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The Housemaid (2025 film)

The Housemaid
Theatrical release poster
Directed byPaul Feig
Screenplay byRebecca Sonnenshine
Based onThe Housemaid
by Freida McFadden
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyJohn Schwartzman
Edited byBrent White
Music byTheodore Shapiro
Production
companies
  • Hidden Pictures
  • Pretty Dangerous Pictures
Distributed byLionsgate
Release dates
  • December 2, 2025 (2025-12-02) (Axa Equitable Center)
  • December 19, 2025 (2025-12-19) (United States)
Running time
131 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$35 million[2][3]
Box office$360 million[4][5]

The Housemaid is a 2025 American psychological drama and thriller film directed by Paul Feig.[6] It is based on the 2022 novel by Freida McFadden, and stars Sydney Sweeney, Amanda Seyfried, and Brandon Sklenar. In the film, Millie Calloway, a young woman with a troubled past, becomes the live-in maid for a wealthy family whose household hides dark secrets.

The Housemaid premiered at the Axa Equitable Center in New York City on December 2, 2025, and was released in the United States by Lionsgate on December 19. The film received positive reviews from critics and grossed $360 million on a budget of $35 million. A sequel is in development, with Feig, Sweeney, and Morrone set to return.

Plot

On parole for manslaughter, Millie Calloway is hired by Nina Winchester as a live-in maid. She joins Nina's wealthy husband Andrew and daughter Cece at their home in Great Neck, Long Island, given an attic bedroom that locks from the outside. She also meets Enzo, a groundskeeper who states that she does not belong there when Millie introduces herself. Despite Nina's erratic moods, violent outbursts, and contradictory instructions, Millie is desperate to keep her job as a term of her parole. She learns that years prior, Nina was institutionalized for trying to drown Cece and attempting suicide by overdose.

At Nina's behest, Millie books tickets for the Winchesters to a Broadway musical and a hotel stay, but Nina denies asking her to do so. While Nina takes Cece to ballet camp, Andrew and Millie secretly attend the show, enjoy dinner together, and check into the hotel. Receiving a flood of angry texts from Nina, Millie is comforted by Andrew and they have sex. They return home, and Millie realizes Nina knows she spent ten years in prison for killing a rapist classmate in high school and is nearly arrested when Nina reports her borrowed car as stolen.

Nina finds the musical's playbill and threatens Millie, but Andrew defends her and demands that Nina leaves. Andrew and Millie continue their romance. Millie decides to serve Andrew breakfast in an heirloom china plate from his mother, but Enzo's presence outside the door frightens her and causes her to drop and break the plate. Andrew fires Enzo and calms Millie down, telling her to pick up the pieces and give them to him, as he knows someone who can repair the plate. That night, Andrew asks why she did not wash the broken pieces of the plate; Millie states that she did not want to get cut. He later brings Millie to the attic room, gets her drunk and locks her inside.

Celebrating her freedom from Andrew, Nina picks up Cece, explaining the truth in a letter to her daughter. She fell for Andrew while raising Cece as a young single mother, but early in their marriage, he revealed himself to be horrifically controlling. Andrew requested Nina to dye her brunette locks blonde. When she forgot to do so, he locked her in the attic room until she pulled out one hundred hairs from her scalp; he forced her to do it again after claiming that one strand was missing a follicle. He then drugged her, framing her for attempting to kill Cece and herself, and continued to torment her with confinement in the psychiatric hospital and the attic. Despite telling her version, no one else believed her story aside from Enzo, who unsuccessfully tried to persuade Nina to leave him. Determined to escape his abuse, Nina deliberately hired Millie, whom she knew Andrew would leave her for, and believed Millie could protect herself.

As punishment for breaking the china, Andrew gives Millie a shard and demands that she cut her stomach for each of the twenty-one pieces of the plate. She does so, but stabs him with a cheese knife hidden for her by Nina, locking him in the room instead. Ordering him to pull out one of his front teeth with pliers, she breaks more china and threatens to set fire to the attic, forcing him to comply. When Cece suggests she save Millie, Nina sneaks into the house and unlocks the attic door, believing Millie is still trapped inside. Andrew attacks them, but Millie seemingly escapes, and he attempts to kill Nina after she refuses to resume their life together. Millie reappears and pushes Andrew off the staircase to his death, while Nina drops a lightbulb, hoping it would appear as if he fell while fixing the chandelier.

