CHICAGO– Popular nursery rhymes are told to children as a way to calm them, but also as some kind of cautionary tale. Most of us could hear the melody and be able to sing the words along with it. This predictability is both its greatest strength and weakness, but the predictability that is the nursery cautionary tale in “When the Bough Breaks” is anything but a strength.
 Rating: 2.5/5.0 |
One of the worst things a film can be is “okay”. At least if a film is at either extreme of good or bad, it tends to be memorable. I can remember every Adam Sandler film as well as I can remember every Steven Spielberg. The biggest problem with “When the Bough Breaks” is how easily it clears your mind as soon as it’s over. The only thought you might leave the film with is, “Wow, they’re going to need a good lawyer.”
Director Jon Cassar shows that he is more experienced with action sequences than he is elevating a horror/thriller film. The mechanics are completely different and involve more nuance than the predictable, heavy-handed approach Cassar delivers. His style is basic for television, which is where the brunt of his experience resides, but comes off as pallid and TV movie-esque as a film. Coincidentally, the film does shine during the few fight sequences in the film, providing a much welcomed change in pacing and camerawork.
Continue reading for Jon Espino’s full review of “When the Bough Breaks” 
Morris Chestnut and Regina Hall Being Watched in ‘When the Bough Breaks’
Photo credit: Sony Pictures Releasing
Continue reading for Jon Espino’s full review of “When the Bough Breaks” 
