Good Madam 2022

Still grieving the loss of her cherished grandmother, single mother Tsidi finds herself compelled to leave her home in Gugulethu due to an irreparable conflict with her relatives, who have ambitions for the family property. With no alternative shelter and a 9-year-old daughter, Winnie, to care for, Tsidi is reluctantly driven to reach out to her estranged mother Mavis. Mavis has spent the last three decades as a live-in domestic for a white woman known as Madam.

Tsidi harbors resentment towards Mavis for her absence during Tsidi’s upbringing, believing her mother was excessively devoted to Madam’s family. Despite Madam being bedridden and her sons living overseas, Mavis continues to labor in the large, empty suburban house. With a mixture of reluctance and obligation, Mavis allows Tsidi and Winnie to stay, although it forces Tsidi to confront painful childhood memories of feeling isolated, while Winnie revels in their newfound surroundings.

Mavis insists that Tsidi and Winnie occupy the cramped maid’s quarters, despite the numerous empty rooms. Upon discovering that Madam is not merely bedridden but seemingly catatonic, Tsidi resolves to transform the house into a sanctuary on her own terms. However, she soon encounters unsettling supernatural forces that seem to resist her attempts. As she delves deeper, Tsidi starts to believe that Madam’s condition is a façade, and that a dark, eerie presence lurks within the house.

Her concerns about safety grow, especially as unexpected chaos unfolds with the arrival of Stuart, Mavis’s adopted son who brings his own complicated intentions regarding the ‘family.’ The fragile relationship between Tsidi and Mavis hangs by a thread, augmenting Tsidi’s fear for her daughter and straining her bond with Winnie. In desperation, Tsidi seeks the guidance of her grandmother’s spirit in hopes of unveiling the sinister truths underlying Madam’s terrifying legacy.