The Housemaid Review: Sydney Sweeney’s Brutal Thriller Is Undone By A Weak Climax & Poor Writing

RATING - ⭐ ⭐ 2/5*

The Housemaid Review Movie Talkies:

There have been several films made in the past with the same title and within the same genre—and some of them have been genuinely impressive. Unfortunately, the 2025 version of The Housemaid is nowhere close to those standards. Starring Sydney Sweeney, Amanda Seyfried, and Brandon Sklenar, this erotic psychological thriller collapses under the weight of its own predictability, weak writing, and a climax so illogical that it leaves you questioning whether anyone involved cared about basic narrative sense. To its credit, The Housemaid does have moments of brutality and emotional devastation that genuinely work. There are scenes that grip you, disturb you, and make you believe the film is building toward something intense and meaningful. But none of that pays off. And in my opinion, a thriller that completely fumbles its ending automatically disqualifies itself from being a good thriller. I stand by that.

The Housemaid Story:

The story follows Millie (Sydney Sweeney), a troubled young woman out on parole, desperate for a fresh start. She lands a job as a housemaid at the luxurious home of Nina Winchester (Amanda Seyfried), who lives with her wealthy husband Andrew (Brandon Sklenar) and their young daughter, Cecilia (Indiana Elle). Initially, Nina appears warm and welcoming, but her behaviour soon turns erratic. She begins blaming Millie for things she hasn’t done, gaslighting her, and psychologically tormenting her without any clear reason. Andrew, on the other hand, plays the sympathetic saviour. He listens to Millie, understands her pain, and eventually crosses the line—leading to an affair between the two. When Nina discovers the betrayal, she confronts them, only to be shockingly thrown out of her own house by Andrew. Millie and Andrew begin living together, seemingly happy, until the narrative takes a darker turn. One day, Millie finds herself locked inside a room, screaming for help with no way out. This raises the central mystery: why is she imprisoned, and has Andrew done this before? The answers are saved for the climax—unfortunately, that’s where the film completely loses the plot.

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Clocking in at over two hours, The Housemaid feels unnecessarily stretched, mainly because it is painfully predictable. The moment Millie first lays eyes on Andrew, you can already foresee their affair—and sure enough, that’s exactly what happens. Nina’s exaggerated, borderline psychotic behaviour screams deception almost immediately. The film barely attempts to mask its twists, making the experience frustrating rather than suspenseful. What truly tests your patience is how long the film takes to reach conclusions that the audience has already guessed within the first 20 minutes. By the time the story reaches its second half, you’re simply waiting for the plot to catch up with your own deductions. That sense of waiting—rather than discovery—kills the tension entirely. A thriller should challenge the viewer, not bore them with obvious turns. Marketed as an erotic thriller, the film also fails miserably on that front. There is hardly anything erotic about it. A few kisses, some soft bed scenes, and that’s about it. Yes, there is skin show—mostly courtesy of Sydney Sweeney—but that feels more like a casting strategy than a storytelling necessity. Once again, it highlights how shallow the writing truly is.

Then comes the climax—the point where everything should come together. Instead, it makes the entire journey feel pointless. The resolution is absurd, devoid of logic, and completely detached from reality. A story involving murder, manipulation, and psychological trauma requires a sense of realism, or at the very least, internal consistency. The Housemaid offers neither. Law enforcement, investigation, consequences—everything is conveniently ignored. The pre-climax sequences are equally weak, filled with hollow conversations and implausible decisions. It feels as though the writer simply gave up.

The Housemaid Cast:

Performance-wise, Amanda Seyfried is undoubtedly the film’s strongest asset. She effortlessly switches between vulnerability and cruelty, innocence and menace, depending on what the scene demands. Despite the flawed script, she commands attention and overshadows the restof the cast with sheer acting skill. Sydney Sweeney, however, feels miscast. She brings glamour and sex appeal, but her character lacks depth, and her performance never rises above surface level. Frankly, the lack of authenticity is distracting. Which housemaid looks like this—perfect hair, flawless makeup, and runway-level styling at all times? She doesn’t even attempt to disappear into the role. Instead, the camera constantly objectifies her—focusing on her body, cleavage, lips, and eyes. It becomes exhausting. This is supposed to be a character-driven thriller, not a beauty commercial. Brandon Sklenar does manage to convey the required menace, and you genuinely end up hating his character, which works in the film’s favour. Michele Morrone feels completely out of place, resembling a stereotypical character from a low-grade Bollywood drama. Indiana Elle is adorable and natural, while the rest of the supporting cast is passable at best.

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The Housemaid Movie Review:

Technically, the film is serviceable. The production design is decent, and the cinematography is fine, though overly obsessed with glam shots. Editing lacks sharpness, and the sound design does just enough to get by. There are a few decent lines of dialogue, but one particular moment—“Not just yet”—stands out more than anything else in the film.

Paul Feig could have done better as a director, but ultimately, the blame lies with the writing. A director can’t salvage a fundamentally weak script—no matter how attractive the cast or how many intimate scenes you throw in. The Housemaid lacks basic narrative sense. It doesn’t need to be complex, just coherent. The disastrous climax ruins whatever goodwill the film builds along the way. In the end, The Housemaid feels like a missed opportunity—stylish on the surface, hollow at the core, and ultimately undone by its own laziness. Just too bad.

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