The Housemaid is a wildly entertaining thriller starring Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried, based on the best-selling book. From director Paul Feig, the film plunges audiences into a twisted world where perfection is an illusion, and nothing is as it seems. Trying to escape her past, Millie (Sweeney) accepts a job as a live-in housemaid for the wealthy Nina (Seyfried) and Andrew Winchester (Brandon Sklenar). But what begins as a dream job quickly unravels into something far more dangerous — a sexy, seductive game of secrets, scandal, and power. Behind the Winchesters’ closed doors lies a world of shocking twists that will leave you guessing until the very end.
What We Thought:
The Housemaid is a solid, little psychological thriller. I missed it at theaters so I was happy this came my way. It doesn’t go the way you expect it to go and it keeps you guessing which is always nice. I haven’t read the book it’s based on so I can’t tell you if it’s a faithful adaptation or not.
Going into it I was expecting something like Single White Female where it’s the two female leads that would be butting heads, but there’s a lot more to it. It sort of starts out that way, but it’s more psychological like a Gone Girl thriller. You expect a pretty young thing like Sydney Sweeney coming to live with a family to stir the pot, but I won’t get into it more that than. Just when you think it’s going one way, it goes another with characters having much more to them than meets the eye. All three leads have something to them that slowly gets revealed.
That’s why the film ultimately works, there’s layers to it. It could have been corny or predictable with two attractive women and an attractive guy, but because each person has something to them you wonder who will get out alive by the end. I like the choices Brandon Sklenar is making in his career right now. He was great in 1923 and the good guy in It Ends With Us, but you can tell he has something to him and handles this role with ease. Amanda Seyfried has mastered layered characters and Sweeney is very understandable playing a young woman a married man might fall for and who a married woman might keep her eye on. All three are given something to sink their teeth into.
The Housemaid was a pretty decent box office hit and I understand why. I wish I had seen it with an audience to hear their reactions during reveals. I believe the book had a sequel and the film leaves it open to a follow-up. With the money it made I’m sure it will get its sequel. I can’t compare it to the book, but if you want something to watch and like Gone Girl, Single White Female or What Lies Beneath then check it out.
SPECIAL FEATURES
- Audio Commentary with Director Paul Feig
- Audio Commentary with Director Paul Feig and Creative Team
- From Page to Panic: Making The Housemaid
- Follow the filmmakers behind this new and exciting thriller as they explain the creative process from the book to the big screen.
- Secrets of the Winchester House: A Housemaid Tour
- Take a tour around the iconic house of the film and discover all the intricate details that played an important part in turning this house into another character.
- “A Peek Inside” Featurette
- Enjoy this small glimpse of what makes this film an unforgettable experience for the filmmakers and audiences worldwide.
- Deleted Scenes
CAST:
Sydney Sweeney
- Anyone But You, TV’s “Euphoria,” Americana
Amanda Seyfried
- Mean Girls, Jennifer’s Body, TV’s “The Dropout”
Brandon Sklenar
- It Ends With Us, Drop
Michele Morrone
- Another Simple Favor
Elizabeth Perkins
- Another Simple Favor
The Nerds Templar 