- THE HOUSEMAID
- Starring: Sidney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried
- Directed by: Paul Feig
- Rated: R
- Running time: 2 hrs 10 mins
- Lionsgate
- Our Score: 4 out of 5
If the name Paul Feig sounds familiar, it’s probably because of his work in some well known comedies. Besides directing several episodes of television’s “The Office,” he has worked extensively with Melissa McCarthy, directing such films as “Bridesmaids,” “The Heat,” “Spy” and the underappreciated 2016 “Ghostbusters.” So to find him in charge of a psychological thriller may come as a surprise. I’m happy to say it’s a good one.
Millie (Sweeney) is a woman on her own. Flitting from job to job, she currently finds herself living in her car and applying for anything she can find. One such job is as a housekeeper for a very posh socialite (Seyfried). She interviews well and gets the job. It should be the end of her troubles. But it’s just the beginning.
Riding on the shoulders of it’s two leading actresses, “The Housemaid” is like a roller coaster ride, taking you in one direction until, unexpectedly, taking a turn so jarring you need to catch your breath. Sweeney plays Millie as a tough, but seemingly goodhearted, woman with a past she’s trying to escape. Seyfried, as Nina, seems genuinely kind, but she soon reveals she is also dealing with demons she can’t escape. All of this plays out in a beautiful home, brightly lit and friendly, that slowly becomes darker and darker as secret after secret is revealed. As Andrew, Nina’s husband, Brandon Sklenar does his best to keep the peace, but we soon learn he has secrets too.
The film is well paced, and director Feig wisely let’s the story play out without telegraphing the next twist. All in all, this is a film I really recommend.
On a scale of zero to five, I give “The Housemaid” ★★★★