Skip to content
What's After the Movie?
Drama thriller

Nancy (2018): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Where to Watch

Nancy (2018) movie poster

Nancy is a 2018 drama thriller directed by Christina Choe, starring Andrea Riseborough as Nancy Freeman, Ann Dowd and John Leguizamo. It runs 1 hour 27 minutes and earned $92,000 worldwide. It earned 2 award nominations, including Best First Screenplay at the Spirit Awards 2019. Critics gave it 86% on Rotten Tomatoes and 67 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 6.2/10. Stream it on Amazon Prime Video and Fawesome, or rent or buy it on Amazon Video and Apple TV Store.

IMDb rating
6.2/10
Rotten Tomatoes
86%
worldwide gross
$92K
award nominations
2
Nancy (2018) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 27m (87 min)
Director
Christina Choe
Genres
Drama , Mystery , Thriller
Original language
English
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is Nancy About?

The premise of Nancy without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

Yearning for connection, Nancy creates elaborate online personas and deceptive stories, increasingly losing touch with reality. Her fabricated world intersects with a couple grieving the disappearance of their daughter years prior. As her carefully constructed identities clash with their past tragedy, Nancy’s desperate need for belonging leads her into a complex web of emotional manipulation, making it impossible to discern fact from fiction.

Nancy Themes & Keywords

· 50 tags
  • abandoned by father
  • missing child
  • dna test
  • mother daughter relationship
  • fake pregnancy
  • hunting accident
  • missing cat
  • walking in snow
  • blogger
  • unsolved mystery
  • parkinson's disease
  • father daughter relationship
+38 more
  • pseudonym
  • internet
  • kidnapping a child
  • doubt
  • cell phone
  • prologue
  • scene during opening credits
  • flashlight
  • blurred vision
  • food
  • eating
  • dry cereal
  • mail
  • dentist office
  • temporary worker
  • dentist
  • photograph on a cell phone
  • lie
  • deception
  • parking lot
  • computer
  • hand tremor
  • texting
  • voice over text message
  • woman applies lipstick
  • subjective camera
  • faked pregnancy
  • restaurant
  • cappuccino
  • shopping
  • coffee
  • death of daughter
  • husband wife relationship
  • ex husband ex wife relationship
  • website
  • wanting to have a baby
  • watching tv
  • brushing one's teeth
Where to watch

Where to Watch Nancy

Stream it on Amazon Prime Video and Fawesome, or rent or buy it from Amazon Video and Apple TV Store. US availability and prices from JustWatch.

Streaming availability in the US, powered by JustWatch logo

Cast & crew

Nancy Cast & Characters

Andrea Riseborough leads the cast as Nancy Freeman, with Ann Dowd as Betty and John Leguizamo as Jeb. Directed by Christina Choe; 11 actors are credited in all.

Also Starring in Nancy

· 7 more
Ratings

Nancy Reviews & Ratings

Critics gave Nancy 86% on Rotten Tomatoes and 67 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 6.2/10. Our Echo Score gives it 60/100, strongest in character & emotion (85) and weakest in rewatch factor (30).

60 /100

Nancy Echo Score Breakdown

Nancy offers a thoughtful character study marked by striking performances and a moody visual style that sometimes veers into inscrutable territory. The film’s measured pacing and focused cinematography provide an immersive atmosphere, yet its narrative ambiguity and lack of a clear resolution create a sense of frustration. Overall, the film balances emotional depth with elusive storytelling. It showcases moments of empathy and intent, though some viewers may find its subtle gestures insufficiently conclusive.

Our own 0–100 rating, built from five aspects: art, character, story, the sensory experience and how well a film rewatches.

  • Art & Craft 60

    In terms of direction and visual craft, Nancy exhibits a distinctive but occasionally uneven aesthetic. The moody midwinter palette and deliberate framing establish a coherent tone, yet the boutique art-film approach sometimes feels indulgently bleak. While certain compositions convey a clear sense of purpose, others lapse into oppressive stillness. Overall, the film’s craft is striking but uneven.

  • Character & Emotion 85

    When it comes to character depth and emotional resonance, Nancy relies on a lead performance of remarkable subtlety. The portrayal conveys fragile optimism through nuanced expressions and measured gestures, anchoring the film’s atmosphere. Supporting roles contribute moments of genuine chemistry, though the protagonist’s opaque backstory can limit broader engagement. Altogether, the acting delivers a compelling emotional core.

