By: Lana K. Wilson-Combs
"THE HOUSEMAID" CLEANS UP WITH CREEPY AND TWISTY FUN
"The Housemaid" is a slick, cheeky psychological thriller that proves director and co-producer
Paul Feig ("Another Simple Favor”) has a mischievous streak well beyond comedy.
Written by
Rebecca Sonnenshine, (TV's "Little House on the Prairie"), the film turns
Freida McFadden's 2022 novel into a glossy game of secrets and shifting power dynamics.
Sydney Sweeney ("Christy") stars as Millie, Calloway, a young woman with a troubled past who takes a live-in housekeeping job for a wealthy couple, Nina, and Andrew Winchester (Amanda Seyfried, "The Testament of Ann Lee") and Brandon Sklenar, "Drop").
Their home is immaculate, their smiles are perfect--well, almost until the end of the movie--but nothing is as clean as it looks. Once Millie starts noticing the cracks, the film gleefully pulls the audience down with her.
Sweeney and Seyfried are the main attractions, and both are clearly in their element during what feels like banner years for each. Sweeney--she's the one with the "Great Jeans" from American Eagle--brings a watchful intensity and rawness that keeps Millie sympathetic even when the story takes wild and sharp turns.
Seyfried is icy, controlled, and quietly ferocious, weaponizing politeness like a pro.
Then there is Sklenar, leaning fully into his hunky, handsome charm while keeping you just uneasy enough to wonder what's lurking beneath that tailored and chiseled exterior.
Add in fun supporting turns from Michele Morrone ("Home Sweet Home: Rebirth") who plays Winchester’s mysterious groundskeeper Enzo, and Andrew's mother Everlyn (Elizabeth Perkins, "Another Simple Favor"), and the cast elevates every sideways glance and loaded pause.
What really makes "The Housemaid" click is how much fun it's having with its clever plot twists.
Feig keeps the pacing brisk and the tone knowingly playful, allowing the film to flirt with camp without losing its snap, crackle, and pop. The story zigzags just enough to keep you guessing, while still delivering gasp-worthy reveals.
"The Housemaid" may not reinvent the psychological thriller, but it polishes the genre to a high shine.
Editor's Note: Be sure to catch my N2Entertainment.net movie talk segment on the Kitty O'Neal Show Fridays at 5:17 p.m. and 6:47 p.m. on radio station KFBK 93.1 FM and 1530 AM.
Check Out This Trailer For
"THE HOUSEMAID"
Lana K. Wilson-Combs is a member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA), The American Film Institute (AFI), and a Nominating Committee Voting Member for the NAACP Image Awards.
