“In the silence of the nursery, a mother discovers that the real nightmares begin when the lullabies end.”
The Haunted Nursery (2025) creeps into the horror scene as a chilling supernatural thriller that transforms the safest place for a child into a chamber of nightmares. Directed by Jennifer Kent, renowned for The Babadook, the film blends psychological terror with ghostly apparitions, delivering a sinister tale that preys on primal parental fears.
Set in a quiet suburban town, the story centers on Sarah Whitfield (Elizabeth Olsen), a young mother moving into an old Victorian house with her infant daughter, Lily, following the sudden death of her husband. Hoping for a fresh start, Sarah painstakingly renovates Lily’s nursery—but soon discovers that the room harbors a dark, restless presence.
Late at night, Sarah begins hearing soft lullabies sung by an unseen voice. Lily’s baby monitor crackles with whispers in a language Sarah doesn’t understand. Objects shift positions, shadows slither across the walls, and Lily begins waking up screaming, pointing toward an empty rocking chair that creaks on its own.
Desperate for answers, Sarah contacts Dr. Adrian Cole (Cillian Murphy), a parapsychologist who believes the nursery was the site of a 19th-century tragedy involving a midwife accused of witchcraft. Together, they unravel a grim history of infants who vanished without a trace—and a vengeful spirit seeking to claim another child.
Jennifer Kent masterfully crafts a suffocating atmosphere, balancing traditional haunted house scares with psychological depth. Elizabeth Olsen delivers a powerful performance as a mother torn between grief, sanity, and fierce maternal instinct. Cillian Murphy adds gravitas as the skeptical yet compassionate paranormal expert.
The Haunted Nursery (2025) is more than just jump scares—it’s a meditation on grief, guilt, and the terrifying notion that evil can lurk even in places meant to protect our most innocent. It leaves viewers questioning whether monsters are supernatural—or born from the darkness of human tragedy.
