PopHorror Let's Get Scared
I’ve been excited to check out the remake of The Hand that Rocks the Cradle as I’m a huge fan of Maika Monroe and Mary Elizabeth Winstead. I had never seen the original. I gave both films a watch and I wrote down my comparisons of the films as well as a review of the remake.
The Hand That Rocks The Cradle was directed by Michelle Garza Cervera (Huesera: The Bone Woman) from a script by Micah Bloomberg. The film stars MRt Elizabeth Winstead (Scott Pilgrim Vs The World), Maika Monroe (Longlegs), Raul Castillo (Army Of The Dead), Martin Starr (Knocked Up), Riki Lindholm (Hell Baby) and Mileiah Vega.
Original vs. Remake
In the original it’s clear what the reasoning for everything is from the start. In the remake it’s not clear till around the halfway mark. While the original focuses solely on revenge, the remake is also a battle of will between two traumatized people who believe they are in the right. The story and the reasoning for everything is still revenge based but the story is quite a bit different. The original features the many characters doing things behind the mother’s back to mess up here life as well as lying to her to make things worse and take out those who oppose her, while in the remake things are a bit different as the nanny character undermines the mother’s authority, has random freak outs and moments of bitchiness as well as doing things that directly degrade the mothers mental state. They both feature batshit crazy, if rushed finales. I will say I think the remake ending is more bonkers.
Thoughts on the remake
My response to The Hand that Rocks The Cradle was pretty mixed. Maika Monroe character is slightly off. You can tell that something isn’t right with her. The acting from Monroe is here at a more heightened level than we are used to and at this she excels. You forget that she’s playing a character, she is the character. The performance is real and raw. You’ve never seen Maika Monroe like this. Mary Elizabeth Winstead character comes of overbearing and unlikeable after awhile, which is by design. We’re meant to feel like she’s absolutely losing her shit and that there is nothing really wrong.
The film focuses on two traumatized people with interconnected trauma. The film centers how we deal with trauma at a young age and how our brain processes it, sometimes blocking out the things that happened to us. Sometimes there aren’t bad guys, just hurt traumatized people lashing out at each other for the wrongs that have been done to them.The film gradually escalates the encounters between the family and their nanny till things explode in the final act. For better or worse, the film takes its time. The final act kicks things into overdrive and is batshit crazy, though honestly I felt like this comes a little late, not happening till an hour and 25 minutes into the films hour and 45 minute runtime. The climax feels rushed and abrupt.
Final Thoughts
Despite its faults, I enjoyed the remake of The Hand that Rocks the Cradle, mostly due to the performances. Maika Monroe absolutely crushes it in a villainous role. This is Maika in a way we haven’t seen her before. Recommended.
