That all changes though with The Housemaid, the brand new film from director Paul Feig (Bridesmaids), a thriller that keeps its audience guessing throughout the film before completely pulling the rug out from underneath them with a final act that is guaranteed to shock.
The plot starts off with a simple premise. Millie Calloway (Sydney Sweeney – Christy) has just been released from prison. In order to stay free she has to find a job – quickly. She applies for a position as a housemaid for well-off couple, Nina (Amanda Seyfried – Les Miserables) and Andrew Winchester (Brandon Sklenar – Midway), and much to her surprise lands the job.
That is when the weirdness and bullying starts. The once nice Nina suddenly turns into a nightmare – she not only bullies Millie but sets her up on a daily basis to make her look bad in front of Andrew. Millie is terrified at what will happen if she loses her job so endures it all – but was is really happened? Is Millie losing her mind and really making the mistakes she feels she is not? Or is Nina simply a bully or is she suffering from a mental illness that Andrew seems to keep hinting at?
To the credit of Paul Feig and screenwriter Rebecca Sonnenshine (The Keeping Hours) this is a well thought out film that certainly doesn’t sign post its twists and turns to the audience. The result of that is the fact that the audience remains as surprised as Millie does as things playout and the suspense level goes through the roof throughout the film.
I have to admit that I didn’t think that Feig had a movie like this in him. With films like Bridesmaids and The Heat Feig proved that he knew how to create some great comedies, but after flops with Ghostbusters and Spy Feig’s first attempt at a thriller, A Simple Favour, was lukewarm if that. But here Feig takes on the traits of the great Alfred Hitchcock as he delivers a thriller for the ages.
The scenes between Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried play out like methodical chess games. The wariness between them ups the suspense each time and Sonnenshine’s screenplay leaves you constantly wondering who the villain in the piece here is. Then there is the inclusion of Nina’s ‘Allie’ Enzo (Michele Morrone – Subservience) who is so mysterious that at times you start wondering whether or not he is a figment of Mille’s imagination.
Then there is the third piece in that chess game – the husband Andrew. In the early days of film Sonnenshine and Feig use him like a pawn. He’s there, every female outside the family seems to want him, but he is a small time player watching on at this interesting development between Millie and Nina. But as the ‘game’ goes on Sonnenshine brings the pawn into the game more often and soon the audience is left also asking questions about him. Does he have an interest in Millie or is he part of the cruel games that Nina is inflecting on her?
Enhancing the film even more are the acting performances of the three leads. Seyfried has grown as an actress in Long Bright River and that shows in her performance here. Likewise that last twelve months has seen Sweeney put in some amazing performances in films like Christy and Echo Valley but here she goes to a whole new level with a role that should have garnished her an award. Together she and Seyfried deliver scene after scene of perfection.
Announcing himself as an actor to watch in the future here is Brandon Sklenar. While he pretty much just has to sit back and look handsome for the first half of the film it is in the final act where he really gets to show what he is capable of. His performance here guarantees that we will be seeing a lot more of him in films over the next few years.
When people talk about great modern day thrillers you can expect to hear The Housemaid be at the top of that list. Possibly the best thriller to grace our cinema screens since The Invisible Man this is one suspenseful classic that shouldn’t be missed.
The Housemaid is currently screening in Phuket and is rated ‘15’.
4/5 Stars
David Griffiths has been working as a film journalist for over 25 years. That time has seen him work in radio, television and in print. He currently hosts a film podcast called The Popcorn Conspiracy. He is also a Rotten Tomatoes accredited reviewer and is an alternate judge for the Golden Globes Awards. You can follow him at Facebook: SubcultureEntertainmentAus.