Late to the Party: I didn't see the fun, soapy The Housemaid in theatres, but now it's streaming
- Carla Davis
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
I was iffy on seeing The Housemaid when it was in theatres, because it looked kind of – well, let’s just say “soapy.” You know, like a soap opera storyline from back in the 1990s, or one of those tacky "erotic thrillers." But after it left theatres, I kind of regretted it, because I was hearing good things.
So, I actually started up a trial subscription when The Housemaid came to Starz, and it was the first movie I watched when the subscription hit. I’m glad I watched it, because it was pretty damned good. Was it earth-shattering, or did it bring something entirely new to the thriller genre? Nah. But it was a helluva lot of fun to watch.
Millie (Sydney Sweeney of Immaculate) has just been released from prison, and as a condition of her parole, she has to have a job. So she applies for a job as a live-in housemaid with Nina Winchester (Amanda Seyfried), a very wealthy woman who lives in a very large, ornate home with her young daughter Cece and husband Andrew (Brandon Sklenar). Nina offers her the job a day or two later.
When Millie moves in, she is given the attic bedroom, which oddly, locks from the outside. She requests a key, which Nina promises to give her. Despite Nina’s over-the-top friendliness with Millie, we can see right away that she is a woman on the edge of a breakdown, and the craziness starts up almost immediately.
Millie wakes up the next morning to Nina frantically searching for some notes she had typed up for a PTA meeting, blaming Millie for throwing them away. Andrew is seemingly very patient and calms Nina down, apologizing to Millie.
After a few more meltdowns by Nina, Millie and Andrew start to bond, and things get spicy. I am not giving any spoilers here, but the story gets tense and twisty.
The Housemaid has a great cast!
This cast is spot-on. Sweeney is appropriately lowkey sexy, all flowy hair and curvaceous figure, Skenlar is…well, he’s charming and hot, and we can’t decide at first if he is too good to be true. But the real scene stealer in The Housemaid is Seyfried, who goes from perky and friendly to absolutely frenetic in a split second. The scene of her in the car (you will know which scene I am referring to when it happens) is absolutely thrilling. Together, the three very capable actors form the perfect triangle. Elizabeth Perkins also puts in a solid performance as Andrew’s perfectionist mother.
It’s perfectly understandable why there is already a sequel to The Housemaid in the works, and Sweeney is already announced to be a part of it. Hopefully, Seyfried will be on board as well!