Perhaps I am dating myself, because I don’t know, and I haven’t known for some time, if Cinemax still features soft-core material in their late-night programming. Maybe the channel does, maybe it doesn’t. But I do know that during the late 90s and early oughts, Cinemax often featured films that were not quite pornographic, but came close. These films often feature sexual encounters that were not of a traditional variety, and sometimes, they came with some dramatic consequences. Lifetime seems to have followed this model, but since its programming is sponsored by corporations during commercial breaks, the content was a bit toned down.
At this point, my readers are probably saying, “What are you getting at?” The point I am trying to make is that the filmmakers behind The Housemaid have delivered a movie that feels like a mixture of Cinemax and Lifetime, but with some fun and surprising twists. Director Paul Feig and his screenwriter, Rebecca Sonnenshine, have used this film to have some fun with these elements. The result is a film that entertains, tantalises a little, but also makes fun of the exploitation of these elements. The Housemaid is often silly and ridiculous, yet somewhat realistic, and is an enjoyable hoot of a melodrama.
Sidney Sweeney stars as Millie Calloway, a young woman struggling with her past problems, but is trying to make a living for herself. Millie gets a great job opportunity when she is hired as a live-in maid for a wealthy couple in a gorgeous home that initially seems low-maintenance. Millie eventually discovers that her boss, Nina Winchester (Amanda Seyfried), is an unhinged mess who makes her job tremendously difficult. When Nina’s husband, Andrew (Brandon Sklenar), has had enough with his wife’s drama, she begins a torrid affair with him, but soon realises that there is more happening than she knows.
As I watched this movie, there were times I cringed, was annoyed, but was occasionally entertained. However, as the story unfolds, I eventually relished some of the surprises and twists it offers. Paul Feig and Rebecca Sonnenshine have based their movie on the novel of the same name by Freida McFadden. I have never read the book, so I have no idea how everything plays out or what kind of tone the story has. Nevertheless, I had a great time with this movie. It is smart, funny, and I definitely appreciated the nods and references to the influences that inspired this film’s style.
Amanda Seyfried is an absolute marvel to behold. She gives her character the perfect amount of fervour, insanity and fearlessness it needs. Brandon Sklenar is also quite good as the husband torn between his wife and his new love interest. I was a bit disappointed with Sidney Sweeney, as she portrays her character mostly flatly. Her character has moments, but Sweeney does not bring anything particularly dynamic to it. Her performance is sufficient, but it doesn’t exactly stand out either.
The Housemaid is a fun movie I recommend for a guilty pleasure during a weekend afternoon at the theatre or a quiet evening at home. It does not demand to be watched in the theater, but one could definitely do a lot worse.