27 times Deadly Illusions was the most unhinged thing Netflix has ever created

Deadly Illusions on Netflix. Wow. I need a moment to catch my breath. The film was nothing short of bizarre, and every moment you’re left questioning what’s real and what’s not. It’s nuts, and I’m not sure who at Netflix thought we needed this.

The films tells the story of best-selling author Mary Morrison. When she decides to add another book to her best-selling range, she also decides that to balance the workload she needs a nanny to help look after the kids. She hires Grace. And that’s about where are the normality ends.

There are affairs that may or may not be happening, a whole lot of intense relationships, murders, red flags and then throw in a wild and confusing ending to top it all off. Here’s every single time that proves Deadly Illusions is literally off the rails, and someone should probably have stopped this being created earlier on.

1. Mary just ‘didn’t see’ a letter offering her two million dollars

Right at the beginning of the film, we find out Mary’s husband Tom has done something dodgy and lost a lot of money (annoyingly, we never find out what he actually did but fine). Publishers visit Mary and give her a letter outlining their offer, if she agrees to write another book in her series.

When Tom arrives home and looks at the letter, he finds it says they’ve offered Mary two million dollars, to which Mary is all like “oops never saw that!” Sure. You just didn’t bother reading that letter did you? Didn’t think to check how much the offer was worth? No?

Right from this moment, just minutes in, I did not trust Mary to make any sensible decisions.

2. ‘I turn into a different person when I write’

I just know that this film is going to be over-dramatic and crazy from this moment onwards. The way Mary just a bit too intensely looks into the camera and says she’s a different person when she writes, knowing full well she’s about to start writing an entire book, is the realisation that everything is soon to spiral out of control.

3. Mary just accepts Grace into her home with no proof of who she is

Did anyone else just get the immediate impression, probably from the intense and over the top music that’s been playing all the time, that Grace was going to be dodgy? I somehow just knew that she wasn’t going to be like the other nannies Mary interviewed, and when she greeted her with “you must be from Huntsman Enterprises” this was an immediate red flag. You NEVER give someone the chance to just say “yes” at your door, you let them tell you the company they are from and ask for proof. Everyone knows this, right?

After already being able to tell that Grace is shady, in her interview she’s throwing around words like “obsessed” and has this strange too good to be true creepy intense smile. Within minutes she’s getting heavily involved with the kids and talking with them – it’s too intense too quick. And when Mary took her into the office room and Grace went full fangirl mode over being in the presence of a writer – that should have been the final hint that this wasn’t good. NEVER HIRE A FANGIRL.

4. OK THE BATHING SUIT SCENE WTF

Things are getting too intense already, everything is a red flag. Grace is borrowing skimpy little bathing suits from Mary already, and getting changed openly in front of her with no single hint of coyness. Also, she’s taking the kids swimming not doing an 80s aerobics class, please what is this? Then the classic slow-mo walk out the pool followed by the intense water camera transition – you know it’s kicking off here.

5. Let’s take a moment to appreciate when Mary took Grace bra shopping when they’d known each other for a day

I’m not entirely sure there’s any sort of timeline here, because it appears as though within a day Mary is taking her new nanny bra shopping????? She is literally stark naked from the waist upwards whilst Mary puts her bra on for her. Side note: If both the mother and the nanny are here, who is looking after the kids?

6. Grace just walks into Mary and Tom’s bedroom at night time

I think by now we have established there are literally no boundaries here.

7. And now Mary is fantasying about Grace literally all the time

Everything is all getting a bit toooooo weird now. It started with Mary staring down Grace’s top, and now Mary is in a meeting, worth two million dollars if you remember, and all she’s thinking about is the new nanny?

8. ‘One minute she’s an innocent, young child, next minute she’s this master seductress’

This line alone is an arrestable offence. Mary then follows this up by saying Grace is like her “sexual servant”. What?!

9. When Mary had to double check Grace was old enough to drink

Right, this just solidfies that the family literally know nothing about the woman they have let into their home and trust with their kids. They don’t know how old she is? And if Mary has to check if she’s old enough to drink, but isn’t questioning if she’s old enough to be picturing her naked all the time, I think there are some big issues going on here.

10. This moment when Mary woke up and fantasied this

Right before this Grace broke down saying she’s never felt more at home here, and Mary didn’t even question that this was a bit much considering Grace has been here like two days. Now she’s just picturing her sucking on her neck as she sleeps. Lovely. But then tbh, was this in Mary’s imagination or did it happen? Who knows.

11. The whole bath scene

I’m kinda questioning if anything I’m seeing is real life or if it’s all in Mary’s head. Either way, shit like the scene where Grace was prepping a bath for her are weird. these all deadly illusions??? Is this what’s happening here??? Is she imagining all of this because her mind runs away with her when she’s writing??? Have I cracked the whole film or at this point has the whole film cracked me??? I’m not sure. Send help.

Again, who is looking after the kids right now. Worst nanny ever.

