The Hand That Rocks the Cradle

Pregnant attorney Caitlyn Morales is assigned Polly Murphy as a client. Shortly after their first meeting, Caitlyn gives birth to her second daughter, Josie, adding strain to balancing motherhood and career. Polly's presence marks the beginning of a complicated alliance that will affect the entire household.

Polly quickly becomes indispensable to Caitlyn's household, charming Emma and even Miguel with warmth and attentiveness. She handles chores and caregiving with practiced ease, earning the family's trust. The relationship deepens as Polly moves from helper to near-regular presence in the home.

Polly secretly poisons Caitlyn and the children by spiking a seafood stew, making their illness appear coincidental. The deceit strengthens Polly's hold and sows seeds of paranoia in Caitlyn. The moments underscore Polly's capacity for manipulation.

Grateful for Polly's help, Caitlyn and Miguel invite her to live in the guest house, allowing her to overstep other boundaries. Polly's proximity increases her influence over Emma and the household. The dynamic shifts toward dependence on Polly.

Polly discovers Caitlyn's medication for a mental condition and replaces the pills with carved methamphetamine tablets. The substitution destabilizes Caitlyn gradually, fueling paranoia, irritability, and jealousy toward Polly's influence over Emma. This covert poisoning escalates the danger within the home.

Emma accidentally causes fireworks with supplies Polly provided, triggering a defensive rage in Caitlyn. She fires Polly and asks Miguel to help, but Miguel pleads for mercy while Caitlyn insists on removing Polly. The tremor in the family balance becomes more visible.

Racked with guilt over firing Polly and fearing Emma's growing influence, Caitlyn rehires Polly and tracks her to a dilapidated motel. She enlists neighbor Stewart to dig into Polly's past, hoping to uncover the truth. The search reveals a history that Caitlyn would rather ignore.

Stewart's background check reveals Polly's true name is Rebecca, and that both she and Caitlyn—whose real name is Jennifer—share a traumatic history. Years earlier, a fire in San Bernardino killed Rebecca's family, while Jennifer was given a new identity. The revelation reframes the entire relationship and motive.

Polly confronts Stewart with the results of the investigation and kills him with a baseball bat, stealing his research before fleeing. Caitlyn learns of Stewart's assault and races back home to face Polly. The pursuit signals a collapse of trust and safety.

Caitlyn returns to her house and discovers Polly dining with Miguel and the children while wearing Caitlyn's clothes. She destroys Polly's belongings in a fit of rage and lunges at Polly, sealing the elder's plan to replace Caitlyn. Miguel is horrified by the scene.

Miguel expels Caitlyn from the house and files domestic violence charges, barring her from seeing the children unsupervised. The family setup fractures and Caitlyn loses access to Josie and Emma. The consequences haunt her as she fights for a path back to her daughters.

At Emma's basketball game, Emma forgives Caitlyn and secretly returns Stewart's documents to Polly. A childhood photograph of Polly triggers Caitlyn's memory, revealing Polly as the surviving child from the fire. The truth tightens the grip of the past on the present.

Caitlyn confronts Polly in the kitchen and confesses that she set the fire to escape Polly's father, a claim Polly doubts but cannot entirely dispute. The confrontation escalates to violence as Polly shatters a glass and stabs Caitlyn; Caitlyn then pushes Polly through a plate-glass window. A car chase ends with a crash where Polly dies and Miguel arrives to witness the aftermath.

Caitlyn survives the ordeal, left haunted yet alive with Josie in her care. Emma imitates Polly's gestures and repeats one of Polly's stories, suggesting she is still processing the trauma and the manipulations that unfolded in their home. The film closes on a wary, unresolved note about family, memory, and trust.