Good Madam is the type of horror film that focuses less on spooky supernatural elements (although it has them) and more on the unflinching discomfort of familial interactions, especially contained within a system of oppression. This slow-burn South African psychological horror film, directed by Jenna Cato Bass turns simple household items into objects of horror, and will be available to watch on the horror streaming service Shudder on July 14.
In some ways, Good Madam, which premiered to acclaim at Toronto International Film Festival in 2021, could be considered a haunted house film, but not what one would typically expect. Certainly the house that this film centers around is haunted in more ways than one, particularly by racism. In this film, which takes place in modern-day South Africa, the memory of the apartheid weighs heavily on the circumstances of the characters.
Tsidi (Chumisa Cosa) is a single mother who is kicked out of her house along with her child, Winnie (Kamvalethu Jonas Raziya). She goes to the house that her mother, Mavis (Nosipho Mtebe) has been working at for the last 30 years as a domestic servant and is reluctantly allowed to stay, but only inside of her mother’s small room amongst other unspoken rules. She is disturbed by the devotion her mother gives to the bedridden old white woman who is the Madam of the house and starts experiencing supernatural incidents after butting heads with both her mother and her daughter.
The film title in its original language is Mlungu Wam, which translates to both “my employer” and “my white person.” As such, while the Madam is not physically present through most of the film, her influence is felt constantly as a haunting presence.
As a film that flirts with horror more than adheres to it, Good Madam resembles the critically acclaimed Bong Joon-ho film Parasite that also involves generations of a family in a position of servitude to a richer family centered around a mysterious house.
Tsidi sees the specter of a deceased dog and hears the ring of a bell that the Madam couldn’t be using. Household chores become disorienting as their sounds are made deafening and jolting.
The characters here are what make Good Madam go beyond its restrained story. Domestic workers tend to be in the background of media, never displayed in the front or dealing with their problems except in a few circumstances. “We must pretend to not be here?” asked the young daughter after Tsidi tells her what they can’t do in the house.
The story focuses on three generations of black South African women and how each of them deal with the weight of racism. Each person has their own viewpoint and reasons to be aggravated with the other. The struggles feel real and raw, informed by the director’s method of writing this film, a completely collaborative process with all the actors.
Bass has to say about her collaborative script:”The only way I was ever going to do anything that would maybe even approach authenticity was if I invited other people to take more ownership of the roles they were playing.”
Another aspect that looms in this film is the threat of homelessness: the discomfort Tsidi feels at being ejected from her home, and the fear of the Madam dying and forcing them all to find new living and financial arrangements. Because of this, Mavis is more than willing to enjoy her current arrangement, even though it is a racially unequal relationship.
What stood out most to me in Good Madam was the assaultive and haunting sound design. From the very beginning, the film utilizes sound to weaponize household objects. The score is also excellent, staying minimal but using human vocalization to create a scary atmosphere.
Good Madam is not full of jump scares like a traditional horror film, but it does contain some scenes of tasteful gore that will appeal to horror fans, along with the sense of dread and whisperings of an otherworldly presence.
This film is a great lens through which to look at post-apartheid South Africa and how it is reflected in a madam-maid relationship. It turns domestic life into a strange and alarming activity and puts generational strife into a small room together to see the results. For a low budget psychological horror film, it definitely has some frights to offer to horror fans that are willing to give its slow, character-driven story a chance. Check it out on Shudder July 14 and the trailer below.