Millie is down on her luck and in desperate need of a job. Luckily, she stumbles into a housemaid position for Nina, a woman married to a wealthy and handsome tech entrepreneur. But things quickly spiral out of control with Nina’s mood swings and unpredictable behavior. A growing attraction between Millie and Nina’s husband Andrew also begins to surface… but is everything in the household what it seems?
Alfred Hitchcock died in 1980, but I have a feeling if he was still alive today, the movies he would be making wouldn’t be too far removed from what director Paul Feig delivers in THE HOUSEMAID. Packed with suspense, deception, sensuality, and plot twists galore, the film delivers on its promises, even if it is a bit too long and overstuffed.
Mr. Feig has proven himself to be a master of combining sensuality and suspense, much as he did a few years back in A SIMPLE FAVOR. Here, he takes Freida McFadden’s novel and brings it to life on the big screen with an all-star cast, top-notch production, and everything from relatable situations and characters to ridiculous over-the-top situations. Juggling a variety of moods and tones is a challenge, but Feig proves to be the master craftsman this material requires.
A top-notch cast doesn’t hurt either, with the talent on board including Sydney Sweeney as the titular maid in desperate need of a job who learns the hard way that what sounds too good to be true usually is, Amanda Seyfried as her employer who keeps the audience guessing with her erratic behavior, Brandon Sklenar as the final element in this unpredictable love triangle, and a great all-around supporting cast as well. Nothing in THE HOUSEMAID is what it seems, with nearly every character committing a deception of some kind. Just when you think you’ve figured it all out… you haven’t. This movie rattled my brain, turned me on, and shocked me as few productions of recent years have.
If there’s one place the otherwise stellar suspense thriller falters, it’s in the pacing. With a running time of 130 minutes, this moviegoer truly believes the final product could’ve been about 20 minutes shorter. When a movie drags on after its climax, it’s usually not a great sign. There’s more good than bad to be had in THE HOUSEMAID, but more edits wouldn’t have hurt.
THE HOUSEMAID is a suspense thriller that delivers on its promises. It’s erotic, it’s stylish, and it’s packed with mysteries that’ll keep you guessing until the very end. It lives up to its R rating and definitely isn’t for the squeamish or easily offended, but definitely earns a recommendation from this critic.