Based on the 2022 psychological thriller of the same name The Housemaid delivers genuine chills…

If anyone knows me, I love a good thriller/suspense film. Something about human behavior and the thought process that fuels it, just intrigues me.

In life, I have learned that when communicating, you must pay attention to not only what is said and done and by whom, but also what is not said or done and the conversations you were never privy to. When you pay attention, you soon learn that everything is exactly how it seems yet nothing like it seemed at the same time…and then some.

The Housemaid is prime example of such a dynamic. Milly Calloway, a paroled ex-con turned live-in housemaid is hired by the Winchester family. The wife, Nina Winchester is tickled pink (well, ivory, to be more precise) to have Nina work for her and her husband Andrew Winchester and their preadolescent daughter Cecelia. It’s an opportunity Millie desperately needed…but the honeymoon doesn’t last long.

Millie starts to witness Nina’s high-strung behavior and outbursts that ring alarm bells to Millie yet appear perfectly normal to everyone else in the family. The Winchesters have an even creepierlandscaper whose presence on film will confuse you in a way that you can’t quite put your finger on. Millie is confused about everything that is going on and is ready to make a run for it but realizes she is a bit too late…and is faced with an unlikely predator that secretly possesses an archetype she is all but too familiar with.

The Housemaid, based off the 2022 psychological thriller written by Freida McFadden. Not every movie based on other original story mediums master the execution of a strong adapted screenplay, which is odd because the blueprint is right in front of you. This isn’t the case at all with The Housemaid. You can tell that McFadden was able to offer guidance that was actively heard and the screenwriter Rebecca Sonnenshine understood the assignment.

This film, on the creative front has some heavy hitters in every aspect with a musical score from Theodore Shapiro, who has scored Oscar-nominated films as well as some cult classic comedies, along with the original author and the leading actresses in executive production roles.


Director Paul Feig let the script lead the way and allowed the cast to exhibit the characters in the exact
image the author envisioned. John Schwartzman shot with a clean eye, zeroed in the reality of the happenings.

Amanda Seyfried, to her credit, has always been an actor that uses her physical aesthetic like a finely tuned instrument; dare to say, even a weapon. Seyfried shifted gears in her delivery of Nina with the precision of NASCAR driver. Sydney Sweeney brought her beauty yet never let you forget Millie’s humanity, edge and life experience (That jean ad was still racist af, though). Their performances with the assistance of the rest of the cast (Elizabeth Perkins is masterclass of supporting acting) left the viewer ready to talk about issues that aren’t being spoken in conversation enough. You will be left with the looming fear of what will happen to our country’s society if we continue to double down in our refusal to let go of archaic social constructs in addition to wondering what happens when generational trauma goes unchecked.

To bring it all together,The Housemaid is a strong thriller. The plot twist will surprise you…or maybe it won’t but I’ll wager that your lack of shock to the twist may be what surprises you more.

4 keys out of 5

Thank you to Allied, Lionsgate for the Advanced Screening