A policewoman notices inconsistencies in Nina's story, but her sister was once engaged to Andrew. Aware of his true nature, she rules his death an accident. After Andrew's funeral, Nina gives Millie a $100,000 check before leaving with Cece to start a new life. She recommends Millie's services to a friend who indicates that her husband is abusive. Millie asks when she can start.

Cast

The film stars Sydney Sweeney, Amanda Seyfried, Brandon Sklenar, and Michele Morrone.
  • Sydney Sweeney as Wilhelmina "Millie" Calloway, a housemaid with a criminal record for killing a rapist
  • Amanda Seyfried as Nina Winchester, a wealthy woman who hires Millie
  • Brandon Sklenar as Andrew Winchester, Nina's husband
  • Michele Morrone as Enzo Accardi, an Italian groundskeeper
  • Elizabeth Perkins as Evelyn Winchester, Andrew's mother[7]
  • Indiana Elle as Cecelia "Cece" Winchester, Nina and Andrew's daughter
  • Amanda Joy Erickson as Suzanne, a local housewife
  • Megan Ferguson as Jilianne, a local housewife
  • Ellen Tamaki as Patrice, a local housewife
  • Don DiPetta as Officer Jenkins
  • Lamar B. Slaughter as Officer Stanley
  • Alaina Surgener as Amanda, a local housemaid
  • Alexandra Seal as Jessica Connors, a policewoman
  • Brian D. Cohen as Detective Smythe
  • Ellen Adair as Lisa Killefer, a wealthy woman who interviews Millie in the epilogue

Production

The film is directed by Paul Feig and produced by Feig, Todd Lieberman, and Laura Fischer for Hidden Pictures. Sonnenshine's screenplay is based on the 2022 novel of the same name by Freida McFadden. In October 2024, Sweeney and Seyfried joined as leading actresses and executive producers alongside McFadden and Alex Young.[8][9] Brandon Sklenar joined the cast that month, followed by Michele Morrone in December 2024.[9][10] Elizabeth Perkins was also cast in the film.[7]

Filming

Principal photography began on January 3, 2025, in New Jersey[11][12] and wrapped in March 2025.[13]

Music

Main article: The Housemaid (soundtrack)

Theodore Shapiro composed the film's score, marking his eighth collaboration with Feig.[14]

Release and reception

The Housemaid premiered at the Axa Equitable Center on December 2, 2025, and was released in the United States on December 19, 2025.[7] It was released on VOD on February 3, 2026.[15]

Box office

As of February 16, 2026, The Housemaid has grossed $126 million in the United States and Canada, and $235 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $360 million.[5][4]

In the United States and Canada, The Housemaid was released alongside Avatar: Fire and Ash, The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants, and David, and was projected to gross $20–25 million from 3,015 theaters in its opening weekend.[3] The film made $8 million on its first day, including $2.3 million from Thursday night previews. It went on to debut to $19 million, finishing in third behind Fire and Ash and David.[16] It held well in its second weekend, dropping just 19.5% to $15.3 million and finishing in fourth.[17] The film made $15.1 million, $10.1 million, and $8.5 million in its third, fourth, and fifth weekends.[18][19][20]

Critical response

Amanda Seyfried was praised for her performance.

