The Housemaid Review: A Loyal Adaptation That Fails to Fully Impress

It wasn’t a surprise to hear that one of Freida McFadden’s best-selling novels was being adapted into a film, but I was still excited to see it. There’s always a certain curiosity when a beloved novel moves to the big screen, as most of the film adaptations fail in translating the suspense.

​After some delay, we finally share our The Housemaid review, coming from someone who has previously read the novel, allowing for a thoughtful book-to-film comparison.​

Plot of The Housemaid (2025)

The Housemaid focuses on two women: Millie (played by Sydney Sweeney), a woman with a troubled past who is looking to find a stable job and decent place to live, as she is done sleeping in her car and is on parole. On the other hand is Nina Winchester (Amanda Seyfried), an erratic, affluent woman who is abused by her husband, Andrew (Brandon Sklenar), a filthy rich businessman.

Enzo (Michele Morrone) is Nina’s Italian groundskeeper, who is mysteriously connected to the two ladies. Watch the suspense-filled trailer here:​

Actors’ performances in The Housemaid (2025)​

Clearly, the film is about the two female leads, and the males were left fading in the mist. Although Brandon and Andrew were excellent, the majority of the film is based on the women’s side of the story; they both leave a powerfully lasting impact.​

Sydney Sweeney as Millie appears as a cold and layered character since she has a past that she doesn’t want anyone to find out about. Her performance gained strength in the second half, which I can attribute to being wildly entertaining.

Amanda Seyfried shone in Nina’s character, who is a menace to the house. The dynamic portrayal of a wealthy but nuts housewife keeps us on the edge the whole time. It is this quality of her role that keeps us wondering till the second half whether she is on Millie’s side or against her. Her potent range gives a remarkably chaotic, violent, and highlighted performance.​

The film’s gothic atmosphere is upheld by Brandon’s Andrew. He proved that he is capable of handling tense scenes, as his role demanded of the hidden depths and dark secrets lingering with the challengingly complex character.​

Finally, I loved Enzo in the novel, but Michele Morrone’s Enzo didn’t please me. He did have an intense and quiet demeanor, but failed to make his presence felt.​

What do critics add to The Housemaid review?​

The critics’ consensus on Rotten Tomatoes approves of The Housemaid, as it says,​

“A sly throwback to the lurid thrillers that used to dominate multiplexes, The Housemaid cleans up nicely thanks to its wicked sense of fun and a delightfully unnerving performance from Amanda Seyfried.” [Source]​

The critics tended to view the film less favorably, as they believed a “real development” was missing from the story. Most of the critics felt that it could have been much better, whereas a few thought that the film’s adaptation would please those familiar with the novel.​

Fans’ reaction​

The fans agree with my views here, and I’ll explain myself in the next section. They knew that the book had more details, but they were also happy that “it was still great.” The majority of them enjoyed the twists and turns and called it “pretty damn entertaining.”​

They found the start of the film sluggish but were happy with the ending. They compliment the director, as he did a great job following the book with the performances that delivered full entertainment. 

Is it worth watching?​

I can confidently say yes, speaking as someone who has read the novel and genuinely enjoyed the film adaptation. Much of the story remains faithful to the original narrative, which made the viewing experience all the more satisfying. Typically, however, I’m not particularly drawn to book-to-film adaptations. For instance, despite being a fan of Dan Brown’s novel, I’ve never felt compelled to watch their screen adaptations.​

The suspense factor is high, giving Hitchcockian vibes, just like the novel. The director did a great job in keeping the pace intact; not too slow, and not too fast. Although I didn’t like Feig’s attempt at Another Simple Favor (2025), its first installment was praiseworthy.​

The first half of the film is merely a drama where you can only see the story’s development. The latter half is where the actual fun begins. The tone shifts from straightforward to an almost horror movie absurdity. The characters get mean and nasty, and the film ends with an enjoyable climax.​

That said, the film’s story is not without its pitfalls. Enzo’s role is significantly reduced in screen time as compared to the book. In the book, frequent interactions with Millie added layers to the psychological atmosphere, making his character feel purposeful and impactful. The film made him look peripheral instead. ​

The use of a troll figurine in the film is not fully understood, whereas I remember there was nothing in the book. I was expecting that if it was actually there, it might have a serious connection to the story, but it was left hanging in the air. Disappointing!​

Moreover, the book mentioned Millie giving peanut butter to Cece (the child character played by Indiana Elle), who was allergic to it, and Nina made a great fuss out of it. I can understand that this sequence was omitted from the film due to time constraints. After all, not every detail from a novel can be fully translated onto the screen.​

What we liked​

• Strong female performances
• Faithful adaptation
• Suspense and pacing
• Twists and climax
• Fan satisfaction

What could be better​

• Reduced role for Enzo
• Unexplained elements
• Omitted book details
• Limited male presence
• Some narrative gaps

Here is a detailed breakdown of our rating for The Housemaid (2025):

Story/plot	7/10
Characters and acting	7/10
Direction and pacing	7/10
Visuals and cinematography	7/10
Soundtrack/score	6/10
Themes and message	5/10
Emotional impact	4/10
Creativity/originality	5/10
Rewatchability	2/10

Our rating: 6

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Is The Housemaid (2025) available for streaming?

Yes, The Housemaid (2025) (R-rated) is available for streaming on Apple TV, Prime Video, and Fandango at Home via rent or purchase. 

Genre: Thriller 

IMDb rating: 6.8

Rotten Tomatoes: 73 percent on Tomatometer (critics’ score) and 92 percent on Popcornmeter

Cast: Sydney Sweeney, Amanda Seyfried, Brandon Sklenar, Michele Morrone, Megan Ferguson, Indiana Elle 

Director: Paul Feig

Writers: Freida McFadden, Rebecca Sonnenshine

Producers: Todd Lieberman (Hidden Pictures), Laura Fischer (Feigco Entertainment), Paul Feig

Release date: December 19, 2025

Movie runtime: 2 hours 11 minutes

Which character left the strongest impression on you? Drop your verdict in the comments.