  • Story & Flow 35

    Regarding plot coherence and pacing, Nancy unfolds as a deliberately ambiguous mood piece. Its refusal to provide clear narrative answers results in a sense of incompletion for some viewers, and the lack of a definitive reveal can undermine engagement. Measured pacing supports the brooding atmosphere, yet the fragmented structure often feels disjointed. Ultimately, the story curtails its own momentum.

  • Sensory Experience 65

    In terms of sensory experience, Nancy offers an immersive soundscape and visual style that reinforce its somber mood. The score integrates with ambient sound design to evoke a cold, oppressive environment, while muted color schemes and textured production design add depth. At times, the relentless atmosphere can feel suffocating, yet the overall cohesion underscores the film’s tonal intent.

  • Rewatch Factor 30

    When considering rewatch value, Nancy presents challenges for subsequent viewings. The unresolved narrative and understated revelations reduce the incentive to revisit, and the pervasive bleakness can feel draining over time. Although the strong central performance remains engaging, the film’s lack of clear resolution limits its lasting appeal. Consequently, the rewatch factor is fairly low.

Plot

Nancy Plot Summary

What happens in Nancy from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 13 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

Nancy Freeman, [Andrea Riseborough], is a lonely woman who lives with her ailing mother, Betty [Ann Dowd]. An aspiring short story writer whose submissions are routinely rejected, Nancy seeks validation and companionship through a blog where she claims to be the grieving mother of a dead child. Off the blog, she meets Jeb, [John Leguizamo], a divorced father grieving the loss of his daughter. Posing as pregnant—having purchased a prosthetic belly—they share a coffee and form a tentative connection, drawn together by shared pain and a longing for closeness.

Full summary

The whole story of Nancy, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Box office

Nancy Box Office

Nancy grossed $92,000 worldwide. $80,115 came from the US and Canada and $11,885 (13%) from the rest of the world.

2018 box office

Worldwide gross

$92K

US & Canada
$80.1K
International
$11.9K
US & Canada 87% Rest of the world 13%
Awards

Nancy Awards & Nominations

Nancy earned 2 award nominations, including Best First Screenplay at the Spirit Awards 2019.

2 nominations1 ceremony

Videos

Nancy Trailers & Videos

The trailer of Nancy.

NANCY Official Trailer
Quiz

How Well Do You Know Nancy?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

What is the name of Nancy's ailing mother?

Cars

Cars in Nancy

17 cars on screen, including the 2014 Mercedes-Benz S 550 W222 and the 2005 MINI Cooper Cabrio.

All 17 cars
  • 2014 Mercedes-Benz S 550 W222 in Nancy 2014 Mercedes-Benz S 550 W222 Important role
  • 2005 MINI Cooper Cabrio in Nancy 2005 MINI Cooper Cabrio Important role
  • 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia in Nancy 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia Minor role
  • 1966 Buick Wildcat in Nancy 1966 Buick Wildcat Minor role
Details

Nancy Also Known As

7 alternative titles, including “Нанси” and “ננסי”.

Also known as
  • Нанси
  • ננסי
  • 南西
  • Nancy: Em Busca De Si Mesma
  • 南茜
  • Нэнси
  • ナンシー

Seen Nancy?

FAQ

Nancy FAQ: Where to Watch, Cast & Box Office

Runtime, release date, director, cast, where to watch, box office, ratings and awards of Nancy, each answered in a sentence.

How long is Nancy?

Nancy runs 1 hour 27 minutes (87 minutes).

When was Nancy released?

Nancy was released on June 8, 2018.

Who directed Nancy?

Nancy was directed by Christina Choe.

More films by Christina Choe

Who is in the cast of Nancy?

Nancy stars Andrea Riseborough as Nancy Freeman, Ann Dowd as Betty and John Leguizamo as Jeb, among 11 credited actors.

Where can I watch Nancy?

In the US, Nancy is streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Fawesome and Hoopla and available to rent or buy on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Fandango At Home (availability from JustWatch).

How much did Nancy make at the box office?

Nancy grossed $92,000 worldwide ($80,115 domestic, $11,885 international).

How is Nancy rated?

Nancy has 6.2/10 on IMDb, 86% on Rotten Tomatoes, 67 on Metacritic and 58% on TMDB.

Was Nancy nominated for any awards?

Nancy received 2 nominations across 1 ceremony.

Coming soon to your phone

The Plot Explained Movie Summary App

From blockbusters to hidden gems: plot summaries, endings explained and timelines on your phone. Save your favorites and never miss a twist again.

Be the first to know when it launches. Your email stays private, always. Learn more about the app