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The Hand That Rocks The Cradle

Play trailer 2:25 Poster for The Hand That Rocks The Cradle R 2025 1h 42m Mystery & Thriller Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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42% Tomatometer 62 Reviews 28% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
Mary Elizabeth Winstead stars as Caitlin Morales, an upscale suburban mom who brings a new nanny, Polly Murphy (Maika Monroe), into her home, only to discover she is not the person she claims to be.
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The Hand That Rocks The Cradle

The Hand That Rocks The Cradle

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Critics Consensus

A flat and unnecessary remake that squanders its premise on convoluted plotting and meager thrills, The Hand That Rocks The Cradle is salvaged only slightly by Maika Monroe's committed performance.

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Critics Reviews

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Christy Lemire FilmWeek (LAist) Nov 10
This movie is not lurid enough. I wanted tawdry, cheesy early 90's thriller, and this doesn't hard enough into that. Go to Full Review
Peter Travers The Travers Take Oct 31
2.5/4
I didn’t believe a word of it. Convoluted barely describes the explanations put forth. But this is Halloween season, people, and we take our thrills and chills when they come. Go to Full Review
Randy Myers San Jose Mercury News Oct 30
2/4
Winstead gives it her all but Monroe fails to give anyone the creeps. Go to Full Review
Enrique Abenia Cinemanía (Spain) Nov 22
2/5
The remake of the 90s title seeks its own tone but fails to generate the interest that its predecessor did, largely due to its script excesses. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review
Emiliano Basile EscribiendoCine Nov 21
6/10
The production makes an admirable effort to update the plot to reflect modern conflicts (gender, class, trauma). However, it pales in comparison to the transcendence and lasting impact of the classic that inspired it. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review
Patrick Beatty ABC4 Utah Nov 16
This is an easily forgettable film. Silly dialogue and moments that make you cringe with secondhand embarrassment as opposed to actual fear. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Meghan W 6d Much better than I expected and I like how it didn’t stick to the original like a glove. It wasn’t an exact clone. The film more so hinted the spirit of the original and gave us a textured view of trauma. See more sebastiano m Dec 2 Unfortunately, this is a wasted opportunity, a disastrous remake from every perspective, even without having seen the previous film, especially since a comparison with its predecessor would be merciless. I understand that a remake shouldn't be an identical copy of the original, but neither should it completely overturn the original by changing and distorting it. Here, practically everything was lost by revisiting it in a contemporary way, even bringing in some contemporary themes, which unfortunately didn't mesh well with this film because the idea was simply missing. See more Shai L Nov 30 Stupidest movie ever. Overused plot where no one believes the character thats turns out right. Movie made me want to end myself. See more Timothy E Nov 28 The original is much much better. This was pretty slow I had to skip fast forward. When her 10 year old daughter started talking about she wanted a woman. And then the thing with the firecracker. She should have fire her then. See more Rebecca H Nov 26 The original far surpassed this, i found myself scrolling whilst watching. I had to fast forward in parts to just get through it. See more michael k Nov 23 This movie was disgusting in so many ways. Not good at all save yourself the dissapointment. See more Read all reviews
The Hand That Rocks The Cradle

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Movie Info

Synopsis Mary Elizabeth Winstead stars as Caitlin Morales, an upscale suburban mom who brings a new nanny, Polly Murphy (Maika Monroe), into her home, only to discover she is not the person she claims to be.
Director
Michelle Garza Cervera
Producer
Ted Field, Mike Larocca, Michael Schaefer
Screenwriter
Micah Bloomberg, Micah Bloomberg
Distributor
Hulu
Production Co
20th Century Studios
Rating
R (Language|Some Strong/Bloody Violence|Sexual Content)
Genre
Mystery & Thriller, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Oct 22, 2025
Runtime
1h 42m
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