Night Nurse is a provocative psychosexual thriller [Sundance review]

Courtesy of Sundance

While I've seen my share of erotic and psychosexual thrillers, I've never seen one quite like Night Nurse, the feature debut from writer and director Georgia Bernstein. The movie is steamy and provocative, with plenty of unexpected narrative twists. This is quite the debut from Bernstein, and it makes me eager to see what she does from here.

The movie stars Cemre Paksoy as an idealistic caregiver named Eleni. Before we meet her, however, we're treated to a salacious phone call where a young woman begs "grandpa." That opening certainly sets the tone for the feature's unpredictability. Not long into the job, Cemre meets Douglas (Bruce McKenzie) and another caregiver name Mona (Eleonore Hendricks), who tells Cemre to just play along with Douglas' increasingly sexual demands.

Soon, Eleni falls hard for Douglas and develops a three-way relationship with he and Mona. Douglas also encourages them to partake in scam phone calls, targeting men with cognitive decline over the age of 65. This rocks the idyllic retirement community and draws the attention of detectives and the caregivers' boss, played by Mimi Rogers. She questions where exactly Douglas earned the money for a fancy new car, since he doesn't work.

Meanwhile, Eleni becomes increasingly infatuated with Douglas and jealous when his attention focuses on several other caregivers. At one point, they all shoot morphine together and have a party. Eleni sulks around but is constantly shunned by the man who becomes the source of her infatuation. She wants to be his pet, and more than one scene shows her crawling around or hugging his leg. She's starved for attention that only he gives her, until his attention drifts elsewhere.

Both Paksoy and McKenzie are good in their roles. Paksoy gives her character a vulnerability and longing, while McKenzie gives a commanding performance, especially during some of the steamier scenes. The sound design and score, especially some of the softer piano music, constantly reminds viewers that yes, this is an erotic thriller. But it's also one that we haven't seen before, considering the retirement community setting and the scam phone call plot thread.

That said, this movie requires a bit too much suspension of disbelief. It's hard to fathom that no action would be taken against Douglas earlier on, or that no one would catch on to the fact he dopes out with a harem of nurses. For instance, don't other patients need attention? Additionally, Eleni deserved a bit more characterization and backstory. It's unclear why she's so attracted to Douglas, other than his more dominant personality and perhaps her longing for attention. Overall, we know very little about her as a character.

The movie reaches quite a surprising and deadly conclusion. Bernstein certainly keeps viewers on their toes, and that's one of the film's strengths. The various narrative turns, including the final act, remain unpredictable. There's very little that's cliche about this film, and it continually thwarts expectations.

Night Nurse marks a promising debut for Bernstein. It avoids the trappings of other erotic and psychosexual thrillers and features memorable performances from McKenzie and Paksoy. While the movie has a few vexing plot choices, it's one arresting and emotionally charged watch.

Night Nurse premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film festival.