Considering the fact that the last film directed by Paul Feig was Another Simple Favor, I was not inclined to be optimistic about The Housemaid. Based on the tremendously popular book by Freida McFadden, I wondered if Feig could deliver something fun and trashy so soon after failing us so badly with something that should have been fun and trashy. Thankfully, he's helped by writer Rebecca Sonnenshine and lead cast members who are happy enough to revel in the silliness of the whole thing.
Sydney Sweeney plays Millie Calloway, a young woman who cannot believe her luck when she lands a live-in maid job with the seemingly-perfect Winchester family. There's Nina (Amanda Seyfried), the lovely and warm lady of the house, Andrew (Brandon Sklenar), the devoted and gorgeous husband, and young Cece (Indiana Elle). Millie soon finds out that all isn't as it seems though. People in the house have some dark secrets. But, considering she's still on probation after serving ten years of a prison sentence, Millie has to tolerate more strange behaviour than most, considering she needs to stay employed and housed as part of her probation conditions.
Having not read the book, or any of the McFadden books, all I knew was that it was apparently quite dark and twisted. Well, this film is quite dark and twisted, which makes me think that it's a decent adaptation. Unfortunately, everything is so ridiculous and overblown that none of the twists and turns are surprising, especially when you start mulling over the different directions that the film could take. Feig knows how far he can push things though, and he works with the screenplay to deliver a satisfying mix of intrigue, thrills, nastiness, and occasional laughs.
Sweeney doesn't stretch her acting chops here, but she's fine in the lead role, and I like the fact that she has been involved in at least two erotically-charged thrillers throughout her acting career (reminder - check out The Voyeurs if you haven't seen it already). Whatever role she takes on, Sweeney seems to have good instincts when it comes to what she can bring to the table, whether that's tied to her acting range or just her obvious sex appeal. Seyfried gets to do much more with her character, and it's a lot of fun to see her move from the well-known sweetness of her usual persona to a whole lot of rage and nastiness. It's also fun to see Sklenar make use of the image that he has cultivated onscreen over the past couple of years. Elle is an entertainingly cold child, and there's room for a strong and silent turn from Michele Morrone and a "mother-in-law from hell" turn from Elizabeth Perkins, who does a lot with her very little screentime.
Despite the work of Feig and Sonnenshine, and despite the game cast, something here holds The Housemaid back from being as good as it could be. The 131-minute runtime doesn't help, especially when you notice how much time is still left after one or two of the earlier plot reveals, the soundtrack is also disappointingly insipid, in contrast to some of the wilder visuals, and the ending is just a bit too preposterous to be truly satisfying.
I still enjoyed it though, and I'll absolutely watch the sequel when it comes along. I just can't see myself ever rewatching this, and I suspect others may feel the same way.
6/10
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