featured
Interview
Interview: Director Michelle Garza Cervera Talks ’The Hand That Rocks the Cradle,’ and What Sets This Reimagining Apart From the Original
October 21, 2025Ben MK
|
When it comes to the psychological thrillers of the '90s, things dosn't get much more iconic than 1992's The Hand That Rocks the Cradle. Alongside other cult-classic movies from the same era, such as Misery, The Silence of the Lambs and Basic Instinct, director Curtis Hanson's tale of a homicidal nanny and the suburban family terrorized by her has become an unmistakable part of the pop culture lexicon, spawning numerous homages and parodies. With the brand-new version of The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, however, director Michelle Garza Cervera is setting out to dispel moviegoers' memories of the original, by reimagining the film as a suspenseful story about two women (Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Maika Monroe) who share a dark and troubled past that comes back to haunt them both. But just how does this 2025 iteration compare to its predecessor? And what does it have to offer both fans of the original and today's audiences? I caught up with Michelle Garza Cervera to chat about The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, the genre classics that inspired her, and the chemistry between its two lead actresses. The original The Hand That Rocks the Cradle came out over 30 years ago, during a much different time. Why do you think now is the right time to remake the movie for a new generation? Garza Cervera: The studio, when they approached me, was really open for me to explore things that I wanted to in the movie. So, I got the chance to create a movie that explored completely different characters and story and reasons for it to exist. I feel like, yeah, there's a lot regarding generational trauma and cycles of violence in this movie. And all of this, honestly, became particular to our film. We had a very clear framework and sandbox, [in this] pretty iconic movie from the '90s. But the team [was] aligned about making a movie for 2025 that speaks to things that we were moved by, that we could explore in a natural way. And I'm very happy that the studio was open for us to do that. Because, honestly, it's more of a reimagining than a remake. 
Even though the title of the film remains the same and revenge remains the primary motive driving its antagonist, played by Maika Monroe, this 2025 version changes quite a lot compared to its predecessor. Can you talk about some of those changes and the creative decisions behind them?Garza Cervera: There was something that we also wanted to do, that has do with challenging [viewers] a little bit, [in terms of] thrillers that deal more with good and evil. We really wanted to create characters that could be more in the gray areas, where it gets to a point that you empathize with the one that you were not supposed to empathize [with], or that you kind of doubt the lead character. I feel like creating those kind of characters that belong more in the gray areas — that can be both victims and perpetrators — was something that I was very interested in. And that's kind of like the big, core change that we brought to this reimagining. Aside from the original, were there any other psychological thrillers that you perhaps drew from as inspiration when making this new version? Garza Cervera: Yes, actually, we studied quite a bit. We worked for so long in a collaborative process that many things became about the symbols of our movie — fire representation; the use of hands and power; and reflections, mirrors and distortions. All of that became symbols of the film, so we also were watching other movies that had that kind of imagery. One movie that we really studied, in terms of visual narrative, was Tár, with Cate Blanchett. Also, Gone Girl by [David] Fincher was another one. And I rewatched Basic Instinct and Cruel Intentions. We went back to all the classics. One of my favorite ones is Jacob's Ladder — the way that movie builds psychological dread and tension. That's one of my favorites, in terms of camera usage and transitions. 
Ultimately, the movie really depends on the performances from Maika Monroe, who plays Polly, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead, who plays Claire, and the on-screen dynamic between their characters. What was it like working with them and why were they the perfect fit for their roles?Garza Cervera: Both Mary and Maika are such incredible actresses, in the sense that they build so much, even from the script. There's so much backstory process and specific questions that they do to try to understand every decision their characters are making. Apart from that, they also come to set with all the openness and sensibility to let themselves feel whatever is happening in the moment. So, there's a combination of factors. And also the way they hold space for chemistry and magnetism between their two characters, it was very incredible. I feel like they give what a director wants most, which is they do so much with very little things that the camera registers. I feel like they’re both in that tone, so I’m very happy that we that chemistry for this movie. Last but not least, what do you want viewers to take away from The Hand That Rocks the Cradle? Garza Cervera: I really hope that they get a big thrill, and that they're actually scared and tense, and they get this feeling of dread. But there's also fun, there's levity in the movie — there's both sides of the coin. And I feel like it really opens some conversations regarding how trauma passes from generation to generation, and how sometimes it's very hard to escape from those violent cycles. I feel like the movie asks questions and challenges some representations of good and evil in psychological thrillers. |
The Hand That Rocks the Cradle streams exclusively on Disney Plus, beginning October 22nd.
0 comments