The Housemaid

graeaehorror 2/8/2026 4:38:46PM 8.4

After seeing endless trailers for The Housemaid at recent cinema visits over the last few months I caved and purchased a ticket. And boy that was money well spent! Based on the 2022 novel by Frieda McFadden, this thriller is an absolute twist filled, psychological nightmare. Think Gone Girl for the Taylor Swift obsessed with some brutal scenes. We follow Millie (Sydney Sweeney), currently on parole and eager to move on with her life. She thinks she's found the perfect job after interviewing with bubbly, effervescent trophy wife Nina Winchester (Amanda Seyfried). She's offered a live-in position as a housemaid in the spectacular home Nina shares with her husband Andrew (Brendon Sklenar) and daughter Cece (Indiana Elle). But it's too good to be true. Millie's living in a tiny attic room with a deadbolt lock on the wrong side of the door, Cece goes out of her way to be difficult and there's creepy groundskeeper Enzo (Michele Morrone). It's clear from the trailer Nina is unhinged. We learn early on she's on medication for schizophrenia and see sudden vocal and physical outbursts, followed by frenzied apologetic monologues. Seyfried is the absolute star here in this turbulent role. She steals every scene with a truly believable, guttural and raw performance which I was not expecting. In contract Sweeney's portrayal of Millie feels downplayed, however this is a perfect choice. In a volatile situation where she needs to keep a job, this character does what anyone would do - keep calm and carry on. The Housemaid takes its audience through many narrative twists. From the outset we're on the back food, as it unveils one secret after another keeping you guessing throughout. Fans of melodrama, frantic storytelling and shocking scenes can rejoice as you'll find these in abundance. The second act of this film is also incredibly steamy which, with a cast that looks this good, is absolutely welcome and expected. The film loses points for its soundtrack. There are needle drops at pivotal moments where they choose bubblegum pop which imbalances the film's tone completely. Ultimately it's the third act that ties this film together. We discover the true plot and those lose ends you've spend the previous hour trying to figure out are woven together in a jaw dropping sequence of events. As someone who's not read the book, I found this adaptation unravelled in an impactful way with a satisfying ending and was left wanting more. This is a novel I'm adding to my read list along with it's sequel as I will absolutely be checking that out when it releases. The Housemaid is a must see, ideally with an audience as the reactions in my screening were almost as wild as the film itself. No likes yet the housemaidhorrorthrillerfrieda mcfaddensydney sweeneyamanda seyfriedbrendon sklenarindiana ellemichele morronepaul feig Comment?

CinemaSerf 1/15/2026 6:17:50PM 8.4

“Millie” (Sydney Sweeney) is on parole and sleeping in her car when she applies for a job housekeeping for the wealthy “Wentworth” family. After her first meeting with the jovial “Nina” (Amanda Seyfried) she doesn’t hold out much hope, so imagine her surprise when she is back in their luxury kitchen with a centrally heated, if somewhat airtight, attic bedroom and a phone replete with a limitless credit card. At this stage, enter hunky husband “Andrew” (Brandon Skelnar) and her slightly stand-offish, ballet dancing, daughter “Cece” (Indiana Elle) and duly welcomed this newcomer is. Next morning, “Millie” discovers an entirely flakier side of her boss, though, and that’s just the start of some curious escapades that do, at this stage, send us into some fairly predictable territory. Thing is, we get to that stage with still an hour to go so we know there will have to be some twists. Twists there duly are and although they are really quite far-fetched, they are actually stitched together quite cleverly with loads of histrionics, lying, cheating and nobody really turning out as you might expect. Along the way this pings quite entertainingly at the facileness of the ladies who lunch brigade who make every therapist’s wet dreams come true and the three actors deliver well, especially as things take some turns for the unexpected towards the end. I wasn’t really expecting to, but I did quite enjoy this in the end and if there’s not a sequel then I’ll eat my hat.

alaeTR 2/5/2026 4:03:54PM 8.4

This movie was genuinely exciting to watch. Millie is a bold and interesting character, and I liked the idea of her targeting creepy, psychologically disturbed men. There is something satisfying about how brave and calculated she is, and the way the film presents her at first makes you think you are watching a completely different kind of story. The movie feels very professional in terms of direction, atmosphere, and pacing. What I enjoyed most is how unpredictable it is. At the beginning, Millie comes off as cute and almost innocent, and it seems like Andrew and Nina are just part of a normal setup. I expected Nina to be the real problem, but the story flips and reveals Andrew as the true villain, which caught me off guard in a good way. Overall, the vibe of the movie is very mysterious and tense, and it keeps you guessing about who is actually dangerous and who is not. If you like thrillers with twists and morally complex characters, this one is worth watching :D