Poster for The Hand That Rocks the Cradle

The Hand That Rocks the Cradle

1992, Mystery & thriller, 1h 50m

52 Reviews 25,000+ Ratings

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The Hand That Rocks the Cradle Photos

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The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (1992) photo 9

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A scene from the film "The Hand That Rocks The Cradle." photo 18

A scene from the film "The Hand That Rocks The Cradle." photo 19

A scene from the film "The Hand That Rocks The Cradle." photo 20

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Movie Info

When she was assaulted by her doctor, Claire Bartel (Annabella Sciorra) reported him to the police, and rather than go to prison for his crime, he killed himself. The shock of the accusations and suicide caused the doctor's pregnant wife, Peyton (Rebecca De Mornay), to have a miscarriage. Driven mad with rage, Peyton poses as a nanny for the Bartel family. Her plan: to tear Claire's life apart, seduce her husband (Matt McCoy) and eventually murder the woman she blames for ruining her life.

Rating:

R
Genre:

Mystery & thriller
Original Language:

English
Director:

Curtis Hanson
Producer:

David Madden
Writer:

Amanda Silver
Release Date (Theaters):

Jan 10, 1992 original
Release Date (Streaming):

Dec 8, 1998
Box Office (Gross USA):

$87.5M
Runtime:

1h 50m
Distributor:

Buena Vista Pictures
Sound Mix:

Surround, Stereo

Cast & Crew

Annabella Sciorra

Annabella Sciorra
Claire Bartel

Rebecca De Mornay

Rebecca De Mornay
Peyton Flanders, Mrs. Mott

Matt McCoy
Michael Bartel

Ernie Hudson
Solomon

Julianne Moore
Marlene Craven

Madeline Zima
Emma Bartel

Show all Cast & Crew

Critic Reviews for The Hand That Rocks the Cradle

All Critics (52) | Top Critics (18) | Fresh (34) | Rotten (18)

Full Review… Henry Sheehan Chicago Reader

Full Review… Michael Upchurch Seattle Times

Full Review… Carrie Rickey Philadelphia Inquirer

Full Review… Jay Boyar Orlando Sentinel

Full Review… Michael Sragow New Yorker

Full Review… Peter Rainer Los Angeles Times

Full Review… Quentin Crisp Christopher Street

Full Review… Joe Lipsett Anatomy of a Scream Podcast Network

Full Review… David Nusair Reel Film Reviews

Full Review… Malcolm Johnson Hartford Courant

Full Review… Andrea Beach Common Sense Media

Full Review… Candice Russell South Florida Sun-Sentinel

View All Critic Reviews (52)

Audience Reviews for The Hand That Rocks the Cradle

Dec 11, 2020

Annabella Sciorra's performance as a stressed out wife who becomes suspicious of the behavior of her new nanny is the reason to watch this predictable thriller.

Aldo G Super Reviewer
Sep 06, 2012

The smash success of <i>Fatal Attraction</i> ushered in a new era of thrillers starring demented and dangerous women. Among the best followers along with <i>Single White Female</i> is this effectively disturbing "nanny from hell" story.

Doctor S Super Reviewer
Oct 27, 2011

Great suspense and scary scenes. Make sure you choose the nanny wisely

Sylvester K Super Reviewer
Jun 04, 2010

Fucking stupid movie that my local tv channel used to run almost daily.

Tsubaki S Super Reviewer

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