Good Madam

With nowhere else to go, following the death of her grandmother and an argument with her family, Tsidi (Chumisa Cosaf) and her young daughter are forced to move in with Tsidi’s estranged mother (Nosipho Mtebe), who is a live-in carer for a catatonic elderly woman. However, being home brings back traumatic memories for Tsidi as she becomes haunted by strange visions of her past while coping with the scars of the recent tragedy. Moreover, the “Madam” of the house may be plotting something insidious against the young woman and her family.

Writer-director Jenna Cato Bass puts the remnants of Apartheid under a microscope in Good Madam with some success. Refusing to rely on cheap scare tactics, Cato Bass’s feature aims at though-provoking horror. While the concepts discussed act as unsettling metaphors of class and race, the production unfortunately lacks the bite and focus to deliver the chills. It’s as though the filmmaker has taken parts of Get Out and Hereditary and stitched them together without understanding what made each of those films work.

From childhood trauma to family drama and the underlying themes at play, the script bites off more than it can chew. The intention seems to be to create a rich and multi-layered story, but none of the various aspects touched upon are given the development required to become a significant part of Tsidi’s ordeal. Consequently, the tension just isn’t there when the terror begins to ramp up – and even when it does, it won’t leave audiences terrified. Though the focus on mood over jump scares is commendable, the creepiest thing that happens through much of the film is dirty dishes ominously reappearing in the sink. And what follows isn’t much better either. The climax goes all-out with a sudden shift comes across as more comical than harrowing. Even when the strangeness of the denouement is over, viewers will still need to sit through a prolonged epilogue that doesn’t make anything clearer. 

Good Madam is home to an intriguing premise told within pockets of atmosphere and unnerving imagery. If it were more focused and refined, it would have made for a far superior experience.

Andrew Murray

Good Madam does not have a UK release date yet.

Read more reviews from our Glasgow Film Festival 2022 coverage here.

For further information about the event visit the Glasgow Film Festival website here.