When the Bough Breaks

Year: 1994

Runtime: 105 mins

Language: English

Director: Michael Cohn

Thriller

Unable to stop a series of child murders, a police detective turns to a lone clue—a autistic boy in an institution whose telepathic mind might reveal the killer's identity. As the case deepens, the detective wrestles with the ethical dilemmas of using the child's extraordinary abilities to track the murderer.

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Timeline & Setting – When the Bough Breaks (1994)

Explore the full timeline and setting of When the Bough Breaks (1994). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Location

Houston, Eben estate, shuttered hospital, water tower house

Houston serves as the urban backdrop where a string of disappearances surface from parks and sewers. The investigation extends from the city streets to a shuttered hospital and the private Eben estate, hinting at dark family secrets. Water towers and old houses punctuate the landscape, giving the film a claustrophobic, labyrinthine feel.

🌆 Houston city 🔎 Police investigation 🏥 Psychiatric hospital 🏰 Eben estate

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 14:39

Main Characters – When the Bough Breaks (1994)

Meet the key characters of When the Bough Breaks (1994), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 14:39

Major Themes – When the Bough Breaks (1994)

Explore the central themes of When the Bough Breaks (1994), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 14:39

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Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Grim police procedurals with ethical dilemmas like in When the Bough Breaks

Stories where solving a heinous crime forces deep moral compromises.If you liked the dark investigative tone of When the Bough Breaks, explore more movies like it. This thread features grim crime thrillers where police detectives face profound ethical dilemmas while pursuing deeply unsettling cases, resulting in a heavy emotional experience.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative follows a linear investigative path, but the central conflict is internal. The protagonist must use unconventional or morally ambiguous methods to stop a horrific crime, leading to a crisis of conscience. The resolution often provides justice but at a significant personal or ethical cost.

Why These Movies?

Movies are grouped here based on their shared focus on a bleak police investigation, the high emotional weight of the subject matter, and the central theme of ethical compromise in the pursuit of justice.

Psychic crime thrillers with dark investigations like in When the Bough Breaks

Thrillers where a psychic's unique abilities become a key to a terrifying investigation.Fans of When the Bough Breaks will enjoy similar movies where a psychic's abilities are central to a dark criminal investigation. These films blend supernatural elements with gritty crime drama, resulting in suspenseful stories filled with dread and high stakes.

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Narrative Summary

The plot revolves around a skeptical investigator reluctantly partnering with a psychic individual to solve a series of brutal crimes. The psychic's visions provide fragmented but critical evidence, often putting them in the killer's crosshairs. The story explores the tension between rationality and the paranormal under the pressure of imminent violence.

Why These Movies?

These films share a core premise: a psychic's link to a violent crime scene drives the narrative. They consistently generate a mood of dread and anxiety by blending the horror of the crimes with the unease of the supernatural connection.

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When the Bough Breaks Summary

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When the Bough Breaks Timeline

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When the Bough Breaks Spoiler-Free Summary

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More About When the Bough Breaks

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Similar Movies to When the Bough Breaks

Discover movies like When the Bough Breaks that share similar genres, themes, and storytelling elements. Whether you’re drawn to the atmosphere, character arcs, or plot structure, these curated recommendations will help you explore more films you’ll love.