When the Bough Breaks (2016)

When the Bough Breaks is a 2016 American psychological thriller film directed by Jon Cassar and written by Jack Olsen. The film stars Morris Chestnut, Regina Hall, Theo Rossi and Jaz Sinclair. Filming began on February 2, 2015 in New Orleans. The film was released on September 9, 2016, received negative reviews and has grossed $30 million.

A married couple in their 40s, named John and Laura Taylor (Morris Chestnutand Regina Hall) desperately want to have a baby, but they are unable to have a lasting pregnancy. Laura had already suffered three miscarriages in the past years. After attempting all other options, the couple hire a beautiful young woman named Anna (Jaz Sinclair) who agrees to become a gestational surrogate mother for the Taylors.

After Anna has a doctor's appointment, her boyfriend, Mike, doesn't pick her up, causing Anna to go to John's job for a ride home. That night, Laura receives an emergency phone call from Anna. John drives to her house seeing the police. It is then revealed that Mike assaulted Anna, leaving her face bloody and bruised. The police suggest Anna finding a place to stay, and John offers for her to stay at the couple's house for the time being.

Everything seems fine for a while, until Anna starts to develop a fixation on John as the pregnancy moves further along. Anna's growing obsession interferes with what was a plan by her and her boyfriend, Mike, to scam the couple by demanding money. When Mike pushes Anna to demand money, she kills him.

Later at a doctors appointment, John calls Laura trying to get her to the appointment. John and Anna find out that their baby is a boy. Later, at work John gets a call from Anna saying that they should go out for lunch, he gets annoyed and Anna hangs up on him. John then avoids all of his calls from answer, later he answers and she says why is he lying to her about having appointments, Anna walks through his office door trying to seduce him, he sees his boss and gets Anna to leave the office.

Anna later reveals her feelings to John and becomes outraged when he says he doesn't feel the same way. John was able to calm Anna down but Anna ran out the guest house into house and picked up the knife. The police arrive and Anna lies and says her and John has sex every night then she leaves the house. Laura and John then find out that Anna ordered a drug that will end her pregnancy. Laura and John devise a plan to get their unborn baby back by making John act as if he returns Anna's feelings. They meet at the aquarium. As Anna thinks she is being played, she walks away. John stops her and kisses her forcefully, they then go up to the family lake house.

John returns home to Laura the next day. The plans works fine until Anna notices the two embracing each other. Anna leaves John a voicemail claiming the baby's coming. John leaves to go to the hospital while Laura stays home.

Anna kills the family cat and then hits Laura in the head with a lamp, knocking her out but goes into labor. While in the hospital they discover that Anna has fled to the family lake-house with the baby. John manages to get the baby but Anna wakes up and a fight breaks out between the two of them. John throws her onto a cabinet which knocks her unconscious. John goes outside and Laura places the baby in the car. When Laura turns on the lights she sees Anna standing in front with a shotgun. Anna shoots at the car and misses but hits the window. Laura runs over Anna with her car, killing her.

The morning after, Laura, the baby and John are sitting inside the Lake house. They hear the police arrive and John turns to Laura and says "It's going to be okay."