When the Bough Breaks

Play trailer

2:00

When the Bough Breaks

PG-13

2016

1h 42m

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

12%

Tomatometer

25 Reviews

45%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

Young, professional and successful, John and Laura Taylor desperately want to have a baby, but are unable to conceive. After exhausting all other options, the couple hire Anna, a beautiful young woman who agrees to become a surrogate mother for the Taylors. Everything seems fine until Anna starts to develop a dangerous fixation with John as the pregnancy moves further along. The Taylors now find themselves playing a deadly game with a psychopath who holds the key to their future.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

Shallow, clichéd, and silly instead of suspenseful, When the Bough Breaks offers nothing domestic thriller fans haven't already seen before -- and done far better.

Read Critics Reviews

K. Austin Collins

The Ringer

08/10/2017

Give us a When the Bough Breaks with smarter direction.

Go to Full Review

Josh Kupecki

Austin Chronicle

09/15/2016

1/5

A neutered, paint-by-numbers snoozefest.

Go to Full Review

Sheri Linden

The Hollywood Reporter

09/10/2016

A lazily written and generically directed Fatal Attraction knockoff.

Go to Full Review

Andrew Galdi

Movie Bitches

05/06/2020

It was incredibly boring.

Go to Full Review

Avaryl Halley

Movie Bitches

05/06/2020

This could've been so much more interesting. It really could have.

Go to Full Review

Micheal Compton

Bowling Green Daily News

01/15/2019

F

The worst kind of thriller -- one where seemingly smart people keep doing dumb things over and over and over.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Liam D

@Mediawatcher2003 06/14/2025

Easily one of the most generic thrillers I’ve ever seen that is part of a studio’s factory of movies that feels direct to DVD with bland direction by Emmy winner Jon Cassar (Terra Nova, Human Target) and a cast that is talented but aren’t trying in this film

See more

John G

@RT22059408 04/16/2025

Diction of the actors is appalling. Both the leads do not speak clearly so the story is difficult to follow. Gave up after half an hour

See more

Markman T

@RT70593011 01/22/2025

Morris chestnut is sexy as hell

See more

Lisa T

@RT65654354 01/18/2025

Plotline was fair enough, but has been done before so many times. Acting wasn't terrible, but it felt like a USA daytime tv movie. The script was so bad, the action even worse, the story horrendous. I went onto Netflix looking for a good thriller, the summary drew me in, but the film itself was awful. Do not watch, waste of 2+ hours.

See more

Martin W

@RT31182072 09/16/2024

Critics are wrong! I found movie to be suspenseful, provocative, thrilling and anything but predictable. Thoroughly enjoyable!

See more

03/18/2022

Script lacking…. I wanted to be on the edge of my seat but didn’t happen

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Jon Cassar

Director

Morris Chestnut

John Taylor

Regina Hall

Laura Taylor

Romany Malco

Todd Decker

Michael Kenneth Williams

Roland White

Glenn Morshower

Martin Cooper

Tyler Perry's Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor

22%

66%

Tyler Perry's Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor

Watchlist

Black or White

37%

65%

Black or White

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Black or White

Gifted

73%

85%

Gifted

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Gifted

Elizabeth Blue

58%

97%

Elizabeth Blue

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Elizabeth Blue

Same Kind of Different as Me

44%

84%

Same Kind of Different as Me

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Same Kind of Different as Me

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

When the Bough Breaks: Trailer 2

2:00

When the Bough Breaks: Trailer 1

2:26

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

Young, professional and successful, John and Laura Taylor desperately want to have a baby, but are unable to conceive. After exhausting all other options, the couple hire Anna, a beautiful young woman who agrees to become a surrogate mother for the Taylors. Everything seems fine until Anna starts to develop a dangerous fixation with John as the pregnancy moves further along. The Taylors now find themselves playing a deadly game with a psychopath who holds the key to their future.

Director: Jon Cassar
Producer: Robert Shaye, Michael Lynne
Screenwriter: Jack Olsen
Distributor: Sony Pictures Entertainment
Production Co: Unique Features
Rating: PG-13 (Sexuality/Partial Nudity|Language|Some Disturbing Images|Thematic Elements|Violence)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 9, 2016, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 27, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $29.7M
Runtime: 1h 42m
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)