The Housemaid Review: Sydney Sweeney’s New Erotic Thriller Blends Hitchcockian Suspense With Pitch-Black Comedy

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“The Housemaid” is a wild mix of genres – part erotic thriller, part gruesome horror reminiscent of the Saw films, with elements of domestic drama, feminist commentary, and surprisingly dark humor. From director Paul Feig (known for Bridesmaids and A Simple Favor) and starring Sydney Sweeney, Amanda Seyfried, and others, the film follows a recent trend of clever psychological thrillers. It delivers a captivating, though sometimes predictable, story full of twists, surprises, and moments that are both intentionally and unintentionally unsettling.

Millie, recently released on parole and with nowhere else to go, is desperate for a job. She unexpectedly lands a position as a housekeeper for the wealthy Winchester family: Nina, Andrew, and their daughter Cecelia. Nina hires Millie quickly, and she moves into the family’s large, beautiful home. Initially, things are good – Nina is friendly, Andrew is kind, and Millie finally has stability. However, Nina’s behavior soon becomes unpredictable and hostile, giving Millie conflicting demands and falsely accusing her of inappropriate behavior. Andrew’s kindness also takes a strange turn as Nina’s mental health worsens. As Millie gets caught up in the family’s growing chaos, she realizes – too late – that something much darker is hidden beneath their perfect exterior.

The Housemaid’s Production Design Is Clean, Pretty and Perfectly Corrupt

The film adaptation of The Housemaid is well-made and effective. T.M. McFadden’s novel, full of secrets, manipulation, and revenge, was a great choice for a movie, especially now that psychological thrillers are popular again. While very different in tone from the recent film Drop, it shares a similar talent for building suspense like Hitchcock, exploring complex characters, and telling a story that keeps you guessing. There are a few changes – some violent scenes are less intense, while others are more graphic, and the ending is significantly more shocking and bloody. Overall, McFadden’s dark and unsettling story translates well to the screen, though it occasionally feels a bit awkward.

Visually, The Housemaid is stunning. The film relies heavily on its artistic elements – everything from the sets and costumes to the lighting and color choices – to tell the story and convey deeper meanings. While it shares some characteristics with classic film noir, it’s more accurately described as film blanc. Like the unsettling film noir movies of the 1940s, this film explores disturbing themes and critiques societal issues, exposing human cruelty and psychological manipulation within a world that’s slowly falling apart. However, unlike traditional film noir, which uses darkness to conceal these horrors, The Housemaid presents its ugliness in bright, glaring light, making it all the more unsettling.

The visual style of The Housemaid relies heavily on a limited range of colors – mostly whites, creams, beiges, and pale golds. While these shades appear in nearly every scene, the overall effect isn’t warm or welcoming. The house feels cold and sterile, a display of wealth that’s out of reach. Even the snowy landscape outside contributes to this feeling. Everything looks impeccably clean and maintained, yet fragile and easily marked – by anything from food spills to something as disturbing as blood. This suggests a world that’s already tainted and susceptible to further corruption.

Cleanliness Is Close to Ungodliness In The Housemaid

Let me tell you, the visual presentation of this film is stunning, but it’s a meticulously constructed illusion. The Winchester family’s home – think perfectly curated, Instagram-worthy luxury – and their Long Island enclave scream wealth, but it feels…off. What really grabbed me was how the film exposes the cracks beneath that polished surface, particularly through the character of Nina. She’s fragile, yes, but also fiercely determined, and those moments of vulnerability reveal the lengths they go to maintain appearances – even something as seemingly small as constantly covering up her natural roots. Everything about this family – the endless ivory outfits, the father’s unnervingly perfect smile – feels deliberately constructed. It’s not just wealth; it’s a performance of wealth, and it creates a really unsettling, almost forbidden atmosphere. They project this effortless ease, but I didn’t buy it for a second.

The pale colors surrounding Millie stand out sharply against the gritty, realistic world she inhabits. This world is filled with muted blues, blacks, and browns – a place where clothes are worn and ill-fitting, hair is simple and unstyled, and even cars serve as homes. Small luxuries, like a $20 bill, are uncommon, and a fast-food meal feels like a special occasion. Millie is intentionally different from the wealthy Winchester family and their lifestyle – a disruption in their perfectly polished existence. Interestingly, alongside white and gold, the color red frequently appears, hinting at the violence and danger hidden beneath the surface of this seemingly opulent world.

