The Housemaid

Sydney Sweeney (Christy, Anyone But You, Madame Web) is a draw, but hasn’t been terribly successful with her films. We reviewed this year’s Christy, where she gave her all as a champion female boxer, who survived attempted murder at the hands of her manager/husband. It didn’t do well at the box office. Here, as in that film, there are scenes where Sweeney has blank looks. Even when she’s treated badly by Seyfried there is little expression, or reaction until later in the film. When she pulls the stops out and elements of surprise and horror are introduced the story finally gains momentum. 

Extremely talented Amanda Seyfried chooses very intense roles and this is no exception. She dives in head first, as she has in the last two films we’ve seen her in recently. In 2023’s The Seven Veils, she plays a woman who mounts the very serious operatic production of a late mentor.  And Seyfried  is Golden Globe nominated for her demanding role The Testament of Ann Lee, the feminist equality and religious musical based on the founder of the Shakers sect. She literally beats her chest in that film dancing and singing as in big production numbers.

Here, she plays Nina, the very erratic, disturbed wife of heartthrob, hunk husband Andrew (Brandon Sklenar, TV’s 1923). He is so good-looking, he may become the next lead actor to get a series of sexy romantic roles. He is thought to be so calm, patient and tender with his wife and daughter, even when Nina suddenly changes gears going totally ballistic, creating chaos. If she’s so disturbed why is she is left to take care of her young child without supervision? Is she bi-polar or manic? Perfect Dad takes up the slack when he can, but little daughter Ceci (Indiana Elle) sneers at Millie, being morose and uncooperative.

We come to find Andrew’s Mother, Evelyn, (Elizabeth Perkins) disturbing, too. Perkins is snooty, stern and scary. She makes it clear that no woman is good enough for her Sonny Boy. And that Millie is definitely not up to snuff. 

After about an hour watching this film, we’re let in on the family M.O. and, predictably, Andrew woos Nina whose low cut tops push her obvious assets out and up to her neck. Is Millie trying to tempt Nina’s husband? Is that the twisted reason why Nina hired her? Millie’s  bare attic room is where the film turns into a mental and physical nightmare for all involved. There is no escape until certain unusual, but horrifyingly painful tasks, that were telegraphed earlier, are met. 

Will you be curious enough to get to the end? We kind of groaned, joining in some derisive chuckles from the audience in the hour-long run-up getting to the climactic gory scenes horror fans may relish. But Feig, Seyfried, Sweeney and Sklenar do keep you interested to see where it’s going. Will it be successful enough for a sequel. Only if The Housemaid cleans up at the box office.

Lionsgate       2 Hours 11 Minutes         R