Based on the hit 2022 novel by Freida McFadden, The Housemaid is a psychological thriller directed by Paul Feig and written by Rebecca Sonnenshine. The movie also boasts an impressive cast, led by Sydney Sweeney, Amanda Seyfried, Brandon Sklenar, and Michele Morrone.
The movie plunges audiences into a twisted world where perfection is an illusion, and nothing is as it seems. Trying to escape her past, Millie (Sweeney) accepts a job as a live-in housemaid for the wealthy Nina (Seyfried) and Andrew Winchester (Brandon Sklenar).
However, what begins as a dream job quickly unravels into something far more dangerous — a sexy, seductive game of secrets, scandal, and power. Behind the Winchesters’ closed doors lies a world of shocking twists that will leave you guessing until the very end.
As we first reported on FearHQ.com, the review embargo for The Housemaid has lifted, and the response so far is extremely positive. While it doesn't necessarily sound like a masterpiece, all signs point to the movie being a twisty, turny good time in theatres over the holidays.
That's evident from the Rotten Tomatoes score; with 52 reviews counted, The Housemaid has 79% and is well on its way to "Certified Fresh" status. Avatar: Fire and Ash will almost certainly dominate the box office, but McFadden has a huge following, and this adaptation stands a good chance of being a surprise hit.
Variety says The Housemaid is "a movie of diabolical developments, and that’s what’s captivating about it," with The Hollywood Reporter noting, "If you’re eager to escape the family over the holidays with a good-looking entertainment shot through with salacious nastiness and blood-stained perversion, look no further."
The Wrap also heaped praise on the movie, writing, "It’s glorious, angry, hilarious, nail-biting fun from a director, writer and cast who all know exactly what they’re doing, and relish in the fact that they’re practically getting away with murder."
The Guardian was also impressed. "Silly it may be, but Feig and his cast deliver it with terrific gusto; this is an innocent holiday treat," the site's critic writes before USA Today chimed in by calling it "fine counterprogramming to all those goody two-shoes Hallmark Christmas movies, with a saucy love triangle, domestic instability and a couple of women going bonkers in the best way."
JoBlo.com calls The Housemaid "good, trashy fun," and Bloody Disgusting enthuses, "Feig and Sonnenshine push the novel’s more outrageous aspects even further, injecting even bigger thrills, twists, and stakes. It’s the type of operatic insanity that practically begs for more."
According to IndieWire, "You should absolutely see Paul Feig’s 'The Housemaid' with a crowd. Not because the ostensible thriller is 'scary' (it’s rife with not even jump scares, just steadily gliding cameras that reveal someone menacingly standing just outside of the frame), but because this almost-camp adaptation is miles more fun when taken in with a raucous audience."
It sounds like Sweeney and Seyfried steal the show in The Housemaid, and as long as the story isn't taken too seriously, there's clearly fun to be had, and it's a movie that promises to keep viewers guessing.
There have been two book sequels, The Housemaid's Secret and The Housemaid Is Watching, so this may well be the opening chapter in a new trilogy from Feig. Several other McFadden adaptations are on the way, including The Tenant, Never Lie, The Crash, and Dear Debbie.
The Housemaid arrives in theaters on December 19.