The Housemaid
review by Bobby Blakey
Director Paul Fieg has established himself as a diverse filmmaker taking on the comedy genre with hits like Bridesmaids and The Heat. In 2018 he entered the world of the mystery thriller with A Simple Favor and more recently its sequel. Now he is returning to that world with his latest film The Housemaid starring Sydney Sweeney, Amanda Seyfried, Brandon Sklenar, Michele Morrone, and Elizabeth Perkins. Could this film bring the twists and craziness it promises, or will it need more to clean it up?
The Housemaid follows Millie, trying to escape her past, accepts a job as a live-in housemaid for the wealthy Nina and Andrew Winchester. But 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.
I think Paul Fieg has been one of the more consistent filmmakers in recent times. No matter the genre, he seems to find his voice and deliver something worthwhile and yes, I also mean Ghostbusters. With the A Simple Favor films, he brought that thriller nature to his stories, and I am glad to see him stick to that with this latest film. The trailer gave you just enough to start making your own assumptions, but like any good movie this one makes sure to offer up more than you might expect and plenty of twists.
Typically, in stories like this you get annoyed by the decisions of the characters in these circumstances and why not just leave, but it has some decent enough reasons to stay around. There are times that would obviously make anyone leave no matter the ramifications, but as it all plays out it all
becomes violently clear. There are some elements that aren’t all that hard to figure out, but not all plays out how you might think and its what keeps it engaging and interesting until the very end.
The cast are all great with Sweeney bringing a desperate but strong edge to her role that fits the bigger picture to perfection. Seyfried gets the most meat to chew for a lot of the film, really walking the line between normal and not so much in a way that keeps you wondering what is really going on here. Sklenar is the perfect middle mad for this triangle bringing a suave likable man that would make any woman melt and yet still has something else underneath it all, but not what some might expect.
I really enjoyed this film, especially the final act as it goes unhinged across the board allowing everyone to cut loose. Whether you find it predictable or are surprised by it all the is no denying that it’s a worthy ride to take. I have heard there is sequel talk and with the way it ends it sets up a great direction to expand while doing something altogether different should it happen. If not, it still holds up all its own and worth checking out.
In addition to the film this release offers up bonus content including commentary, deleted scenes, featurettes and more. Grab your copy of The Housemaid when it hits digital, 4K, Blu-ray and DVD on March 17th from Lionsgate Home Entertainment.