By Robert Ernest (@thatRobster | www.xgeeks.co.uk)
This review is spoiler-free.
2025 was the year I discovered Freida McFadden and got swept away in her style of twisty thrillers, and The Housemaid series is an absolute highlight of her catalogue.
Sydney Sweeney plays Millie Calloway, down on her luck, living in her car and recently released from a 10-year prison stretch. She eventually lands herself a lucrative job interview as a live-in Nanny for Nina Winchester (Amanda Seyfried) and her family. Despite her past, she’s offered the job and immediately moves in with the Winchesters in their Long Island show home. You’d feel under Hyacinth Bucket levels of pressure not to spill anything or drop a crumb on their dreamy cream interior. An unbelievable life upgrade.
She would be forgiven for feeling this is too good to be true, as it’s not long before Nina’s Stepford wife demeanour slips and Millie finds herself working for someone who is unpredictable and frankly, rather unhinged. Match that with the room Millie is given to sleep in, and you know there is something sinister around the corner. This is where the twists and turns begin, but luckily for Millie, Nina’s husband, Andrew (Brandon Sklenar), sympathises with her and is often there to pick up the pieces and smooth things over.
Overall, the film stays true to its source material and plays out well. There is more in the book about Millie’s relationship with The Wincherster’s daughter, CeCe (Indiana Elle), as she’s a little monster for her, and that isn’t as evident in the film. I don’t know if it’s the inevitability of having Paul Feig as the Director, but there were many moments which shouldn’t have been funny, but had you giggling in your seat. It does almost feel like a film of two halves, but the big twist delivers, hits hard and has its desired wow moment.
Amanda Seyfried really is the standout here. She plays Nina excellently and gives an erratic performance I haven’t seen from her before. As her story unravels, Seyfried just pushes further and further into the crazy, and it was so enjoyable to watch.
Surely what we want from a film is to be able to switch off and be fully absorbed into someone else’s world. This allows you to do just that. The Housemaid is bonkers and camp and has a classic old school thriller vibe. And the best thing about it is that there’s more to come.
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