The highly anticipated thriller, The Housemaid, starring Sydney Sweeney, hit theatres and set a new box-office record for Sweeney, reaching the 300 million mark. Based on the immensely successful Freida McFadden novel, many came to the theatre with high expectations.
This movie follows a struggling young girl, Millie, as she tries to move on from her haunting past. When she is hired to become a housemaid for a wealthy family, excitement rings through her. However, when strange behaviors start happening from the wife, Nina, Millie feels unsettled, yet she knows she needs this job. She is almost fired multiple times by the wife for being blamed for nonsense, but the husband defends Millie, stirring the pot even more. She must navigate dangerous obstacles while also facing romantic ones.
This movie kept me on the edge of my seat. Book-to-movie adaptations can be tough, but this movie gained heavy praise from the readers, and they stayed entertained throughout. The audience in my theatre were visibly shocked and stressed through the climax. There were many “Aha!” moments that had my jaw on the floor in disbelief. I have seen and heard many praises for this movie and Amanda Seyfried’s acting, but I have also seen complaints about key details missing from the book. The gardener for the house, Enzo, played by Michele Morrone, was barely in the movie and he felt quite useless. I would have loved to see him more involved in the conflicts and helping Millie out, but his character gave the audience nothing compared to the book. Also, Sweeney’s acting was hit or miss. The moments where she is narrating from her diary were mostly cringe, while other times her acting surprised me.
I did enjoy how unique the storyline was and how the setting of the housemaid’s attic came to life from the book. The book was detailed and seemed like a difficult story to bring to life, but director Paul Feig was able to accomplish that. The casting was very well done; Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney look eerily similar in this movie, adding perfectly to the story. Brandon Sklenar’s acting was also impressive and felt real.
Overall, this movie was a solid thriller, especially for the young adults who enjoyed the book. It is rare to get an almost fully packed theatre for a movie that came out a couple of weeks ago, but my theatre was full and very interactive. I could feel their emotions in waves: amusement, fear, anger, all of them. This is one of those movies I want to rewatch with friends just to see their reactions to all the chaos. The constant twists and turns in this movie will cause gasps all through out.
