When the Bough Breaks (2016)

A surrogate mom for a couple becomes dangerously obsessed with the soon-to-be father.

Director:

Jon Cassar

Writers:

Jack Olsen (screenplay), Jack Olsen

Stars:

Morris Chestnut, Regina Hall, Romany Malco

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Morris Chestnut	...	John Taylor
Regina Hall	...	Laura Taylor
Romany Malco	...	Todd Decker
Michael Kenneth Williams	...	Roland White (as Michael K. Williams)
Glenn Morshower	...	Martin Cooper
Theo Rossi	...	Mike Mitchell
Jaz Sinclair	...	Anna Walsh
GiGi Erneta	...	Dr. Grace Park
Tom Nowicki	...	Peter Kaye
Denise Gossett	...	Carol
Janee Michelle	...	John's Mother
Carrie Lazar	...	Yoga Instructor
Ariadne Joseph	...	Nurse
Matthew M. Mitchell	...	Security Guard (as Matt Mitchell)
Maurice Johnson	...	Security Guard

Storyline

John and Laura Taylor (Morris Chestnut and Regina Hall) are a young, professional couple who desperately want a baby. After exhausting all other options, they finally hire Anna (Jaz Sinclair), the perfect woman to be their surrogate - but as she gets further along in her pregnancy, so too does her psychotic and dangerous fixation on the husband. The couple becomes caught up in Anna's deadly game and must fight to regain control of their future before it's too late.

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Plot Keywords:

sex scene | surrogate mother | title based on nursery rhyme | woman in a bathtub | woman murders a man | 

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Taglines:

It all went wrong

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Horror | Mystery | Romance | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for violence, sexuality/partial nudity, thematic elements, some disturbing images, and language

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 September 2016 (USA)

Also Known As:

When the Bough Breaks

Filming Locations:

New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$14,202,323, 11 September 2016

Gross USA:

$29,747,603

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$30,658,387

Company Credits

Production Co:

Screen Gems, Unique Features

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

During a scene between John Taylor (Morris Chestnut) and Anna Walsh (Jaz Sinclair), Anna's cell phone rings. The ringtone is the same ringtone used at C.T.U. in 24 (2001).

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Quotes

Laura Taylor: [Laura rushes into the OB/GYN's office, visibly upset at having missed the appointment to find out the baby's gender] I had it in my schedule as 2:00.
John Taylor: Maybe you just entered it wrong.
Laura Taylor: No, I didn't enter it wrong! I... Damn it, I-I know I didn't! Someone changed it in my phone! I know that I put it in right! I booked my flights around it, I know that I did! Damn it!
John Taylor: Stop, please.
Laura Taylor: [Laura and John talk privately in the hallway] This is the only time I'm ever going to be able to do this.
John Taylor: It's alright...
[...]

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Connections

Featured in Hollywood Express: Episode #14.34 (2016)

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Soundtracks

Le Front Caché Sur Tes Genoux
Written by Cecile McLorin Salvant (as Cécile McLorin Salvant) and Ida Faubert
Performed by Cecile McLorin Salvant (as Cécile McLorin Salvant)
Courtesy of Mack Avenue Records
Under License from Mack Avenue Records II, LLC

User Reviews

When the Bough Breaks: Pretty paint by numbers stuff

Morris Chestnut and Regina Hall star in this modern day Fatal Attraction-esque movie about a couple unable to have kids who welcome a surrogate into their home.

But of course this is Hollywood so nothing goes quite to plan and before you can say damn skippy, the soon to be mom becomes enamoured with the husband.

See that wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for the fact she's a complete psychotic, but how do you combat such a person when they're carrying your child?

We've seen this before, near enough this entire film to be honest but here it's done competently enough.

Morris Chestnut tends to always play the same brooding character (And does here) and Regina Hall is someone I cannot take seriously anymore after her zany stint in the Scary Movie franchise! I expect her to break out into some stereotypical satirical crazy expletive filled rant and find myself almost dissapointed that she doesn't.

When the Bough Breaks lacks in originality but does have its moments, sadly not enough to raise the bar above distinctly average.

The Good:

Morris Chestnut

Has a couple of interesting moments

The Bad:

Regina Hall

Seen it all before

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

When a girl hits on you keep it a secret from your wife, what could possibly go wrong?

Moral of the story, don't have kids.