Copyright CinemaBlend
The horror genre has a wonderful history of elevating its female stars. In taking on evil in all different forms, heroines make the transformation from terrorized victim to indomitable survivor, and even after seeing it play out thousands of times on the big screen, it never gets old. Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Maika Monroe are two actors who have earned great acclaim and followings from this terrific cinematic tradition, and while that puts a certain amount of extra pressure on Michelle Garza Cervera’s The Hand That Rocks The Cradle as a film that sees them join forces (on beyond the pressure of being a remake), the movie proves worthy of their talents and gets a lot out of them as clashing forces. The story’s foundation is the understandable fear of a parent putting the health and safety of their children in the hands of a caregiver, but it builds on top of that an exciting thriller that doesn’t underestimate the audience and is able to successfully unleash a number of surprises. And with its two genre veterans in the principal roles, it’s also able to complete two character arcs with notable complexity that allows one to ultimately see from both perspectives with equal weight. Scripted by Micah Bloomberg, the film has Mary Elizabeth Winstead playing Caitlyn Morales, a lawyer and mother who we meet as she is about to give birth to her second daughter. She first meets Polly Murphy (Maika Monroe) at a work event, offering legal assistance for a conflict the latter is having with her landlord, and they reconnect a few months later after the new baby is born. Polly is a nanny who is jobless after the previous family she worked for moved away, and between being overwhelmed with the new child and feeling a connection with her, Caitlyn consults with her husband Miguel (Raúl Castillo) and makes the call to hire her. Eventually, the job goes from part-time to full-time, as Polly moves into the guest house, and things seem fine… but, of course, they are not. Genial and responsible as she may seem, the nanny has a secret, and she is using her employment as a means of executing some long sought for revenge. With its familiar story foundation, The Hand That Rocks The Cradle avoids a number of clichés in favor of compelling twists. Going into watching the new film without having seen the Curtis Hanson-directed original, my worst fear was that the movie would foolishly try and keep the antagonist’s sinister intentions a secret for as long as possible – but that’s a trap that The Hand That Rocks The Cradle nimbly avoids. Polly dons an effective mask as she integrates herself into the Morales household, particularly well-liked by Emma (Mileiah Vega), Caitlyn and Miguel’s older daughter, but she pokes and prods at the domesticity and Caitlyn’s sanity with escalating impact. The initiates manipulation psychologically, earning Emma’s preference and playing on the protagonist’s history with same sex relationships, but that leads to bigger swings including poisoning, drugging, and eventually intense violence. While Polly’s malicious goals aren’t kept hidden from the audience, the root of her hunger for vengeance and her past connection with Caitlyn are, and that ends up being the movie’s secret weapon. It can’t be said that it’s a mystery that builds, as Polly doesn’t go about leaving a number of obscure clues we can follow like breadcrumbs; it simply unleashes its big secrets across two scenes in the third act. But that being said (and I’m going to be very careful about not giving too much away), the answers to the questions are effectively shocking and add dimension in unexpected ways. The turns by Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Maika Monroe make The Hand That Rocks The Cradle a special delight for genre fans. For genre fans, having Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Maika Monroe go toe-to-toe is the big draw of The Hand That Rocks The Cradle, and both get meaty material to work with. Winstead has the more familiar territory to work in, but it makes her performance no less impressive. Caitlyn presents herself as being a put-together professional (the star’s charisma softening some of her Type A edges), but the character also has a history of mental instability that Polly ends up preying on, and it offers the actor an excellent opportunity for a downward spiral fueled by gaslighting, swapped medications, and rising fear for her family. Obviously, it ends up being a turn full of heightened emotions, and Winstead meets every moment. With a filmography including standout titles such as The Guest, It Follows, Watcher and Longlegs, Monroe is the one who is really expanding her range with the film – and it would seem that she has learned a great deal starring opposite actors like Dan Stevens, Burn Gorman and Nicolas Cage. Sweetness and seduction from the actor let the character dig her claws into the Morales home – but what is really awesome to watch are the moments when her aforementioned mask slips. She doesn’t appear as a physical threat, but the boiling rage that bubbles behind her eyes offers an intense menace, and it’s paired with a serious tenacity that lets Polly pop. There is a certain bluntness to the storytelling, specifically because the movie is so hyper-focused on the dynamic between Caitlyn and Polly, but it ends up earning that focus thanks to the strength of the characters and the performances that bring them to life. It’s a shame that it’s not getting a theatrical release, as its arrival in the fall could have made it a real big screen treat in a spooky season that feels a bit lacking in them (even while 2025 has been amazing for horror). As it stands, however, The Hand That Rocks The Cradle is definitely a title to add to your watch list as you prepare to marathon horror movies in celebration of the Halloween holiday.
