The Housemaid
December 16th, 2025
MOVIE: THE HOUSEMAID
STARRING: AMANDA SEYFRIED, SYDNEY SWEENEY, BRANDON SKLENAR, ELIZABETH PERKINS
DIRECTED BY: PAUL FEIG
AMovieGuy.com’s RATING: 3 STARS (Out of 4)
RATED: R
RUN TIME: 131 MINUTES
The Housemaid is what I like to call “good trash.” It fits neatly alongside Tyler Perry melodramas, erotic thrillers like Deep Water, or even the most obscene slasher flicks. Sometimes a story can be so wild- packed with outrageous plot turns and left-field character twists- that it becomes thoroughly entertaining. Based on the bestselling novel by Freida McFadden and following Korean film adaptations from 1960 and 2010, director Paul Feig finds the right balance of steamy erotic thriller and pulpy murder mystery, delivering the perfect amount of cinematic rubbish.
The plot follows Millie (Sydney Sweeney) as she arrives at the massive gated mansion of Nina (Amanda Seyfried) and Andrew (Brandon Sklenar) Winchester to interview for a housemaid position. Her duties include cooking, cleaning, caring for their daughter Cecilia, and handling whatever else is required. The catch is that Millie is on parole, living out of her car, and desperate for a fresh start. Landing the job feels like a dream come true- but hiding her past while uncovering the family’s own secrets turns the situation into a steamy web of lies and deception.
The Housemaid moves in waves, alternating between outright madness and mystery-building. The first half leans heavily into the bonkers. These are the “I can’t believe this is happening” moments, as Seyfried’s Nina becomes increasingly unhinged- throwing champagne glasses and gaslighting Millie by blaming her for things she clearly didn’t do. This dynamic positions Andrew as the comforting presence, leaving Millie reliant on the only person being kind to her: the shirtless husband with rippling abs. What follows is a devious love triangle that is equal parts erotic and terrifying.
The second half shifts gears as the mystery unravels, though the momentum briefly stalls. Rebecca Sonnenshine’s screenplay doesn’t fully trust the audience to connect the dots, relying on heavy-handed inner monologues from both Millie and Nina. Still, Feig rewards our patience when the theatrics ramp up once more, leading to a disturbing climax that is as pulpy as it is unexpected. By the time the final twist lands, audiences will feel they’ve gotten more than their money’s worth of sex, seduction, and shocking revelations.
Ultimately, The Housemaid feels refreshing- both as an erotic thriller that unapologetically includes sex because that’s what adults do, and as an adult-oriented drama that offers a welcome escape from stuffy awards-season fare. It’s far from flawless, but it delivers a brand of cinema that grown-ups can have a lot of fun with. The Housemaid is trashy, and I mean that as a genuine compliment.
3 STARS
THE HOUSEMAID IS PLAYING IN THEATERS FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19TH, 2025.
Written by: Leo Brady
