Paul Feig (Bridesmaids, A Simple Favor) directs this psychological thriller by screenwriter Rebecca Sonnenshine based on Freida McFadden’s 2022 novel of the same name about Millie Calloway (Sydney Sweeney), a troubled woman with a sketchy past who goes to work for a Nina (Amanda Seyfried) and Andrew Winchester (Brandon Sklenar), whose affluent household has dark secrets of its own. (131 min.)
The Housemaid
What’s it rated? R
What’s it worth, Anna? Stream it
What’s it worth, Glen? Stream it
Where’s it showing? Regal Edwards RPX Santa Maria, Regal Edwards Arroyo Grande
Glen: This is a story that wants to mislead, to make you think one thing only to pull a switcheroo. It wants your alliances toward characters to shift and falter, and most importantly, it wants you to understand the whole sordid story, which leads to two rather long voiceover expositional backstories about how the characters ended up where they are. Sometimes narration works, and sometimes it feels clumsy and lazy like this film. Sure, there are some entertaining moments, thanks in large part to Seyfried’s mercurial and unhinged performance, but it always feels like its main goal is to mislead its viewers rather than to create a plausible world where bad things happen.
Anna: Sweeney’s Millie must be utterly desperate, because after one day with Nina, it’s clear she’s struggling with mental stability on an epic level. She’s either gaslighting her new employee or is wholly unhinged. Her husband, Andrew, seems to be her caretaker, a constant apology written on his face as Nina seemingly becomes more and more disconnected from reality. I’m curious to know how propulsive a read this book is. It has a The Girl on the Train vibe, but instead of stripping away the layers of mystery over time, The Housemaid decided to offer it up in this narrative voiceover. I can’t say that it works with the same sort of satisfaction. The performances here are good, but if you’re looking for a film that rivals the twists and turns of Gone Girl or The Gift, this one may leave you disappointed.
Glen: Like any mystery, this one’s hard to talk about without giving in to spoilers. It kept me guessing to a point, but I was more entertained by the performances than the story. I especially liked Elizabeth Perkins as Andrew’s cold-as-ice mother, Mrs. Winchester, with her shocking white hair and stain of bright red lipstick across her pale face. She’s almost a cartoon villain. Millie begins to understand what’s going on with Nina through gossip, once when another nanny waiting for her charge at ballet class reveals some of the Winchesters’ secrets, and again when a trio of harpy PTA moms over at Nina’s house for tea diss Nina behind her back when she has to take a call. Nina and Andrew’s daughter, Cece (Indiana Elle), is also strange with an inexplicable character arc. Maybe this all worked on the page, but on-screen, it doesn’t satisfyingly coalesce.
Anna: Millie’s past is alluded to throughout, but again we must wait for the narration to reveal more than just half-truths. We know she needs to keep her job and that there are real stakes to losing it. However, even that reveal feels a bit canned. In the end, we do know who it is we should have been rooting for the entire time, but we spend a lot of time getting there, and while the payoff should come with a real sense of justice, it didn’t particularly. The enjoyment here is all in the performances; both Seyfried and Perkins in particular stand out. There’s also the mysterious groundskeeper, Enzo (Michele Morrone), who’s brought into the story, but it really isn’t clear why. I feel this one was probably a bit more titillating in book form. The film just didn’t quite do it for me.
New Times Arts Editor Glen Starkey and freelancer Anna Starkey write Sun Screen. Comment at gstarkey@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in Dec 25, 2025 – Jan 1, 2026.