REVIEW: “The Hand That Rocks the Cradle” (2025)

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Hulu’s new movie, “The Hand That Rocks the Cradle,” might ring a bell for those who remember the 1992 film of the same name, starring Annabella Sciorra and Rebecca De Mornay. While the original wasn’t a critical success, it was a fun and suspenseful thriller. Unfortunately, this new version doesn’t live up to its predecessor.

This new version of the 1992 film, directed by Michelle Garza Cervera and written by Micah Bloomberg, keeps the same general plot as the original, but tells a less compelling story around it. While it does differentiate itself from the first movie, it’s largely a dull update that depends on characters making poor choices and asks viewers to accept increasingly frustrating situations.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead delivers a strong performance as Caitlin Morales, a Los Angeles lawyer who recently had a baby. Caitlin and her husband, Miguel (Raúl Castillo), seem to have it all – a comfortable life in a nice neighborhood, with their biggest worries being fast traffic and a request for a stop sign.

Caitlin is going back to work and wants to prevent another difficult postpartum experience like the one she had after her first child. To get help with childcare, she and her husband, Miguel, hire a nanny named Polly Murphy (Maika Monroe) to look after their daughters, 10-year-old Emma and newborn Josie. Caitlin is impressed by Polly’s knowledge of things like healthy fats and plastics in the environment. Polly quickly becomes part of the family, and they even offer her a room in their house.

It’s surprising, but Polly’s quiet, intense, and cold personality actually makes Caitlin and Miquel trust her completely. We, as the audience, quickly realize she’s deceptive and not who she seems to be. We see her secretly disobey Caitlin’s rules to get the children to like her, and carefully manipulates Emma to turn against her mother.

Okay, so it took Caitlin way too long to figure things out, and honestly, Miguel was completely useless – he wouldn’t notice a neon sign if it was right in front of him! What followed was just a grueling hour of Polly manipulating Caitlin, pushing her to the absolute limit. It got seriously frustrating because the movie just kept repeating the same cycle: Polly being awful, Caitlin struggling, and Miguel being totally clueless. And the worst part? Any reason why Polly was doing all this was hidden until way too late, completely killing any suspense the movie might have had.

The movie tries too hard to update the original story, and these attempts often feel uninspired. A prime example is how clumsily it handles the topic of childhood trauma. Surprisingly, the film lacks real suspense, despite having a promising setup. While the story does gain momentum towards the end, the quick reveals in the final act aren’t enough to fully redeem it. You can now watch “The Hand that Rocks the Cradle” on Hulu.

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2025-10-23 16:57