The Hand That Rocks the Cradle

The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (1992) is an American thriller you can watch online on iFILM. The Bartel family hires sweet, capable Peyton to care for their newborn, never guessing the warm smile is a disguise.

Underneath it is a cold plan for revenge. A complaint from Claire Bartel once cost Peyton her husband and her unborn child, and now the nanny dismantles Claire's life piece by piece — drawing the husband close, turning the kids away, sliding into the role of the woman of the house. By the time Claire senses what's happening, the enemy is already sleeping under her roof and rocking her baby. Rebecca De Mornay plays Peyton, Annabella Sciorra is Claire, and a young Julianne Moore turns up in an early supporting role.

Curtis Hanson directed, years before his Oscar-winning screenplay for L.A. Confidential. The film became a surprise box-office hit in 1992 and cemented the psycho-nanny figure in pop culture for years. Stream The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (1992) online on iFILM.