Based on the 2022 novel of the same name by Freida McFadden, The Housemaid is a stylish psychological thriller packed with twists, turns, and some standout performances from a very talented cast. But does this campy thriller manage to hold the audience’s attention, or does it ultimately outstay its welcome?
Hoping for a fresh start after a troubled past, Millie (Sydney Sweeney) becomes a live-in maid for the wealthy Winchesters, played by Amanda Seyfried and Brandon Sklenar, a couple who harbour more than a few sinister secrets.
With its darkly humorous tone, The Housemaid feels like the perfect vehicle for director Paul Feig, a filmmaker who knows comedy inside and out. After all, he’s the man behind Bridesmaids, Spy, and yes, the much-maligned all-female Ghostbusters reboot. While that film has its detractors, there’s no denying Feig knows how to assemble a fantastic cast — and the same is true here, despite there being far fewer characters than in some of his bigger works.
Amanda Seyfried steals the show
Amanda Seyfried is absolutely astonishing as the unhinged Nina Winchester. It’s long been difficult to see Seyfried as anything other than the young woman singing ABBA classics on a sun-soaked Grecian shoreline, but in The Housemaid she completely dismantles that persona — and then some. She’s endlessly compelling to watch and is easily the highlight of the film.
Sydney Sweeney is solid as the titular housemaid, though her performance can feel a little one-note at times. Brandon Sklenar, meanwhile, is superb as love interest Andrew Winchester, bringing more than a hint of Wolverine-like intensity to the role. Still, this is very much Seyfried’s film, to the point where it noticeably loses some energy whenever she’s not on screen.
That dark comedic edge calls to mind late-80s and 90s thrillers like The Hand That Rocks the Cradle and Fatal Attraction, and The Housemaid is all the better for those comparisons. It has a distinctly old-school feel, which helps it maintain momentum across a fairly hefty runtime of just over two hours.
Dark humour and domestic secrets
As the film reaches its halfway point, things do start to get a little silly. However, it never quite jumps the shark, instead leaning into the absurdity and carrying that energy right through to the end credits. By embracing its own campiness, the film invites the audience along for the ride, rather than asking us to take a script seriously that clearly enjoys having a bit of fun.
Visually, though, The Housemaid is nothing particularly special. Much of the film takes place inside the Winchesters’ beautiful home, yet Feig doesn’t do anything especially memorable with the camera — no Panic Room-style tracking shots, for example. It’s perfectly serviceable, but the mansion setting feels underused. At no point do we really get a sense of the house’s layout, something that could have grounded the film and made its escalating tension feel more tangible and realistic.
All things considered, The Housemaid stands out as one of the stronger modern thrillers. Despite its dark subject matter, Feig smartly punctuates the tension with moments of dark humour, fully committing both the cast and the audience to the experience. And with an absolutely phenomenal performance from Amanda Seyfried at its centre, The Housemaid is well worth your time.
