The Housemaid

Millie Calloway (Sydney Sweeney) has had a very rough turn of events. Ever since she was released on probation, after being convicted of murder, she has struggled to find any work (what business would hire a felon?). She admits to herself, “I really have to spice up my resumé with fake achievements and education if I want a shot at getting a job.” Then an opportunity emerges, one that provides food, housing and even gas for her…

Milie reads in the want-ads that a local, rich family, the Winchesters, are looking for a live-in housemaid to help with everyday tasks: cleaning, cooking, and even picking up Nina and Andrew’s daughter, Cece. “This job is perfect!” Millie thinks.

So Millie does what any sane person would do, she visits the Winchester for an interview with Nina, Millie, surprisingly, is offered the job and is able to start immediately. At first things seem to be going okay: Nina comes off as this perky yet composed mother/wife—kind, considerate and full of joy.

Then a day passes. Nina has to write a speech for a PTA meeting. The next morning, however, Nina seems to have misplaced her handwritten speech. “Where’s my speech Millie?!” she exclaims. Millie swears she didn’t touch it. Nina screams, throwing things off the counter, smashing everything in sight. “What did you do to my speech Millie?! Did you throw it out?” Again, Millie proclaims, “No I didn’t touch it. Of course, Nina threw out the speech herself but would rather, for some reason, shift the blame to Millie.

In a second instance, Nina asks Millie to pick Cece up from her dance practice early. When Millie arrives however, Cece’s friend’s mother states that Cece has a play date with her daughter. Millie returns to the Winchester home to a very disappointed Nina. “I never told you to pick up Cece early. There was no reason to make a scene at the studio.” Millie wonders, “Am I being punked? Is this for real?” It’s nice that, for some reason, Andrew comes to Millie’s defense from the “evil” Nina. But there’s something everyone in the family must remember…

ACTIONS… HAVE… CONSEQUENCES.

Oh boy, where do I even begin with “The Housemaid”? I guess if I had to sum up my thoughts with just one word, it would be “Yikes.” I suppose I should start with the good aspects of the film, since I usually start off with the bad.

The story is brilliantly written. It reminds me of the film “Gone Girl.” There you are forced to look in one hand, but not the other, and when you find out what the other hand was doing you let out a loud, “My gosh.” “Housemaid” contains its main premise: a young girl looking for work as a housemaid to an extremely wealthy family but the mom’s a little off the deep end. Underneath that, though, there are layers within the main story itself: the relationship between Nina and Millie, the relationship between Millie and Andrew and the exact role Cece plays in this family’s dysfunctional dynamics. There is also a massive, genuine twist and the end of all of this that does not seem completely forced (for once) or out of left field. However, once you figure out the twist, the rest of the story (what I dub the third act) slows to a crawl, ever so slightly though.

Lastly, the performances from Amanda Seyfried as Nina and Brandon Sklenar are absolutely jaw-dropping. Amanda feeds into her character’s personality in a variety of subtle and not so subtle ways, and it really brings out the best performance Amanda has given in her entire career. Brandon plays his part beautifully, playing the knight in shining armor but also making you question just why he has put up with Nina’s verbally abusive behavior for so long.

Now for the bad. This film is rated R for a reason and, like “Gone Girl,” gets very, very graphic. There are several moments of full and partial nudity, graphic sexual intercourse, plenty of curse words to go around (most of them variations of the F-bomb), and incredibly disturbing violent moments. Truth be told, a lot of the content issues could and SHOULD have been avoided, but hey, you know, it’s Hollywood. Hollywood writers believe that sells… alright then. Speaking of content…

Content of Concern

*NOTE: Seriously graphic descriptions of violence (not all of it will be listed though) as well as graphic descriptions of sexual intercourse are listed. Reader discretion is strongly advised.**

VIOLENCE: Extreme. As previously mentioned, Nina is seen losing her mind and throwing things all over the place, nearly hitting people in the process. There is a heated argument between Nina and Andrew in their bedroom. When Millie goes to investigate, Nina opens the door, Millie has a bloodied, glass shard in her hand. **PARTIAL SPOILER** A story is told about how a mother, in a crazed state, tried to drown her daughter in a bathtub and then tried to commit suicide **END PARTIAL SPOILER**

Someone is slapped in the face. Someone is shoved against the hood of a car by police officers. A male character locks not just one, but two female characters in the attic. With the first woman, he tells her she will be freed if she pulls out 100 strands of hair on her head. With the second woman, he tells her she must take pieces of a broken plate and make 13 deep cuts into her stomach (we witness the cutting on screen in all its graphic detail).

