A suburban family chooses seemingly sweet Peyton Flanders as their newborn's nanny. Only much later does the infant's mother, Claire Bartel, realize Peyton's true intentions -- to destroy Claire and replace her in the family. The nail-biting suspense builds quickly in this chilling psychological thriller about deception and bitter revenge.
At its best, The Hand That Rocks the Cradle is a bright, nasty psychological thriller with a joker up its sleeve.
– Peter Rainer,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Jul 2013
rotten:
With its banal, docile household threatened by an enemy within, the film is like The Stepfather without wit or irony.
– Michael Sragow,
New Yorker,
10 Jul 2013
rotten:
The careful structure of THTRTC guarantees that the movie will generate a fair amount of suspense throughout. But the single-mindedness of the movie is a genuine limitation, and, watching it, you begin to feel spoon-fed.
– Jay Boyar,
Orlando Sentinel,
10 Jul 2013
fresh:
The film is unusually gripping.
– Carrie Rickey,
Philadelphia Inquirer,
10 Jul 2013
fresh:
This is De Mornay's film and she's a wicked treat, looking daggers at her enemy one moment and then glazing over with sweetness the next.