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 74% of 193 critics' reviews are positive. The website's consensus reads: "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."[21] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 65 out of 100, based on 35 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[22] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale, while those surveyed by PostTrak gave it an 84% overall positive score, with 63% saying they would definitely recommend the film.[16]

TheWrap's William Bibbiani gave the film a positive review and wrote, "The Housemaid has its twists, and you'll probably see some of them coming a mile off, even if you don't know exactly how the secrets will be revealed or what form the danger will take. On more than one occasion, the twist is that The Housemaid is even weirder and funnier than you expect — and that's a welcome surprise."[23] Tim Robey of The Daily Telegraph gave a four stars rating out of five for the film, stating, "This is a full-tilt throwback to "erotic thriller" tropes from the 1990s."[6] Kyle Smith of The Wall Street Journal wrote, "The Housemaid is a delightful hall of mirrors in which reality turns out to be subject to infinite modification."[24] Marta Medina del Valle of El Confidencial rated the "post-postmodern artifact" 4 out of 5 stars, declaring it the "best worst movie" of recent times.[25]

In a negative review for Slant Magazine, Anzhe Zhang wrote, "The Housemaid's twist is a doozy, but it falls just short of being a deconstruction of tradwife values."[26]

Accolades

Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
Astra Film Awards January 9, 2026 Best Book to Screen Adaptation The Housemaid Won [27]
Columbus Film Critics Association January 8, 2026 Actor of the Year[a] Amanda Seyfried Nominated [28]
Hawaii Film Critics Society January 12, 2026 Best Supporting Actress Nominated [29]
Michigan Movie Critics Guild December 8, 2025 The MMCG Award for Film Excellence Paul Feig[b] Nominated [30]
New Jersey Film Critics Circle December 31, 2025 Best New Jersey Representation The Housemaid Nominated [31]
Saturn Awards March 8, 2026 Best Thriller Movie The Housemaid Pending [32]

Sequel

In January 2026, Lionsgate announced that a sequel had been greenlit, with Feig, Sweeney and Morrone returning. The sequel is set to be an adaptation of The Housemaid's Secret, the second book in The Housemaid series by Freida McFadden.[33][34][35]

