Will she make it out alive? That is the question that the newly book-adapted movie, The Housemaid, is posing. If you haven’t read the book yet, The Housemaid is a psychological, romantic thriller that deep dives into a “normal” wealthy family’s life alongside a housemaid named Millie. The book starts off with a gripping prologue that sets a scene of distress and crime with a side of mystery. In the movie, the starting scene immediately skips to Millie entering the Winchester house gates. As I was watching this movie, I did observe that it was a little fast-paced, but then again, what book-adapted movie isn’t?
EHS student, Maylea Maske (28) said, “I think that they did really good. It was definitely a plot twist in my mind, like, I definitely did not think that the twist was gonna be that good. There were a few differences, like small differences, that you wouldn’t notice if you weren’t paying that close attention to the movie and the book. But I did think that both were really good.”
All of the actors were absolutely amazing in these roles. Amanda Seyfried was in a recent press tour interview and stated that the director, Paul Feig, let her have complete creative freedom with her role as Nina Winchester. As I was watching the movie, I was looking forward to Seyfried’s performance in this role. While there was controversy surrounding Sydney Sweeney playing Millie Calloway, I thought that she was great. Some of her acting was a bit off-putting, though. When I first read the book, I interpreted Nina’s outbursts towards Millie as Millie’s tone being scared and fearful of losing her job. When these scenes were adapted for the film, Sweeney acted in a somewhat emotionless and unbothered manner towards Nina during these scenes. Other than that, Sweeney was perfect for this role.
EHS student, Josie Naill (28) said, “I read the book and watched the movie, and honestly, both were 10 out of 10s for me. I really enjoyed both, especially since one keeps you hooked just as much as the other. I think all of the actresses and actors were amazing and performed the book very well.”
When the book was first released in April 2022, it was an immediate hit, making it onto the best-seller lists for months on end. It then gained attraction on “Booktok,” making it onto even more people’s “must-reads list”. When it was announced that the book was going to be turned into a movie, there were already high expectations from previous readers. Then, when the cast was released, the internet boomed with their usual controversial opinions and takes on the cast and their acting. Multiple stating that Andrew Winchester’s actor (Brandon Sklenar) and Enzo’s actor (Michele Morrone) were perfect for the characters and what the viewers had imagined them in their heads, while others were stating their differing opinions on Seyfried and Sweeney. Overall, The Housemaid was a very good and well attended to film. I thought they thoroughly paid attention to the book’s original plot and made sure to stick to it.
