Skip to content
MovieCove
Nancy

Nancy

201885 minNot RatedMidcredits score: 50th percentile of all films
Director
Christina Choe
Starring
Andrea Riseborough, John Leguizamo, Steve Buscemi, J. Smith-Cameron

Nancy becomes increasingly convinced she was kidnapped as a child. When she meets a couple whose daughter went missing thirty years ago, reasonable doubts give way to willful belief.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Nancy?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Nancy streaming on Prime Video, The Roku Channel (free) and Tubi (free) and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

Subscription

FreeFree

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Nancy?

Nancy earns 5 badges, led by Standout acting and Award Winner.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is Nancy worth watching?

Nancy's Midcredits score is the 50th percentile of all films, from 12K ratings across 6 sources. 44% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

50th percentile

Better received than 50% of films

49th percentile among Drama51st percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)56th
Approval (how many liked it)44th

63 /100

56th percentile of all films

56th percentile among Drama56th percentile among 2010s

Critics 67 · Audience 63

Critics and audiences broadly agree.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.2 — solid but not unanimous.

44% liked it

44th percentile of all films

40th percentile among Drama43rd percentile among 2010s
44% rated it 7–1056% rated it 1–6

Critics 85% · Audience 54%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 5 wins / 7 noms overall

Reach

How many have seen it

83rd percentile

12K ratings across platforms

85th percentile among Drama84th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 70% in 30 days

Box office

Opening weekend$15K
Domestic gross$80K
Worldwide gross$92K

34th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A quiet, character-driven drama anchored by strong performances, especially Riseborough, but it deliberately avoids conventional thriller tension and resolution.

Fans praised

  • eerie psychological ambiguity and emotional depth
  • Andrea Riseborough's haunting, grounded lead performance
  • quiet, deliberate storytelling with a somber tone

Detractors panned

  • muddy gray, closed-off restraint that stifles exploration
  • slow pacing and flat, inconclusive ending
  • misleadingly marketed as a thriller with no suspense or payoff

What stands out

Acting82

Riseborough and Dowd universally praised, even by detractors

OriginalityDivisive70

Unconventional, non-Hollywood approach to identity fraud

AtmosphereDivisive65

Somber, bleak small-town world-building

CharactersDivisive62

Fascinating but underdeveloped supporting roles

Emotional impactDivisive62

Heartwrenching for some, closed-off for others

Plot and storyDivisive50

Slim scenario; lacks conventional twists and payoff

PacingDivisive45

Steady but slow and flat for many

EndingDivisive35

Ambiguous, unresolved ending unsatisfying to many

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Men

Men scored it 15 points higher than women.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • US vs non-US 7 points apart

Watch experience

What is Nancy like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Food for thought: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want something to think about afterwards.

It takes its time and leaves you thinking. Skip it when you want an easy night or you want things to move fast.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings, patience and a taste for open questions.

What it feels like

Food for thought.

Moods
MelancholicTenseBittersweet
Heaviest: throughout
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Tender · 13% of films
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film treats its disturbing subject with quiet, understated restraint, never sensationalizing Nancy's lies or the couple's pain; it plays the material straight, letting the emotional weight accumulate through small gestures and silences.
The rideThe film sustains a consistent mood of melancholy and quiet tension from start to finish, driven by Nancy's loneliness and the precariousness of her deception.
StructureThe synopsis describes a chronological sequence: Nancy's life with her mother, the discovery of the missing-child story, the approach to the couple, and the deepening entanglement.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Thinking.

The answer rests on this: Thought-provokingBittersweet
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).RebirthHealing
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13% (this title): Redemption 3% · Healing 5% (this title) · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Rebirth: A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed. · Healing: Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).

13% of films fit this archetype

with Mystery underneath

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeThe story follows Nancy's attempt to fill an emotional void by adopting a false identity as a missing child, which complicates her life rather than resolving it—a dark turn on healing and self-discovery. The question of whether she is the real daughter provides a mystery element.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfFamilybonds
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27% (this title): Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% (this title) · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9% (this title)
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% (this title) · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Bonds

Family bondsDeception · 9% of filmsIsolation · 5% of films
Observes its theme: Presents its theme neutrally, declining to judge.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film explores Nancy's deep longing for family connection and belonging, which she pursues through elaborate lies that ultimately underscore her profound isolation.
StanceThe film observes Nancy's desperate search for connection without judging or celebrating her actions, presenting her loneliness and lies with a neutral, empathetic gaze.

The world

ContemporarySuburbanDomesticRealistic
AmbientMinimal or silentSupportive music · original score · Peter Raeburn
SettingLiberty, New York, in a drab small-town environment
MusicThe score is likely sparse and understated, supporting the film's quiet, realistic tone without drawing attention to itself.

Content guide

Is Nancy okay for kids?

Not Rated

Nancy is not rated. As of August 31, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at minimal (5/100), sexual content at minimal (10/100), language at mild (25/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (33/100) and frightening material at mild (19/100). Its violence, language, drug and alcohol content and frightening material have too few votes to rank.

Ratings in 2 other countries
  • UK12A
  • JapanG
Overall
Mild · all five categories
not ranked
Violence & Gore
None / Minimal
too few votes to rank (7 votes)
Sex & Nudity
None / Minimal
light for an unrated film
heavier than 12%
Profanity
Mild
too few votes to rank (4 votes)
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
too few votes to rank (5 votes)
Frightening / Intense
Mild
too few votes to rank (7 votes)

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Too few votes to rank this title overall (33 votes across 5 categories; ranking needs 10 in at least three).

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Nancy have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Nancy?

Cast

2 of the 10 billed cast had never appeared on screen; 2 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Andrea Riseborough
as Nancy Freeman
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
John Leguizamo
as Jeb
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Steve Buscemi
as Leo
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
J. Smith-Cameron
as Ellen
Ann Dowd
as Betty
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
T. Sahara Meer
as Beth
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Virginia Kull
as Deb
First film: No prior film role; they had worked in television.
Samrat Chakrabarti
as Raj
Linda Kutrubes
as Waitress
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Olli Haaskivi
as Dr. Waters
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Nancy?

Movies like Nancy include To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday (1996), All of Us Strangers (2023) and Before and After (1996). Of the 5 closest matches, most are stories of healing, and all are films set in the suburbs.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Nancy?

9K other films share the rarest tag below, relationship: unlikely alliance. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.