A character is drugged. We witness a young girl submerged in a tub but is rescued. A man is beaten over the head multiple times by a woman who was trying to stop her friend from being raped. A woman stabs a man and locks him in the attic. A guy is forced to pull his front tooth out with a pair of pliers (we see the graphic scene unfold with blood all over the character’s mouth and chin).

Someone purposely destroys antique dishes. A woman is thrown down a flight of stairs. Someone is hit in the head. A man is punched in the throat multiple times in self defense. A man is seen falling over a four-story balcony inside his home, landing on the floor with a large splat heard and blood pouring out from the man’s deceased body (we also see brain matter come out as the man falls and hits the railings before landing). A woman is seen with a massive bruise on her wrist, suggesting that she is very abused.

VULGARITY: Extreme. F*cking (33), F*ck (15), F*ck it (1), F*ck that guy (1), F*cker (1), an obscene gesture (2), F*cked Up (3), F*ck you (2), M*ther F*cker (1), WTF (5), B*ll-Sh*t (4), Sh*t (9), A**hole (1), Psycho sh*t (1), Sh*tty (1), Sh*t for brains (1) C*nts (2), C*nt mother (1), B*tches (2), B*tchy leaky bo*bs (1), H*rn-dogging (1)

PROFANITY: J*sus Christ (1), G*d-d*mn (1), G*d (1), OMG (3), H*ly Sh*t (2), H*ll (1), What the H*ll (3)

SEXUAL CONTENT: A married man and a young girl are seen passionately kissing several times and also engaging in graphic, sexual intercourse (with sounds) several times. A woman’s breasts “leak” during a conference. A woman is seen pumping breast milk in an office bathroom. Someone mentions it took only 6 days for this man to get into her pants. Someone mentions they got an IUD. A man is seen trying to rape a girl but is interrupted. A married man and a young girl flirt. A woman is falsely told she is unable to have children. There are a couple discussions regarding female hormone changes.

NUDITY: Extreme. During the moments of sexual intercourse, both partners are seen naked (the girl is seen completely naked from the side (only covering her breasts with her hand and her leg covering her genitalia. Part of her breast can be seen from the side however). There are several scenes where Millie is seen in nothing but a long shirt and panties or is covered only with a towel. A male character is seen slowly undressing a woman. We see a male’s rear end.

ALCOHOL: Characters are seen drinking at various times in the film. One character gets very drunk.

DRUGS: Millie opens a cabinet to discover several psychiatric medications in the medicine cabinet. Nina smokes a cigarette toward the end of the film.

OTHER: Someone is seen pooping in a bucket.

There are no genuine redeeming morals that I can draw from “Housemaid”

Final Thoughts

I actually saw “Housemaid” a couple weeks ago before I watched the film for a second look to make sure I got everything I might have missed from the first viewing. To my surprise, even two weeks after it’s initial release, my small local theater is still completely packed for “Housemaid” showings.

With all that said, however, “Housemaid” is a hard sell for many Christian audiences like myself. Sure the suspense is there, it’s psychologically intriguing at times, and the performances are very strong, but that doesn’t mean diddly squat if the rest of the film contains rampant scenes with graphic violence, sexual content, nudity and vulgar language.

Christian audiences would be very wise to steer far away from “The Housemaid.” Actions have consequences, sure, and watching “Housemaid” will leave your mind with imagery and messaging that has serious implications.

• Violence: Extreme
• Nudity: Extreme
• Sex: Extreme
• Vulgar/Crude language: Extreme
• Profane language: Moderate
• Drugs/Alcohol: Moderate
• Wokeism: Mild
• Occult: None

Learn about DISCERNMENT, wisdom in making personal entertainment decisions

Every time you buy a movie ticket or buy or rent a video you are in effect casting a vote telling Hollywood, “I’ll pay for that. That’s what I want.” Read our article

Be wise, every follower of Christ should avoid spiritual darkness and seek spiritual light

See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.