The Housemaid (2025)
Sex, Drugs, and Housework
The Housemaid is a throwback that faithfully emulates the style and formula of the erotic psychological thrillers that were popular in the early ’90s. It has a self-aware sense of fun and almost feels like a spoof of the movies that inspired it.
Millie Calloway (Sidney Sweeney) is the titular housemaid. She was just released from prison after serving a ten year sentence. The details of her crime aren’t revealed until late in the film. Millie is on parole and her employment prospects are limited. She’s broke and living in her car.
Millie creates a fictional resume and applies for a housemaid position offered by the Winchesters, a wealthy couple. To her surprise, she’s offered the job.
Nina (Amanda Seyfried) is emotionally unstable and quickly becomes a nightmare boss. Her young daughter Cecelia (Indiana Elle) seems jaded and cynical beyond her years. Nina’s husband, Andrew (Brandon Sklenar), is kinder and appears to be a steadying influence.
Attraction inevitably develops between the hot sexy housemaid and the handsome rich husband. They begin an affair. But what will happen when Nina finds out?
In typical thriller fashion, nothing is as it seems. All three of the adults are hiding dark secrets. The second half of the movie takes the story in a completely different direction. It culminates with the explosive unhinged violence that this genre is known for.
The best performance belongs to Seyfried, who gradually shows different layers to Nina. This is the most intense performance I’ve seen from her. Sweeney plays the same type of sultry, world weary character she usually plays, and she’s good at it. Sklenar is also solid and has the perfect look and mannerisms for his role.
The Housemaid takes a few stabs at trad wife culture, misogyny, and generational trauma, but this isn’t the type of film that’s going to offer deep commentary on societal issues. Its purpose is simply to entertain. The script has plenty of outrageous twists, but they won’t come as a shock to people who are familiar with this genre. The Housemaid proceeds in a fairly predictable, albeit entertaining, way.
I’m going to cap this review by comparing Millie to a similar character from another recent thriller: Polly (Maika Monroe), the nanny from the 2025 remake of The Hand That Rocks the Cradle. Both are attractive young women who are in poverty. Both take household jobs with wealthy families and become seductive temptations for the husbands. And both are capable of violence and are hiding shocking secrets from their past.
There is an important difference, however. Polly is a coldblooded villain who is willing to harm innocents, while Millie is an antihero who follows her own moral code. I found Millie much more interesting. The Housemaid is a far more compelling film than The Hand That Rocks The Cradle remake, which I reviewed last year.
Rating
The Housemaid is a slight but entertaining thriller that delivers what it promises. A sequel, The Housemaid’s Secret, is expected to release in the Christmas 2027 season.
Rating from 1 (avoid at all costs) to 10 (masterpiece): 7.5
