The Hand That Rocks the Cradle
Hulu | Release Date (Streaming): October 22, 2025 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
52
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 14 Critic Reviews
Positive:
5
Mixed:
9
Negative:
0

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
60
VarietySiddhant AdlakhaOct 22, 2025
Unfortunately, the piece ends up laid low by a climax that peters out by taking itself too seriously, but the film’s totality is still made worthwhile by its central performances. Read full review
60
The GuardianBenjamin LeeOct 22, 2025
Horror director Michelle Garza Cervera opts for the muted slow-burn (it’s a convincing argument for more studio work) and Winstead gives an earnest performance, the film for the most part existing in a recognisably grounded dramatic universe. But the plotting is often laughably hokey and its flashes of violence so distractingly grotesque that it’s never quite clear how seriously we should be taking any of this, a campy good time masquerading as prestige drama. Read full review
50
Screen RantMae AbdulbakiOct 24, 2025
Cervera’s film is consistently intriguing, elevated by the dynamic between Winstead and Monroe, who have solid onscreen chemistry. Read full review
50
The Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneyOct 22, 2025
By the time questions are answered, not just regarding Polly but also the way in which her history intersects with Caitlin’s, the glacial pacing and lack of suspense have dulled the thriller’s hook. Read full review
50
Next Best PictureCody DericksOct 22, 2025
Rather than feeling like the kind of culture-shifting moment the original film became, this remake is more of a shrug, destined to be sadly scrolled past by disinterested streaming audiences. Read full review
42
The PlaylistAlly JohnsonOct 22, 2025
Like so many straight-to-streaming releases, there are sparks of life here, but it all feels like a yawning afterthought that any strengths won’t so much be overlooked due to the flaws, but forgotten altogether because there’s simply not enough here to latch onto, good or bad. Read full review
42
IndieWireDavid EhrlichOct 22, 2025
The Hand That Rocks the Cradle is easily at its best whenever it digs into the art of repression — repressed feelings, repressed desires, repressed pain. Read full review
40
EmpireLaura VenningOct 24, 2025
A genuine disappointment from an intriguing, potentially even subversive premise. It’s another commanding performance to add to Monroe’s oeuvre, but this Cradle is more frustrating and forgettable than it is thrilling. Read full review
40
The New York TimesChris AzzopardiOct 22, 2025
While De Mornay was chilling as a woman haunted by a miscarriage and her husband’s suicide, Monroe is merely chilly, lumbering like a mopey teenager stuck with reciting unintentionally funny lines that aim for sexy but kill the mood. Read full review
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