The Housemaid

A good thriller is hard to beat. There’s just something about a movie that keeps you guessing and has you on the edge of your seat the whole time. A few that immediately come to mind are Gone Girl, Fatal Attraction, Unfaithful, and Match Point, just to name a few. The problem is, movies like that don’t seem to show up in theaters very often anymore. It feels like the studios have mostly lost interest in the genre.

Thankfully, Paul Feig is bringing it back with his latest film, The Housemaid—and let me tell you, he does not disappoint.

Millie (Sydney Sweeney) needs a job, badly, and she may have just found the perfect one. Nina (Amanda Seyfried) is looking for a live-in housemaid and is immediately impressed by Millie’s résumé—and by Millie herself. What Nina doesn’t know is that Millie isn’t exactly who she seems. She was recently released from prison, is currently living out of her car, and this job might be the only thing keeping her from ending up right back where she started.

Nina hires Millie, and at first, everything goes smoothly. Millie seems to be exactly what Nina needs, and while things start off a bit frosty with Nina’s daughter, Cecilia (Indiana Elle), Millie is confident it’ll all work out. Then things begin to shift. Nina starts having episodes where she blames Millie for things she didn’t do, and her husband Andrew (Brandon Sklenar) is always there to apologize for Nina’s behavior and smooth things over. As tensions rise, Millie and Andrew begin to grow closer—almost as if Nina’s actions are pushing them together on purpose.

But just like with Millie, things aren’t always what they seem. What follows is a wild, increasingly unhinged ride toward a truly bonkers finale.

Written by Rebecca Sonnenshine and based on the novel by Freida McFadden, The Housemaid is packed with deliciously twisted surprises that are downright diabolical at times. The movie is messy, chaotic, and often completely unhinged—and that’s exactly what makes it so much fun. This is high camp, no question, but it’s delivered with such confidence that you can’t help but lean in and enjoy the ride. Logic is best left at the door here. One of the film’s biggest strengths is how it just keeps moving forward without hesitation, which only makes the experience more entertaining.

The Housemaid is the kind of thriller that’s best seen with a crowd, where you can collectively gasp, laugh, and react to every twist and turn. It’s completely over the top, but also wildly entertaining, and everyone involved clearly understands exactly what kind of movie they’re making.

The cast goes all in, delivering performances with real commitment across the board. Seyfried leads the charge and seems to relish the chance to break free from prestige-driven expectations, fully embracing Nina’s instability. Sweeney continues to prove she’s at her best in roles like this, and Elizabeth Perkins is an absolute delight as the mother-in-law from hell—terrifying and delicious in equal measure.

For me, this was pure joy to watch. It stands out for all the right reasons, mainly because it’s memorable—something far too many movies fail to be. Paul Feig absolutely delivers the goods here, and The Housemaid feels like a gift for thriller fans. If this is what we get for the holidays, we must have done something right.