When the Bough Breaks

John and Laura Taylor are a young, successful married couple who have struggled to conceive. After exhausting their options, they hire Anna, a woman who seems ideally suited to carry a child for them. As her pregnancy advances, however, Anna develops a dangerous fixation on John, and the couple find themselves pulled into a situation that threatens the family they are trying to build.

The film is directed by Jon Cassar, working from a screenplay by Jack Olsen. It follows Cassar's earlier features CHiPs '99 and Forsaken, as well as his television work. Morris Chestnut and Regina Hall play John and Laura, with Jaz Sinclair as Anna, and supporting turns from Romany Malco, Michael Kenneth Williams and Glenn Morshower.

Released in September 2016, When the Bough Breaks is a psychological thriller produced by Screen Gems and Unique Features for a budget of 10 million dollars. It took in about 31 million dollars worldwide, a solid return relative to its cost. On IMDb it holds a rating of 5.2 from roughly 8,800 votes, while on TMDB it sits at 5.8 from around 440 votes. A critics' rating of 3.9 from 25 reviews places it below the audience scores on both platforms.