The Hand That Rocks the Cradle ending explained: Why did Polly want to destroy Caitlin’s life?

Hulu’s The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (2025) reimagines the 1992 cult classic as a haunting psychological thriller for a new generation. Directed by Michelle Garza Cervera and written by Micah Bloomberg, the film follows lawyer Caitlin Morales, who hires a struggling childcare worker, Polly Murphy, to help care for her newborn. But she later discovers that her nanny has a far more sinister connection to her past.

The film trades traditional thrills for emotional horror, offering a finale that’s just as tragic as it is thought-provoking.

Why Polly wanted to destroy Caitlin’s life

In The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, after a tense series of manipulations and mounting paranoia, Caitlin discovers that Polly isn’t a random stranger. She’s the daughter of the man who abused Caitlin when she was a child.

The horrific twist reveals that Caitlin attempted to escape her trauma years ago as she burned her abuser alive, but the fire also claimed Polly’s entire family. Polly blames Caitlin for destroying her life. During their violent confrontation, Polly stabs Caitlin, but she retaliates, creating a moment for her and Josie to escape.

Polly tries to stop her from escaping with her baby, clinging to the car windshield as Caitlin starts backing her car from the driveway. Their confrontation ends when the speeding car in their area crashes into them, flinging Polly onto the pavement, resulting in her death.

The moment of insanity from Polly is also witnessed by Emma and Mark, who finally see what Emma had been saying about her all the time.

In an interview with ScreenRant, Mary Elizabeth Winstead described the ending as “not triumphant at all” for either woman, explaining that what she loved most about the finale was its refusal to cast heroes or villains: 

“So much of Caitlin’s life has seen her trauma pushed down and repressed. She’s purposefully trying to move on from it without really healing. The person we meet in the movie is a whole new version of Caitlin — but it’s impossible to run away from something like that,” Winstead said.

For Winstead, the final moments of the film are about painful honesty rather than victory:

“In the film, the relationship with Polly was an activator to make everything explode. By the end, Caitlin has to be her true self. There’s relief in that, but there’s also a big sadness that it ended the way that it did.”

From Polly’s perspective, Maika Monroe revealed that she approached the role with empathy rather than condemnation:

“It was the most important thing for me to really love this character,” Monroe said. “That opened the door to understand her, to have no judgment in her actions or motivations. I hope people will have sympathy for her and maybe a tiny bit of understanding of where her anger comes from.”

She also noted how much time she and director Michelle Garza Cervera spent unpacking Polly’s childhood trauma:

“Michelle and I had so many conversations about her childhood — breaking down what that trauma manifests into. I had to play the role, but so much of it was already on the page.”

Even young star Mileiah Vega, who plays Caitlin’s daughter Emma, reflected on the haunting family dynamic that fuels the film:

“The scariest movies to me don’t need blood or gore. It’s the things that feel believable — the things you think about when you go to sleep at night. That’s what makes this movie so grounded and disturbing,” she said.

What is The Hand That Rocks the Cradle all about?

The story of the film revolves around two women, Caitlin Morales and Polly Murphy. Caitlin is seen struggling to balance her demanding career with her responsibilities as a new mother after the birth of Josie.

As things get overwhelming for her, Caitlin hires Polly as a nanny for her kids.

Caitlin starts relying more and more on Polly and also feels relieved by her presence. However, as the days pass, Polly slowly begins to manipulate her. Not only does she start creating a rift between Caitlin and Miguel, but she also forms a strong bond with her daughter, Emma.

She also switches her medicine with methamphetamine pills, which make her more paranoid and distant from her own family.

To find proof of Polly’s wrongdoings, Caitlin requests her friend, Stewart, to secretly start looking into her past. Polly’s nanny reference also reveals to her that she just helped her out of pity, and that she never employed her as a nanny.

The situation takes a darker turn when Stewart uncovers the shocking connection between the two from the past. The conflict escalates when Stewart is murdered by Polly, cementing the seriousness of her intentions.

In a fit of rage, Caitlin confronts Polly, leading to a violent and emotionally charged encounter between the two.

After the violent confrontation between the two, Polly jumps onto the bonnet as Caitlin is backing her car out of the driveway, smashing the windshield in a last-ditch attempt to stop her from leaving. Both Emma and her husband, Miguel, witness Polly in her unhinged state, finally realizing that Caitlin wasn’t lying.

However, the speeding car crashes into them, flinging Polly onto the pavement. An emotional moment shows Caitlin cradling her in her arms. She tries showing her kindness before she passes away. The final scene takes the story several months ahead, showcasing that the family has seemingly recovered from the horrifying ordeal.

However, Emma’s behaviour suggests that Polly is still very much in their lives. She is seen reciting stories of Polly to her sister, Josie, indicating that Polly ultimately succeeded in imprinting her impression on the kids.

The Hand That Rocks the Cradle is now streaming on Hulu.