When the Bough Breaks 2016

John Taylor, portrayed by Morris Chestnut, is a dedicated lawyer on the brink of winning a significant case, while his wife, Laura, played by Regina Hall, travels extensively to secure her own clients. Despite their longing for a child, the couple has faced heartache after several miscarriages. In what seems like a divine intervention, they meet Anna Walsh, a warm-hearted young woman, beautifully portrayed by Jaz Sinclair, who offers to be their surrogate. Laura is instantly drawn to Anna, and thus, the bond begins.

As they get to know Anna, John and Laura find her to be delightful and approachable. The couple invites Anna and her boyfriend, Mike Mitchell (played by Theo Rossi), over for dinner, establishing a seemingly perfect arrangement. Following the surrogacy procedure, Laura excitedly informs John that Anna is pregnant, bringing joy to their lives. However, the situation takes a dark turn when Anna arrives at John’s workplace for a doctor’s appointment, revealing the tension in her relationship with Mike.

One fateful day, the Taylors receive troubling news that leads John to Mike’s house, only to discover Anna in distress, having been assaulted by Mike. Seeing Anna in pain tugs at John’s heartstrings, and he insists she stay with him and Laura, prompting a tense confrontation as Mike desperately tries to reclaim control.

In a bid to protect Anna, John confronts Mike in jail with a restraining order, warning him to stay away. Meanwhile, as Anna settles into the Taylors’ home, revealing her vulnerable side through yoga and self-help literature, she begins to cross boundaries with John. A seemingly innocent moment escalates when Anna makes an unsettling comment about being pregnant with John’s child and even puts his hand on her stomach to “feel” the baby.

Things spiral further when John finds Anna undressing in her room, prompting feelings he never anticipated. Despite his insistence that she cease sending provocative videos, Anna persists, testing John’s resolve. Tension builds when she secretly meets with Mike, leading them into a dark plot against the Taylors, which culminates in a shocking and violent confrontation.

As Anna’s attachment to John deepens, she boldly expresses her feelings for him, putting John in a precarious position, especially when he struggles to keep his allegiance to Laura while being thrust into Anna’s dangerous world. When John uncovers Anna’s troubled past and her true identity, red flags are raised about her intentions, forcing him into perilous interactions.

As events unfold, John desperately tries to regain control of the situation, even resorting to romantic deception in hopes of keeping Anna appeased. However, the conflict escalates tragically with Anna’s violent outbursts, leading to a chaotic race against time when she arrives at the Taylors’ home with deadly intentions, threatening everything they hold dear.

In a tense climax, John finds himself fighting for both his family’s safety and the life of the child he longs to raise. With Laura forced to confront Anna head-on, the unresolved tension erupts into violent chaos. Ultimately, John and Laura face the harsh reality of their decisions in what becomes a life-altering confrontation that leaves them grappling with both loss and hope as they await the authorities—their fates forever intertwined in a sequence of tumultuous events that started with the hope of family.