Hulu’s 2025 remake of “The Hand That Rocks the Cradle” misses the horror mark but excels in its commentary on maternal anxiety.
Taking inspiration from the 1992 box office hit “The Hand That Rocks the Cradle,” which grossed $140 million worldwide while being a number one box office success, this new reboot from Hulu had big shoes to fill.
The movie is directed by celebrated filmmaker Michelle Garza Cervera, best known for her work on “Huesera,” which earned a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Cervera’s work explores the fragile mental health of women after childbirth, which is brought back in her 2025 film.
Plagued by mystery from the start, the film begins with hands striking a match and a subsequent fire ravaging a house. The camera then pans toward a girl who screams from her yard as the burning house’s reflection is visible in her eyes.
Jumping to the present day, we meet our two main characters: Polly Murphy, a struggling childcare worker (Maika Monroe), and her pro bono lawyer, Caitlin Morales (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). When Caitlin is out running errands with her husband and two children, she runs into her client.
As the two start to talk, Polly opens up about the continued troubles she has with her landlord. While Caitlin tries to give her advice, her husband comes back with a jar of pesto. Caitlin immediately rejects it, and almost in sync, Polly cites the same reason, harping on the saturated fats.
This moment plants a seed of confidence in Caitlin’s mind that Polly would be a good childcare worker.
Throughout the movie, we see Polly slowly insert herself into Caitlin’s mentally draining life as a more stable successor, an ode to the 1992 original. At first, the two seem to share a genuine connection through their open conversations about sexuality and the kindness Polly shows toward Caitlin’s older daughter.
However, Polly gradually shifts into a darker influence, spewing conservative ideals toward Caitlin’s daughter about sexuality to turn her against her mother and isolate Caitlin from her own family.
The movie wraps up with a violent fight scene between Polly and Caitlin, leaving viewers with a satisfying ending to this nerve-racking film.
While the film is marketed as horror, I do not believe the fear it produces can warrant calling it a scary film. Saying this film’s lowlights are its attempts at horror and fear would be correct.
This film shines in its targeted criticism and portrayal of postpartum mental health. Caitlin tries to be the ideal, health-conscious mom for her kids, never feeding them sugar and monitoring everything from the food they eat to the bottles they drink from.
This is done in good faith, as the mom even cites her generation as a “lost cause” when it comes to the consumption of microplastics. The film pushes the narrative that moms of this generation care deeply for their children while neglecting their own health.
The sugar Caitlin so desperately hates is hidden in her own diet through the M&M’s she sneaks. Furthermore, she must put on a façade of happiness for her kids while the film not-so-subtly indicates her use of antidepressant drugs.
Overall, the domestic thriller misses its mark when it comes to the suspense and mystery it tries to deliver, but makes up for its shortcomings through a thoughtful commentary on maternal nature.
Rating: 2.5/5