I find films like 'When the Bough Breaks' very frustrating, because they have no chance of living up to their full potential even before the opening credits have rolled. The reason is that their hands are so severely tied behind their back in terms of what they are able to show and portray. There were times in this movie where I was actually surprised how far they went in terms of some graphic violence, yet on other occasions they seemed incredibly limited as to what they could show. The latter was certainly the more predominant case in the film. I can't help but think while I watch films like this that life is too short. Who really wants their films this toned down? Surely no children are out there watching a film about a topic like this. So are there adults out there craving PC, bland nonsense? If so, good on them for catering to those needs. But you'd better expect the rest of us to hate your films.The other big problem with the film is just how "Been there, done that" it all feels. There isn't a single shred of originality in this film. Not even one moment that could possibly be in the least bit considered an original idea. The amateur nature with which this film was made was nothing short of shocking.There aren't a lot of good aspects to mention, but if I had to point some out they would be a decent scare near the end that actually worked quite well, and a final 10 minutes or so that weren't actually half bad (although that could have just been because I was comparing them to the 90 minutes that had proceeded them). At the end of the day though my advice would be to not see this film. Everyone who gives their hard earned money to films like this is simply encouraging more films like this to be made. And that would be a very bad thing.

The stalker-woman thriller film has been done again and again and done well and done not so well but there is absolutely a class out there for it and sometimes they are even memorable! Single White Female feels like one of the matriarchs of this genre but you have Fear, Swimfan, The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, Fatal Attraction. Disclosure...I mean they are a dime a dozen but the ones I've seen are usually at least entertaining so I thought this was a surefire thing for an evening of scoffs and eye rolling but ultimately entertaining. To say they missed the mark on this is giving them too much credit. The story is fine but the characters are flat, the overacting is horrendous, the story is achingly predictable even for a genre film and despite potentially good cast members, they are not good in their roles. Everyone just seems to be going through the motions and it turns in one of the worst films I've seen in 2016.Morris Chestnut can be a decent actor. I've never seen him do anything outstanding but this does nothing to build his career. He is boring, vapid, has zero chemistry with his two female co-leads and feels very out of place. I don't think he wanted in this anymore than we did. Regina Hall has a similar background but she too is not really a leading lady and this proves she can't carry a film on her own. But in her defence, the character she plays is downright horrible. She's a weak, spineless, blubbering moron who will let her husband do anything to get the baby she wants. The key to a great stalker-thriller is the role of the crazy person and it makes for an interesting performance when they're good at it. Jaz Sinclair doesn't even get top billing on IMDb are the crazy surrogate. She is way overacting the entire time, isn't the least bit threatening and no one can overpower her even when she's in the throws of labour. It's insane. There are a few familiar faces in the supporting cast and their performance and the look on their face will demonstrate how much they just wanted their paycheck.I honestly don't know how this got made let alone released in theatres. It's straight to video at BEST and another reviewer suggested better left on Lifetime but even Lifetime knows what it does well at. Ironically director Jon Cassar is a fantastic Television director. He has a lot of talent but much like the cast he must have phoned this in or in editing the film was chopped to barely recognizable because it's bad...like really really bad. And in a crowded genre like this, there are modern day classics that are so much better worth spending the hour and a half on. This is utterly avoidable and hopefully completely forgettable. The ending is so unsatisfying that you can barely find anything here redeemable at all. 3/10

'WHEN THE BOUGH BREAKS': Two and a Half Stars (Out of Five)Cheesy B-movie thriller; about a married couple, that desperately wants to have a child, who unknowingly hire an obsessive psychopath as their surrogate. It stars Morris Chestnut, Regina Hall, Jaz Sinclair, Theo Rossi, Michael K. Williams and Romany Malco. The film was directed by Jon Cassar (a veteran TV director), and it was written by first time screenwriter Jack Olsen. It's received almost unanimously negative reviews from critics, but it was a hit at the Box Office. I found it to be pretty cheesy, but mildly entertaining as well.John and Laura Taylor (Chestnut and Hall) are a very wealthy married couple. They've always wanted a baby, but are unable to conceive. So they decide to hire a surrogate. Anna (Sinclair) appears to be the perfect choice; she's sweet, and she also seems very compassionate and kind. Soon the Taylors find out that they've made a horrible mistake though, by choosing Anna, when she becomes obsessively attracted to John. The movie is pretty unoriginal, and it's classically cheesy (at times it seems a lot like a Lifetime Movie of the Week)! For what it is though, it's well made and somewhat entertaining. Chestnut actually gives a pretty good performance in it, and the rest of the cast is adequate as well; with the exception of Sinclair (she's kind of laughably bad in it). The movie isn't so bad it's good though, that would be giving it too much credit, but at least it's not boring.Watch our movie review show 'MOVIE TALK' at: https://youtu.be/B4EI2AvkLgo

"When does it become a kidnapping?" John (Chestnut) and Laura (Hall) Taylor are desperate for a baby, but are unable to conceive. After years of trying they finally have found a willing surrogate and things are falling into place. Little but little things start to change and the surrogate becomes obsessed with John and everything is threatened. This is a hard movie to review. First thing I will say is that the movie is tense and dramatic. The only downside is that this is the same type of movie that has been told over and over and over. Movies like Obsessed, No Good Deed, Perfect Man….all have the same idea and while they are all good the idea is getting old and to the point of being able to know exactly what will happen. That, for me, ruins a movie more than anything. Being able to stay one step ahead in a mystery movie ruins the enjoyment. Overall, not a bad movie, but needed something to make it seem original instead of repetitive and generic. I give this a low B-.