One highly specific form of cinema that’s been gradually eroded to the chagrin of many is the decently-budgeted psychological thriller geared towards older audiences, something that was all the rage in the 1980s and 90s, but stands out as a rarity in today’s IP-favoring landscape. One of the most popular examples was and still is The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, which is riding a renewed wave of momentum a full 30 years on from its initial release.
Rebecca De Mornay gives an iconically chilling performance (one that landed her an MTV Movie Award for Best Villain, no less) as Peyton Mott. Plunged into grief and despair after sexual misconduct allegations against her husband lead to him committing suicide and her losing their baby, she decides to seek a uniquely unsettling form of revenge by infiltrating the family of her late spouse’s accuser as the nanny.
Things get intense, unnerving, and weird very quickly, and it’s clear to see from the reactions to a Reddit thread lauding The Hand That Rocks the Cradle that both the film itself and De Mornay’s performance remain more than capable of sending chills down the spine as her increasingly unhinged antagonist attempts to tear the Bartel clan apart from the inside out.
A $140 million take at the box office back in 1992, a warm reception from critics, and an enduring reputation as a firm favorite isn’t a bad return, and it’s even more heartening to know that at least three attempts to remake The Hand That Rocks the Cradle have failed to climb out of development hell, because some stories are much better off left alone.
Published: Nov 9, 2022 04:34 am