Like Dario Argento’s Tenebrae, The Housemaid uses a bright, clean, and seemingly perfect setting – a sunny Roman spring with modern architecture and a stylish cast – to create a stark contrast with the disturbing events that unfold. While Tenebrae relies on graphic violence, The Housemaid initially focuses on psychological manipulation and unsettlingly close interactions, saving its more explicit violence for the climax.

Amanda Seyfried and Brandon Sklenar Gleefully Go With and Against Type

Like the way The Housemaid playfully challenges the polished image of wealth and perfection, the actors clearly enjoyed taking on their roles – and often surprising us in the process. The film and its characters are experts at turning expectations on their head. Amanda Seyfried and Brandon Sklenar, typically known for more conventional roles, are prime examples, skillfully shifting between familiar and unexpected character types, and playing both sides with convincing authenticity.

Amanda Seyfried, often known for playing sweet and innocent roles, gets to showcase a darker, more complex side in this film. Her naturally youthful appearance and expressive eyes perfectly capture the unsettling and unpredictable nature of her character, suggesting hidden depths. Similarly, actor Sklenar, typically cast as charming heroes, embraces a more sinister and unsettling role. Veteran Elizabeth Perkins and rising star Michele Morrone also deliver compelling performances as a mysterious groundskeeper and a delightfully wicked mother, respectively. At the heart of the story is a complex, morally ambiguous character who acts as a grounding force amidst the chaos, providing both tension and a sense of release.

The refusal to rely on typical character roles, along with the unsettling designs of the sets and costumes, effectively creates a consistently disturbing and unpleasant mood. Things that are usually associated with beauty, comfort, and refinement are instead made to seem dirty and wrong. Beautiful porcelain sets appear tainted and corrupt, ballet classes are filled with negativity and snobbery, and even tea parties become scenes of small-minded cruelty. Even peaceful New England snowscapes are transformed into cold, harsh environments.

The Housemaid Is Purposefully Unpleasant – For Better and For Worse

The unpleasantness and awkwardness aren’t limited to the story; they permeate the characters and everything they do. Through a combination of editing choices, production design, and unusual performances – from subtle facial expressions to over-the-top reactions – this seemingly perfect world of attractive people, wealth, and safety becomes deeply disturbing. Even simple actions, like cooking or romantic encounters, are difficult to watch. Scenes of intimacy or affection between the actors, who are generally considered attractive and likable, actually make the audience squirm and giggle uncomfortably – which is quite a remarkable achievement.

Unlike films like the famously bad The Room, which unintentionally elicit laughter, director Feig deliberately aims to make audiences laugh nervously. Having directed popular sitcoms like Arrested Development, 30 Rock, Parks and Recreation, and The Office, he expertly mixes dark, awkward humor with the film’s intense dread and violence. No other director could have made a romantic scene between Sklenar and Sweeney so uncomfortable, leaving audiences both cringing and laughing.

Despite being well-made and visually appealing, The Housemaid has some significant flaws. The film’s inconsistent tone and unclear messaging can feel jarring and awkward. This intentional discomfort might not land with all viewers, potentially making the movie seem strange or simply unpleasant rather than intentionally unsettling for narrative purposes.

Despite a clear intention behind its choices, the film still feels unpleasant and clumsy, particularly in how characters speak to each other, the dialogue itself, and the way scenes are put together. The conversations often sound awkward and forced, and are overly explanatory, especially in the second half where multiple viewpoints and internal thoughts are used. Combined with awkward acting, odd scene transitions, and a deliberately strange style, The Housemaid can be difficult to watch – and not in a way that feels intentional or enjoyable. It’s often unclear whether the director, crew, or actors are aiming for humor, creating a jarring and inconsistent tone.

As a movie fan, I’d say The Housemaid feels like a fresh take on the classic suburban gothic vibe, but totally updated for today’s audience. It’s definitely unsettling and can be really awkward to watch – sometimes I wasn’t sure if it was intentional or not! But even with its flaws, the film manages to balance some truly disturbing moments of domestic cruelty with a surprisingly dark and funny weirdness. Honestly, it’s a movie that makes you squirm, but in a way that’s also… satisfying. It’s cringe-worthy, but ultimately cathartic.

The Housemaid hits theaters December 19.

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2025-12-17 05:08