Movie Review: The Housemaid

Movie Number 50 of 2025

The Movie: The Housemaid

The Cinema: Village Cinemas Melbourne Gold Class

Runtime: Two hours eleven minutes

Stars: 4

I walked into The Housemaid with no expectations. As a part of my Christmas present, Blarney wanted to take me to a Gold Class movie - and as there was no way I wanted to see the third installment of Avatar, and we'd no interest in the kids' movie on Gold Class offer, this fitted the bill. What I got was a great ride, a well done, stylish, enjoyable thriller which was fun to look at, not too bloody and it kept you guessing. What more do you need?

Based on Frida McFadden's book of the same name, we meet Millie (Sydney Sweeney), a woman down on her luck who is desperate for a job. She takes on the role of housemaid for the Winchester family. Wife, Nina (Amanda Seyfried) immediately comes across as a little unhinged. Husband Andrew (Brandon Sklenar) as the picture-perfect husband, and Stepford child, Cecilia (Indiana Elle). From very early into her employment, you realise that Nina comes across as very unhinged. 

But then again, you learn early on that Millie had been in prison for ten years and needs the job - she can't move out, nor can she bite back after Nina's outbursts. Andrew appears to be sympathetic to her plight. 

Then things get even more unhinged. I'm not going to spoil the twists and turns, but let's say, everybody who deserves it gets what's coming to them. 

Screenwriter Rebecca Sonnenshine's script closely follows Frida McFadden's 2022 book. The script is tight, with a few laughs along the way. As somebody who has an aversion to nasty violence, I watched this with ease (bar one scene, but you know what's coming and can hide your eyes). 

Paul Feig's direction is also sound. Having cut his teeth on movies like A Simple Favour and Bridesmaids, he's got the genre down and makes sure there's enough lulls in the action to let the viewer get comfortable again.

This was also a very stylish film. The mansion, the cars, the clothes were all top notch. 

The Housemaid is a very enjoyable psychological thriller. It's not too gory, nor too cerebral. It's good fun to watch. A date night film, perhaps. Regardless, as what's probably going to be the last film I'll see for this calendar year, I wasn't disappointed. 

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