The Housemaid review: Amanda Seyfried shines in a satisfyingly scary chiller that doesn’t take itself too seriously

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A star rating of 4 out of 5.

Working and living in someone else’s home is usually difficult, and it’s even harder when your employer is unpredictable and has extreme mood swings.

Facing a tough situation, Millie (Sydney Sweeney), recently released from jail, lies on her resume to get a job as a live-in maid for a wealthy family. She needs the job to stay out of prison.

If Millie seems like the bad guy so far, you’ll really be surprised by the person who’s paying her: Nina Winchester, played by Amanda Seyfried. She’s wealthy, lives in a luxurious home, and is married to the handsome Andrew (Brandon Sklenar). They also have a bright and clever daughter named Cece (Indiana Elle).

Nina appears poised and elegant, but she struggles with hidden mental health issues. These issues sometimes surface as sudden, intense outbursts of anger, particularly when cats come near her beloved pigeons.

Director Paul Feig takes Freida McFadden’s popular 2022 thriller novel and turns it into a wildly over-the-top and suspenseful movie, maximizing the book’s already creepy and unsettling elements.

Millie always tries to be helpful and avoid conflict, but she often gets blamed for things she didn’t do when Nina has outbursts. Nina frequently accuses Millie of losing documents, stealing belongings, or even taking cars, and Millie quietly accepts the blame to avoid getting into trouble.

Get ready for a surprising twist that will completely change how you see everything that’s happened and make you rethink your opinions of the characters.

Paul Feig has explored troubled home lives before, but while his 2018 film A Simple Favour used dark humor to disrupt seemingly perfect families, The Housemaid offers a truly disturbing and frightening look at family dysfunction and shocking mistreatment.

He greatly amplified the suspense with the lead actress’s over-the-top performance, which swung dramatically between exaggerated theatrics and genuine menace. It’s a fantastic role, and Seyfried expertly balances the comedic and frightening aspects of the character.

Sweeney is equally captivating, though viewers might initially be surprised by her relaxed portrayal of the downtrodden employee. This calm exterior actually makes her character’s moments of resourcefulness and courage even more impactful when unexpected challenges arise.

It’s tough to talk about what Sklenar brings to the story without giving anything away, but we get a glimpse of his background early on, especially through scenes with his really critical and controlling mother – Elizabeth Perkins is fantastic in the role, honestly, I wish she’d been in more of the movie. And Elle is just brilliant as young Elle Winchester, nailing that spoiled, sassy kid vibe perfectly.

While the way Feig connects everything might feel a little forced at times, and a few plot points don’t quite hold up under scrutiny, the movie ultimately delivers a fun and genuinely frightening experience, largely because it doesn’t take itself too seriously.

After McFadden’s first novel became a huge success, she released two more books that have also been very popular and could easily be made into movies.

Based on what we’ve seen, it looks like this story about a maid in hell has a bright future – it’s shaping up to be really good!

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Authors

Terry Staunton

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2025-12-17 21:06