Movies like <em>The Hand that Rocks the Cradle</em> include stories about individuals who infiltrate a family’s life and disrupt everything. The original film was a 1992 release by director Curtis Hanson (L.A. Confidential), telling the story of a nanny (Rebecca De Mornay) working to tear a family apart and replace the mother she works for.
In 2025, The Hand that Rocks the Cradle was remade, featuring Mary Elizabeth Winstead as the mother, with minor changes made to help the new Hulu release dominate its opening week. For fans of stories where someone tries to ruin another person’s life, here are other movies like <em>The Hand that Rocks the Cradle</em>.
The Visit (2015)
Released in 2015, M. Night Shyamalan began his comeback with the found-footage horror film The Visit. The story follows teenage siblings who are sent to spend five days with their maternal grandparents, whom they have never met. However, the longer they are there, the more they realize something is wrong.
Like most of his movies, this includes a Shyamalan twist, and it works perfectly here. It turns out that the grandparents are not the real grandparents but are instead escaped psychiatric patients who killed the kids’ grandparents and took their place in the home.
Much like The Hand that Rocks the Cradle, this is a movie about someone who wants to step in and replace another person, taking over their life. In this case, they succeeded and would likely have maintained the charade if not for the two teens who came to stay for the week and discovered the ruse.
One difference is that the killers in this movie are not really interested in being grandparents to the teens but are only playing along to keep their dark secrets. That makes it an even more terrifying version of the trope.
Poison Ivy (1992)
Poison Ivy is a movie very similar to The Hand that Rocks the Cradle, but it approaches the story from a different angle. Instead of a nanny who wants to push out the mother and replace her in the family unit, this sees a teenager who wants to replace her friend in the family, with devastating effects.
Drew Barrymore stars as Ivy, the teen who decides she wants to move in and then starts to try to seduce her friend’s dad. However, in this case, only the daughter, Sylvie (Sara Gilbert), realizes what is going on and tries to get Ivy out of her life before she destroys her family.
With the main villain being a teenager seducing the father and actually killing the mother, this was an even more disturbing telling of the story. This movie had a similar ending to The Hand that Rocks the Cradle, as it took the death of the antagonist to end their reign of terror.
Bad Influence (1990)
Not only did Curtis Hanson direct The Hand that Rocks the Cradle, but he also directed a similar story with a different slant two years earlier in Bad Influence. Instead of an outsider coming in to destroy a family by trying to force her way in, this had an outsider ruining a man’s life by luring him into temptation.
Rob Lowe was the charming outsider, Alex, who meets James Spader’s Michael, a socially awkward man who allows people to push him around. Alex then convinces Michael to cut loose and do things that keep him from getting stepped on all the time. What results is a cat-and-mouse game between the two that ends in tragedy.
As mentioned, there is no family destruction here, but it is similar to The Hand that Rocks the Cradle in that a person comes in and tries to mold another person’s life into what they want it to be. The acting was great, and this was a look at the story from a male perspective by the same director.
Single White Female (1992)
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The same year as The Hand that Rocks the Cradle, a very similar movie was also released in theaters. That movie was Single White Female, which stars Jennifer Jason Leigh as Hedy, a woman who answers an ad and becomes the roommate of Allie (Bridget Fonda), a successful software designer.
Just as in The Hand that Rocks the Cradle, Single White Female depicts an outsider who sees a successful woman and wants her life for herself. Both films see the outsider begin to dig in more and more, setting things up to force their way in and replace their roommate.
This movie is much more tragic than The Hand that Rocks the Cradle, playing more like a dark thriller than that film. This is about one obsessed person destroying another’s life completely, leaving them empty and alone at the end. There was also a lesser sequel released 13 years later.
Orphan (2009)
Orphan takes themes fromThe Hand that Rocks The Cradleand turns outside invader into “child.” In this movie couple has struggled having child decides adopt nine-year-old Russian girl named Esther however they don’t realize until it’s too late Esther is not child at all.
Throughout movie Esther depicts puzzling mannerisms lead Kate mother realize something wrong when she finally learns truth there battle death This little more similarThe Visitwhere Esther self-preservation mode will do anything keep secret including murder.
What most shockingOrphanbased true story there even similar case after fact where adoptive parents used movie excuse why felt daughter not really child It disturbing tale it even received prequel 2022.
Fatal Attraction (1987)
Fatal Attractionis thriller about man has affairwith woman only find she won’t let go when tries end it Michael Douglas Dan Glenn Close Alex woman he has affair with When tries break things off she contemplates suicide then begins torment Dan his family.
UnlikeThe Hand that Rocks The CradleAlex doesn’t want take Dan’s wife Beth’s place family She wants just take Dan herself does terrible things his wife daughter try drive them away By end she has come completely unhinged launches all-out attack family.
The endingFatal Attractionlittle troublesome today Dan’s wife coming rescue almost instantly forgiving him for blame It also ironic ending supposed be more tragic Alex dying suicide making look Dan killed her ruin his life This tragedy could changed everything about film.
Stoker (2013)
Stokeris complicated movie about familywhose patriarch dies his brother moves slowly takes place family unit Directed Japanese visionary Park Chan-wook (Oldboy) Matthew Goode Charlie Stoker brother moves Nicole Kidman’s Evelyn daughter India (Mia Wasikowska).
Film becomes creepy when takes notice India while continuing woo Evelyn This causes India start develop antagonistic traits Charlie almost encourages he slowly begins demolish small broken family just presence.
UnlikeThe Hand that Rocks The CradleCharlie succeeds destroying family However takes entire idea one step further Charlie does not emerge victorious instead corrupts another family member committing atrocious acts delivering shocking dark ending story.
Fear (1996)
Fearis movie about handsome charming young manwho begins dating young woman slowly destroys family’s life Released 1996 early Mark Wahlberg performance plays David young man begins dating teenage Nicole (Reese Witherspoon).
While Nicole’s (William Petersen) dad doesn’t like David concerns good reason when David shows violent tendencies Nicole can’t seem let go This likeThe Hand that Rocks The Cradle,movie about person becoming obsessed someone refusing let go destroys their life.
David even dangerous evil Mrs MottThe Hand that Rocks The Cradleviolent man hurt anyone angers doesn’t really care love acceptance only wants destruction.
The Good Son (1993)
The Good Sonis similar toOrphan
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