‘The Housemaid’ Review: A Psychological Thriller That Thrives on Pacing and Performance

Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney in The Housemaid (Lionsgate)

We’re living in a moment where genuinely effective thrillers feel increasingly hard to come by, with many failing to justify their own runtime. The Housemaid, however, manages to buck that trend. The film moves with a sense of urgency and confident pacing that keeps the audience engaged for nearly its entire duration. Based on the novel of the same name, the story follows a young woman seeking a fresh start as a live-in maid for a wealthy couple, a situation that gradually reveals far more sinister truths beneath its polished surface.

At its core, The Housemaid operates within familiar psychological-thriller territory, but its effectiveness lies less in outright originality and more in execution. The film’s central premise — a woman seeking stability by entering the home of a wealthy couple immediately establishes a power imbalance that the narrative steadily exploits. Rather than relying solely on twists, the story builds tension through escalating discomfort, positioning domestic space as both refuge and trap.

Thematically, the film gestures toward issues of class, control, and the illusion of safety. The wealthy household is pristine on the surface, yet rotting beneath, suggesting that privilege often masks moral decay rather than preventing it. While The Housemaid doesn’t fully interrogate these ideas with the depth of more socially pointed thrillers, it uses them effectively as narrative fuel, allowing unease to seep into nearly every interaction.

The film’s success rests heavily on its performances, particularly Amanda Seyfried as Nina. Seyfried shifts seamlessly between emotional registers, presenting a character whose behavior feels unpredictable yet believable. The constant oscillation in her demeanor never feels performative; instead, it plays like a genuine response to the world closing in around her. It’s a controlled, layered performance that keeps the audience slightly off-balance, which is exactly what the film requires.

Sydney Sweeney is also surprisingly effective here as Millie, the film’s protagonist. While she is often marketed more for her screen presence than her range, The Housemaid gives her an opportunity to demonstrate real substance. As a woman attempting to rebuild her life after prison, Sweeney grounds Millie in quiet determination rather than victimhood. Her performance makes the character’s choices feel motivated instead of naïve, anchoring the film emotionally even as the plot escalates. Subtle shifts in body language and expression communicate mounting fear and suspicion more effectively than overt exposition ever could.

However, the most engaging performance may belong to Brandon Sklenar as Andrew Winchester. This role marks a noticeable departure from the more straightforward, morally grounded characters he often plays. Sklenar clearly seeks out projects that allow him to stretch his range, and here he leans into ambiguity in a way that keeps the character unsettling without tipping into excess. It’s a performance that benefits from restraint, and one that reinforces the film’s central tension without revealing too much too soon.

Outside of the acting, one of the film’s strongest technical elements is its pacing. The editing keeps the narrative moving at a steady clip, rarely lingering too long in any one beat. While the final act accelerates more aggressively than earlier portions of the film, it never feels rushed. If anything, the film benefits from its refusal to overstay its welcome, delivering a tight runtime that complements its sense of urgency. I say tight runtime even though the movie is a little over two-hours because it does actually feel like it moves at a rapid pace. 

All that said, The Housemaid may not reinvent the psychological thriller, but it doesn’t need to. Through strong pacing, effective performances, and confident direction, the film delivers a tense and engaging experience that understands the genre’s strengths. Its thematic ambitions may only scratch the surface, but its execution ensures that the ride remains compelling from start to finish. This is a film likely to appeal to fans of contained thrillers, domestic horror, and slow-burn suspense, particularly those who value atmosphere and performance over spectacle. I would be curious to see how this translates from those who read the novel, but as just a film - it worked pretty well for me.

RATING

⭐⭐⭐ 1/2