12. Why did Tom not say anything when Grace grabbed his son and snapped at him?

One of their kids, who I’m pretty sure remain unnamed throughout the whole film which just shows how much everyone cares about them, tries to enter Mary’s writing room. Grace snaps at him, and grabs his arm and clearly hurts him in the process. Tom literally just stands there and lets it slide like nothing happened?

13. Why does Grace not tell them how old she is?

Truly the most unhinged thing about Deadly Illusions is the plot hole that a seemingly happy and normal family would allow a woman they know absolutely nothing about look after their children. Grace outright refuses to tell them her age, and they don’t know her full name or anything about her. How old is she?

Also, surely this is the kind of thing that’s on some sort of form with the company they hired her from? Would it not have been an issue that there was no process behind this entire thing? How was this all allowed to happen? If your nanny is that secrative and strange you’d just sack her off, let’s be real.

14. All of the moments where I don’t know what’s real and what’s not

I think by this point we need to take a moment to think about all the many many times where the audience has no idea what’s real, and what are these so-called Deadly Illusions. Honestly, how do I even feel right now? I’m not sure. Is this real life?

15. Oh go on then, chuck in an affair with Tom too

Just because there wasn’t enough going on already.

16. Now Mary is screaming about them shagging, at the dinner table

Alright, we’ve officially lost the plot here. Mary is sat at “sacred family time” yelling about seeing her husband shagging the nanny on the kitchen counter. The kids are weeping and so am I. All hell has broken loose.

17. GRACE DOESN’T EVEN WORK FOR THE NANNY COMPANY

Of course she doesn’t! I knew it! Nothing about this girl is true! The second Mary let her waltz into their house it was staring her in the face. But why, oh please tell me why, is Mary not sacking her on the spot? CONFRONT HER. YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT HER. SHE HAS LIED. SHE LOOKS AFTER YOUR CHILDREN. HONEY PLEASE. GET HER OUT OF YOUR HOUSE. NOW.

18. Elaine is dead!!!!!!!!!!!!

NOW MARY’S BEST FRIEND IS DEAD. Help me please, this movie has spiralled out of control so quickly. Why is this all happening? And now, is that Mary walking out on the CCTV from Elaine’s office or Grace dressed as her? This film has lost its head and honestly, same.

19. I present you with the most unhinged screenshot from this film

This and this alone.

20. Was it necessary for Grace’s family to be so creepy or?

Again, something we just never really got any context for, so it seems like Grace’s family was just thrown in to haunt my dreams too. Cheers Netflix, you’re the realest.

21. GRACE SLASHED TOM

The end is nigh. Out of nowhere, Grace is now stabbing Tom, naturally. The music and the weird conversation between Tom and Grace is all starting to feel like a strange American Horror Story-esque Ryan Murphy series.

22. When Mary just casually trusted Grace to call 911

You’ve just been on a lil investigation “with reason to believe she [Grace] is dangerous”, you come back to your home and your husband is half dead on the floor and you’re not ringing help? Instead you’re trusting the crazed nanny, who probably did this, and is armed with a knife to do it? And not questioning why she spent all of two seconds apparently on the phone to an ambulance? Have these people lost all their god damn sense?!

23. THE SPOOKY ROBOT VOICE THING HELP I AM WEEPING

Right okay who is this girl and why is it necessary to have this switchy creepy voice thing that will definitely haunt my dreams forever. I can’t keep track of how the mood keeps switching back and forth. I’m constantly looking at my screen like that blinking man meme, because there’s too much to digest here.

24. Grace is saying she’s gonna kill Mary, so she’s lightly jogging away

Mary stops to check behind her as she briskly walks away from a PSYCHOPATH WITH A KNIFE SHOUTING “KILL A BITCH”. GET A MOVE ON. And now she’s trying to hide in the fridge, sure.

25. This entire struggle scene has lost the plot

What flew out of the food processor? Who even is Grace? Who’s this other person within Grace? I’ve only just recovered from Behind Her Eyes, don’t give me this sort of stuff again I can’t cope.

26. And now Mary is actually saying she still loves her and has faith in her?

After it’s pretty clear Grace (or whoever she actually is) has killed Mary’s best friend, left her husband for dead and tried to kill her, Mary is out here saying “I love you too sweet girl”. What????? Are you okay????? Let this girl GO. She is not safe in your home what are you doing???!!!

27. WHAT DID THAT ENDING EVEN MEAN PLEASE

At the end of Deadly Illusions we see someone walking out of the hospital where Grace is now being treated. Was that Mary? Was that Grace? Did I just watch all of that for nothing? Please? Send help?

Deadly Illusions is available on Netflix now. For all the latest Netflix news, quizzes, drops and memes like The Holy Church of Netflix on Facebook. 

Related stories recommended by this writer:

• Deadly Illusions ending explained: What in the hell did all of that even mean?

• Just 29 memes which sum up how wild Deadly Illusions on Netflix truly is

• All the details and clues in Behind Her Eyes on Netflix that you definitely missed