This movie has a very interesting premise that promises to give a different spin to the "expectant mother psychological thriller". In this case, the mother in question is also the caretaker of her son, who suffers from one of those severe cases of autism that require extreme measures, like the use of restraints. The unpleasantness of her daily routine with the boy is taking a toll with nerves of the poor woman, and on top of that the possibly unfaithful husband is abroad almost most of the time. Things seems to get better when the protagonist hires a Filipino immigrant, Luz, a woman who claims she was able to "cure" her own son from autism. She moves in, and soon creates a bond with the child that, while improving his condition, seems to displace and alienate the real mom. The first 40 minutes or so are pretty decent, a realistic an unnerving depiction of a domestic nightmare. Acting is good as well from both actors playing mother and son. However, when the character of the Filipino nanny is introduced, in a move that seems intriguing at first while you try to figure out the new plot dynamics, the director and writer start to introduce heavy handed racial stereotypes and plot points that transform the whole enterprise in an anachronistic potboiler akin to nazi propaganda. You get basically a posh family pit against Asian immigrants who rudely speak their own language in from of them, practice strange rituals, sow discord, steal their children and, yes, kill dogs too. The clear xenophobic message is pushed even further with a shot of the national flag near the end. Unfortunately this movie proves that, as of 2017, xenophobia is already a global movement.
