When the Bough Breaks

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When the Bough Breaks

PG-13

2016

1h 42m

Drama

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Popcornmeter

12%

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25 Reviews

45%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

Young, professional and successful, John and Laura Taylor desperately want to have a baby, but are unable to conceive. After exhausting all other options, the couple hire Anna, a beautiful young woman who agrees to become a surrogate mother for the Taylors. Everything seems fine until Anna starts to develop a dangerous fixation with John as the pregnancy moves further along. The Taylors now find themselves playing a deadly game with a psychopath who holds the key to their future.

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Critics Consensus

Shallow, clichéd, and silly instead of suspenseful, When the Bough Breaks offers nothing domestic thriller fans haven't already seen before -- and done far better.

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K. Austin Collins

The Ringer

08/10/2017

Give us a When the Bough Breaks with smarter direction.

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Josh Kupecki

Austin Chronicle

09/15/2016

1/5

A neutered, paint-by-numbers snoozefest.

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Sheri Linden

The Hollywood Reporter

09/10/2016

A lazily written and generically directed Fatal Attraction knockoff.

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Andrew Galdi

Movie Bitches

05/06/2020

It was incredibly boring.

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Avaryl Halley

Movie Bitches

05/06/2020

This could've been so much more interesting. It really could have.

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Micheal Compton

Bowling Green Daily News

01/15/2019

F

The worst kind of thriller -- one where seemingly smart people keep doing dumb things over and over and over.

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Liam D

@Mediawatcher2003 06/14/2025

Easily one of the most generic thrillers I’ve ever seen that is part of a studio’s factory of movies that feels direct to DVD with bland direction by Emmy winner Jon Cassar (Terra Nova, Human Target) and a cast that is talented but aren’t trying in this film

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John G

@RT22059408 04/16/2025

Diction of the actors is appalling. Both the leads do not speak clearly so the story is difficult to follow. Gave up after half an hour

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Markman T

@RT70593011 01/22/2025

Morris chestnut is sexy as hell

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Lisa T

@RT65654354 01/18/2025

Plotline was fair enough, but has been done before so many times. Acting wasn't terrible, but it felt like a USA daytime tv movie. The script was so bad, the action even worse, the story horrendous. I went onto Netflix looking for a good thriller, the summary drew me in, but the film itself was awful. Do not watch, waste of 2+ hours.

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Martin W

@RT31182072 09/16/2024

Critics are wrong! I found movie to be suspenseful, provocative, thrilling and anything but predictable. Thoroughly enjoyable!

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03/18/2022

Script lacking…. I wanted to be on the edge of my seat but didn’t happen

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Jon Cassar

Director

Morris Chestnut

John Taylor

Regina Hall

Laura Taylor

Romany Malco

Todd Decker

Michael Kenneth Williams

Roland White

Glenn Morshower

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When the Bough Breaks: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Young, professional and successful, John and Laura Taylor desperately want to have a baby, but are unable to conceive. After exhausting all other options, the couple hire Anna, a beautiful young woman who agrees to become a surrogate mother for the Taylors. Everything seems fine until Anna starts to develop a dangerous fixation with John as the pregnancy moves further along. The Taylors now find themselves playing a deadly game with a psychopath who holds the key to their future.

Director: Jon Cassar
Producer: Robert Shaye, Michael Lynne
Screenwriter: Jack Olsen
Distributor: Sony Pictures Entertainment
Production Co: Unique Features
Rating: PG-13 (Sexuality/Partial Nudity|Language|Some Disturbing Images|Thematic Elements|Violence)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 9, 2016, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 27, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $29.7M
Runtime: 1h 42m
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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