it comes to this review. On the one hand, I can appreciate the craftsmanship of filmmaking as a director. On the other hand, I loathed the plot.

Yes, loathed is a strong and very loaded word, but it feels appropriate here. And I’m sorry for that, but I can also gather that I’m not the only one with this experience.

If you’re curious, then – by all means – check it out for yourself. You always should, no matter what any film review or user review says. To me, however, the plot sounded really intriguing, and the final product was not at all what I expected. I did not enjoy this one at all, but I appreciate the filmmaking qualities.

Night Nurse opens in select theaters on July 10, 2026.

Details

Director: Georgia Bernstein
Writer: Georgia Bernstein
Cast: Cemre Paksoy, Bruce McKenzie, Eléonore Hendricks, Colleen Rose Trundy, Mimi Rogers