It’s a known fact that in films, the nanny (or manny) must have magical powers to accompany their parental wisdom. This is especially true in director-writer Venita Ozols-Graham and co-writer Brigitte Graham’s short film, The Ossan.
Alexis (Brigitte Graham) is a recent widow trying to get her and her step-family’s lives back together after the death of her husband. The problem is her two stepsons, Cole (Pappy Faulkner) and Brandon (Dean Hermansen), want nothing to do with their “not my real” mother. The maid, Rika (Toy Lei), suggests that Alexis hire a Japanese Ossan to help mediate between Alexis and her stepsons. However, when the Ossan (Keisuke Hoashi) arrives for dinner, Cole and Brandon lay out their entire plan to remove Alexis from the picture.

“…Cole and Brandon lay out their entire plan to remove Alexis from the picture.”
The story of The Ossan is pretty straightforward, setting the gap between protagonist Alexis and her antagonistic stepsons as far apart as possible. I mean, those brats are evil. The ending includes some practical and CG special effects that are not worth spoiling in regard to the Ossan’s true nature.
I would have liked to see the ending link closer to the nature of the conflict versus the comeuppance ending instead in the end. Still, The Ossan is a nice and tidy short thriller with a twinge of Twilight Zone mixed in.
For screening information, visit The Ossan official website.