8 Biggest Differences Between The Housemaid And The Book That Inspired It

Be warned: the following contains spoilers for the movie The Housemaid. The film is a close adaptation of Freida McFadden’s novel, though director Paul Feig (known for A Simple Favor) made some changes to fit the story to the screen.

Both the book and the movie center around Millie, a housemaid who has an affair with the husband in the Winchester family, and the risky plans that result from it. The film’s ending closely follows the book, sharing a similar climax. However, the movie also features noticeable changes that make the story feel more intense and visually engaging.

Enzo Actually Teams Up With Millie In The Book

Enzo has a role in the original story that’s similar to his part in the movie The Housemaid, showing how closely the film follows the source material while also streamlining the plot. In both versions, Enzo is the gardener for the Winchester family, and knowing Andrew’s troubling nature, he attempts to alert Millie to the danger.

In the book, Enzo’s motivations are established right away. While both he and Millie experienced the loss of a sister due to someone like Andrew, Enzo plays a more passive role in the film. However, the Enzo from the book actively works to support Millie, ultimately securing her a job interview with a different family as a housemaid.

Nina And Enzo Are In A Relationship In The Book

The movie hints at a romantic connection between Enzo and Nina, which is more clearly shown in the book. Their relationship is a significant part of the story and eventually becomes intimate. Importantly, Enzo is the one who encourages Nina to seek out Millie rather than Cecilia. Unfortunately, Enzo is unable to join Nina when she moves to California and stays back East.

This highlights how Enzo has a smaller part in the movie than he does in the book. In the book, he’s a more involved character, befriending Millie and gently discouraging her advances. This choice keeps the focus on Millie and Nina and avoids adding a potential romantic storyline with Enzo.

Nina Accuses Millie Of Shoplifting Instead Of Grand Theft Auto

A great example of how the movie The Housemaid adapts the book’s story for the screen is the scene where Millie is wrongly accused of theft. In the book, Nina secretly called the grocery store and reported Millie as a shoplifter, leading to Millie being followed around the store.

The movie takes a sharp turn when Nina reports her own car as stolen after asking Millie to drive it for shopping, leading to Millie’s arrest. This creates a highly charged situation, pushing Millie further into isolation and conveniently allowing Andrew to appear as her rescuer, drawing her deeper into his manipulation.

Evelyn Is More Present In The Film Than The Book

The film’s unsettling tension largely comes from the character of Evelyn, Andrew’s mother. Elizabeth Perkins portrays her with a chillingly precise and demanding personality, and the role is a bit larger than it was in the book. In the original story, Evelyn is more of a looming, background figure, only seen in memories and at Andrew’s funeral.

The film updates Evelyn’s story, allowing her to openly criticize Nina and lavish attention on her son. Perkins portrays Evelyn with a more menacing side, and the ending suggests she doesn’t trust Nina or Millie. In the book, Evelyn reveals a disturbing past – Andrew used to remove his own teeth – which explains her belief that smiling isn’t something to be taken for granted.

Why Nina Is Punished Is Changed From The Book

In both versions of the story, Millie and Andrew quickly become a couple, which is exactly what Nina intended. However, Millie soon does something to upset Andrew, and as a result, he locks her in the attic. In the book, the reason for his anger is that she was reading books he’d forbidden.

In the movie, Millie accidentally broke some of the Winchester family’s china when she was startled by Enzo. Andrew, angered that Millie didn’t clean up the broken pieces, makes her repeatedly cut herself with them. This scene is much more violent and emphasizes the significance of the china within the film’s story.

Millie And Andrew’s Punishments Are Different

Both Millie and Andrew experience painful treatment from each other at one point in the story, but how this is shown differs between the book and the movie. In the book, Millie is cruelly forced to hold a heavy book on her stomach. However, this is much less shocking to see than the film’s depiction of Millie cutting herself.

Both the book and movie depict Andrew undergoing intense torture, including being forced to pull out a tooth with pliers. In the movie, his torment also involves the destruction of family china and threats of being burned. However, the book takes a different approach, making Andrew inflict painful acts upon himself.

Andrew Dies Differently Between Film And Book

In the book, Andrew tragically dies from dehydration in the attic after Millie abandons him. When Nina arrives to help, it’s too late. This differs significantly from the movie, where Nina’s arrival allows Andrew to escape and violently attack both her and Millie.

The film’s violent climax sees Nina trick Andrew close to a railing, where Millie pushes him over the edge, resulting in his fatal fall. This makes their actions feel more like a shared act of self-defense, especially when compared to Millie’s earlier, planned killing of the antagonist.

Kathleen’s Father In The Book Is Her Sister In The Movie

Both the book and movie versions of The Housemaid feature a police officer who questions the events leading up to Andrew’s death. This officer is connected to Andrew’s former fiancée, Kathleen, hinting that they know about Andrew’s real character and what he did. However, the story alters the nature of that connection.

The book and the film differ in who first suspects Andrew’s wrongdoing: it’s Kathleen’s father in the book, but her sister in the film. This change emphasizes the strong sense of family and loyalty – themes central to The Housemaid – and ultimately impacts how the story concludes in the movie.

2025-12-20 03:19