28
Metascore
9 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 58The A.V. ClubKatie RifeThe A.V. ClubKatie RifeWhen The Bough Breaks resembles nothing more than a cheap fast-food burger served on fine china: Tasty, sure, and quite enjoyable in the moment. But once the credits roll and the primal centers of the brain stimulated by guilty pleasures like this one return to normal, all you’ll remember is that it looked prettier than usual.
- 40TheWrapDan CallahanTheWrapDan CallahanWhen the Bough Breaks is a very conservative film that ducks any issues that might be dramatically interesting in order to work up lame suspense sequences.
- 40VarietyJoe LeydonVarietyJoe LeydonThe presence of a predominantly African-American cast arguably is the only distinguishing characteristic of this by-the-numbers thriller.
- 40Los Angeles TimesGary GoldsteinLos Angeles TimesGary GoldsteinUnder the workmanlike direction of Jon Cassar (“Forsaken”), “Bough” breaks little new or inspired ground as it spins out its mildly effective, occasionally silly cautionary tale.
- 38Movie NationRoger MooreMovie NationRoger MooreFrom its New Orleans mansion and penthouse office suites, to its Mercedes and parties packed with haute couture glamour, it presents a vision of aspiration and achievement that Hollywood generally ignores.
- 25RogerEbert.comNick AllenRogerEbert.comNick AllenWhile empathy is first to go in the tasteless When the Bough Breaks, there is nothing good in its place.
- 20The New York TimesNeil GenzlingerThe New York TimesNeil GenzlingerThere’s not an ounce of suspense in any of this, because you’ve seen it all before, and the director, Jon Cassar, seems uninterested in veering from the well-established formula.
- 20The Hollywood ReporterSheri LindenThe Hollywood ReporterSheri LindenA lazily written and generically directed Fatal Attraction knockoff.
- 20Austin ChronicleAustin ChronicleWhen the Bough Breaks could have offered some cheap thrills, but it ends up a neutered, paint-by-numbers snoozefest, not even worthy for cable syndication.