Movie Review: ‘The Housemaid’

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Just in time for Christmas, The Housemaid is a psychological thriller about mental illness, domestic violence, and how societal perceptions can be gravely mistaken. With a well-crafted twisting narrative, The Housemaid will keep the audience on the edge of their seats until the credits role. If you have read the book upon which this is based, going by the plot summary I read after watching the film, there will not be a lot of surprises, but it should still entertain. Either way, the movie is stunning, thrilling, and a fun roller coaster ride.

Sydney Sweeney stars as the titular housemaid, Millie Calloway, a convict on parole desperate for work. On a whim, despite being certain she has no chance, she applies for and gets the job as the housemaid for the wealthy Nina Winchester (played fabulously by Amanda Seyfried). In theory, the live-in position is perfect for Millie until Nina almost immediately upon starting the job begins to display psychotic, or at least questionable, tendencies that are supported by social gossip. Because of her parole requirements, Millie is basically trapped there where she simultaneously begins to develop feelings for Nina’s husband, Andrew (Brandon Sklenar).

And that is just the first half of the movie. Mild spoilers ahead. The second half of the movie shifts the narrative and changes your perspective on what was happening in the first half of the movie, giving you more context and insight into the events that have taken place as it heads toward a climatic conclusion.

Amanda Seyfried is spectacular and unsettling throughout the whole movie. As Nina, Amanda gets to display a wide variety of emotions and actions that range from sympathetic to terrifying, which keeps the audience guessing for a while. Sweeney and Sklenar also play their parts well and get at least some time to shine. Overall, I enjoyed the movie and would highly recommend seeing it before catching any spoilers.