The Housemaid ending explained: Does it differ from the book?

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*Warning: Full spoilers for The Housemaid ahead*

I recently watched this thriller, and it really got under my skin. It starts with Millie, an ex-con, taking a job as a live-in housekeeper for Nina and her husband, Andrew. But it doesn’t take long to realize that things are seriously off in their house – like, a really unsettling vibe. You quickly get the sense that something bad is definitely going on.

So, what’s really been going on in that house? And does Millie make it out alive?

Here’s a detailed explanation of the dramatic ending of The Housemaid. Be careful, though – if you haven’t read the book, this contains big spoilers!

The Housemaid ending explained

For the first half of the book The Housemaid, the story makes us think Nina Winchester is a bit unstable. She does things like trash her kitchen, forget what people say, and generally makes Millie Calloway’s life difficult. We also find out she was in a psychiatric hospital after trying to drown her daughter, and by the time Andrew decides he wants to be with Millie, it’s clear Nina has serious issues.

What’s the deal with Nina? Is she struggling emotionally, or is she simply resentful of Millie for becoming close to Andrew and taking her place?

No. Of course not!

Nina is actually incredibly resilient and a talented actress. She’s been pretending all along – the emotional outbursts, the feigned memory loss, everything. After a dramatic scene – a classic movie moment where she goes from screaming to laughing – Amanda Seyfried as Nina goes to a hotel, opens champagne, and finally confesses the truth behind her carefully constructed image.

It quickly became clear that Andrew Winchester wasn’t a good person – especially after he left his wife so quickly for the woman she had hired.

Shortly after Nina and Andrew got married, when their daughter Cecelia was still a baby, Andrew’s charming demeanor began to change, becoming frightening. Their early happiness quickly turned into terror as Andrew started imprisoning Nina in the attic for extended periods, punishing her for what he saw as misuse of his generosity – things like not keeping up her blonde hair color. As we previously heard from Andrew’s mother, Evelyn, he had a strong preference for blondes.

After Nina managed to escape from the attic and tried to leave Andrew, he secretly drugged her and then falsely reported to the police that she had tried to harm their daughter and then attempted suicide. Knowing no one would believe her side of the story, Nina carefully planned everything so she and her daughter could escape her abusive husband – and arranged for a new housekeeper to take her place.

So, what does all of this mean for Millie?

Millie feels like she’s hit the jackpot after a whirlwind romance with Andrew – a fancy dinner, a Broadway show featuring a Lana Del Rey song, and a new life as a wealthy housewife, all happening quickly after being released from prison. However, her dream doesn’t last. After clumsily breaking some of Evelyn’s favorite china, Millie is confined to the attic, mirroring the fate of Nina before her.

Standing outside the door, Andrew tells Millie to cut 21 lines into her stomach using broken pieces of china. After begging for hours and going without food for even longer, she finally agrees. When Andrew comes back to free her, Millie, covered in blood, manages to overpower him, stabs him in the neck, and locks him inside the room.

That’s when Millie comes up with a mischievous idea. She pushes a pair of pliers under the door and tells Andrew to pull out his front tooth – a truly painful moment, and the sound effects really made it believable!

While all this is happening, Nina is secretly planning to run away to California with Cecelia. They’re at a diner, mapping out their new life together, when Cecelia brings up Millie, making Nina feel guilty.

Nina hurried back to the Winchester house and ran upstairs to the attic to save Millie, unaware that Andrew was the one trapped inside. Andrew then attacked both Nina and Millie, causing Millie to run away. He ended up fighting Nina near the top of the spiral staircase. Just as Andrew was about to kill Nina, Millie came back and pushed him off the staircase, resulting in his death.

I was absolutely shocked when Nina told the police Andrew died in a freak accident – something about changing a lightbulb! It just didn’t add up, and honestly, the fact that Andrew’s tooth was missing should have been a huge red flag. But the policewoman investigating… it turns out she’s the sister of Andrew’s ex-fiancée! She just seemed to want the whole thing to disappear, and she completely ignored all the inconsistencies in Nina’s story. It was infuriating!

Following Andrew’s funeral, Nina and Cecelia relocate to California. Meanwhile, Millie goes for a job interview as a second maid, and the woman interviewing her – who has bruises on her wrists – mentions that Nina suggested she apply.

“She said you’d be able to help,” the woman says, picking up a knife.

Hopefully, there will be a sequel! I’m really curious to see what Millie does next and how she can help.

Is the ending of The Housemaid film different to the book?

Yes – and no.

The main plot remains largely unchanged – Nina still faked her mental health issues and fabricated the entire story to protect herself. However, the ending differs in a few ways.

The book actually shows Andrew asking Millie to balance a stack of heavy books on her stomach for a long period, not to cut herself with broken china, as some might think.

In the book, Millie’s response to Andrew is much more intense; she makes him pull out four of his teeth, compared to just one in the original story.

The way Andrew dies is quite different in the book compared to other versions of the story. Instead of falling down the stairs, he dies of dehydration while trapped in the attic, and this is directly caused by Millie. He doesn’t have a dramatic final confrontation with Nina like in some versions.

  • The Housemaid by Freida McFadden is available now

The movie significantly downplays the character of Enzo, the groundskeeper. In the book, Enzo had a close relationship with Nina and played a bigger role in the events leading up to her scheme. By minimizing Enzo’s part, the filmmakers were able to create a stronger connection between Millie and Nina towards the end of the film.

Even though they made a few changes from the book, this movie, The Housemaid, stays really true to Freida McFadden’s story – and honestly, it’s a total blast to watch! As a fan of the book, I was so pleased with how well they adapted it, while still making it a super entertaining film.

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The Housemaid is now showing in cinemas.

Authors

Chezelle BinghamSub-Editor

Chezelle Bingham is a Sub-Editor at TopMob. Before this, she was a Writer for Disney, creating content for six magazines aimed at preschool and primary school children. She also has a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature and Language.

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2025-12-23 19:06