References

  1. ^ "The Housemaid (15)". British Board of Film Classification. November 4, 2025. Archived from the original on November 26, 2025. Retrieved November 4, 2025.
  2. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (January 25, 2026). "Monster Winter Storm Takes Its Toll On Box Office: Lowest Weekend YTD With $58M+; 'Mercy' Settles With Near $23M WW Debut As 400 U.S. Theaters Shutter". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 23, 2026. Retrieved January 30, 2026.
  3. ^ a b Rubin, Rebecca (December 17, 2025). "Box Office: 'Avatar: Fire and Ash' Aims for $100 Million Debut. How Will James Cameron's Epic Hold Over the Holidays?". Variety. Archived from the original on December 17, 2025. Retrieved December 17, 2025.
  4. ^ a b "The Housemaid - Box Office and Financial Information". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Archived from the original on January 7, 2026. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
  5. ^ a b "The Housemaid". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Archived from the original on January 3, 2026. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
  6. ^ a b Robey, Tim (December 16, 2025). "Sydney Sweeney's completely absurd psycho-thriller is a scream". The Daily Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on December 18, 2025. Retrieved December 23, 2025.
  7. ^ a b c D'Alessandro, Anthony (September 3, 2025). "Sydney Sweeney & Amanda Seyfried's 'The Housemaid' From Paul Feig Now Bowing Before Christmas". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 3, 2025. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
  8. ^ Kroll, Justin (October 8, 2024). "Sydney Sweeney And Amanda Seyfried To Star In Lionsgate's Adaptation Of 'The Housemaid' With Paul Feig On Board To Direct". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 8, 2024. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
  9. ^ a b Kroll, Justin (October 24, 2024). "'It Ends With Us' Actor Brandon Sklenar Joins Sydney Sweeney In 'The Housemaid' Adaptation From Paul Feig And Lionsgate". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 27, 2024.
  10. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (December 17, 2024). "'365 Days' Actor Michele Morrone Joins Sydney Sweeney & Amanda Seyfried In 'The Housemaid'". Deadline. Archived from the original on December 17, 2024. Retrieved September 4, 2025.
  11. ^ Dutta, Shubhabrata (October 31, 2024). "Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried's 'The Housemaid' Starts Filming in New Jersey in January". The CinemaHolic. Archived from the original on November 2, 2024. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
  12. ^ "Set Pics: Sydney Sweeney Starts Filming For The Housemaid". GlamStyled.com. January 8, 2025. Archived from the original on January 21, 2025. Retrieved January 8, 2025.
  13. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony; Tartaglione, Nancy; Goldsmith, Jill (April 1, 2025). "'The Housemaid': First Look Of Sydney Sweeney & Amanda Seyfried Movie Unveiled At CinemaCon". Deadline. Archived from the original on April 1, 2025. Retrieved April 11, 2025.
  14. ^ "Theodore Shapiro Scoring Paul Feig's 'The Housemaid'". Film Music Reporter. Archived from the original on September 22, 2025. Retrieved September 16, 2025.
  15. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (January 30, 2026). "'The Housemaid' Sets PVOD & Digital Release Next Week Following $300M+ Global Box Office Run". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 31, 2026. Retrieved January 31, 2026.
  16. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (December 19, 2025). "'Avatar: Fire And Ash' Flying To $86M-$90M Opening; 'Housemaid' & 'David' In A Tiff For No. 2 With $20M-$24M Apiece". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 20, 2025. Retrieved December 19, 2025.
  17. ^ McClintock, Pamela (December 28, 2025). "Box Office: 'Avatar 3' Dominates Christmas With $88M for $760M Global Crown, 'Marty Surpreme' Another Win for Timothée Chalamet". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on December 29, 2025. Retrieved December 28, 2025.
  18. ^ Rubin, Rebecca (January 4, 2026). "Box Office: 'Avatar 3' Leads in First Weekend of 2026 With $40 Million, 'The Housemaid' Surpasses $75 Million". Variety. Archived from the original on January 5, 2026. Retrieved January 12, 2026.
  19. ^ Kay, Jeremy (January 11, 2026). "'Avatar 3', 'Marty Supreme' drive early 2026 North American box office to 23% YoY lead over 2025". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on January 12, 2026. Retrieved January 12, 2026.
  20. ^ Rubin, Rebecca (January 18, 2026). "'Marty Supreme' Becomes A24's Highest-Grossing Film at Domestic Box Office With $80 Million". Variety. Archived from the original on January 18, 2026. Retrieved January 19, 2026.
  21. ^ "The Housemaid". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved December 20, 2025.
  22. ^ "The Housemaid". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
  23. ^ Bibbiani, William (December 16, 2025). "'The Housemaid' Review: Sydney Sweeney vs. Amanda Seyfried — Whoever Wins, That's Awesome". TheWrap. Archived from the original on December 16, 2025. Retrieved December 23, 2025.
  24. ^ Smith, Kyle (December 18, 2025). "'The Housemaid' Review: Sydney Sweeney's Suburban Nightmare". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on December 19, 2025. Retrieved December 24, 2025.
  25. ^ Medina del Valle, Marta (January 2, 2026). "'La asistenta': sexo, morbo y sangre en la mejor peor película de los últimos tiempos". El Confidencial (in Spanish). Archived from the original on January 2, 2026. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
  26. ^ Zhang, Anzhe (December 16, 2025). "'The Housemaid' Review: A Toothless, Un-Campy Domestic Thriller". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on December 18, 2025. Retrieved December 24, 2025.
  27. ^ Davidson, Denton (January 9, 2026). "Ryan Coogler's Sinners sweeps Astra Film Awards; Warner Bros. dominates with 11 wins". Gold Derby. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
  28. ^ Neglia, Matt (January 4, 2026). "The 2025 Columbus Film Critics Association (COFCA) Nominations". NextBestPicture. Retrieved January 4, 2026.
  29. ^ Neglia, Matt (January 5, 2026). "The 2025 Hawaii Film Critics Society (HFCS) Nominations". NextBestPicture. Retrieved January 5, 2026.
  30. ^ Neglia, Matt (December 8, 2025). "The 2025 Michigan Movie Critics Guild (MMCG) Winners". NextBestPicture. Retrieved January 8, 2026.
  31. ^ Neglia, Matt (December 23, 2025). "The 2025 New Jersey Film Critics Circle (NJFCC) Nominations". NextBestPicture. Retrieved January 8, 2026.
  32. ^ Hipes, Patrick (January 27, 2026). "Sinners, Avatar: Fire And Ash, Fantastic Four And Dexter: Resurrection Lead Saturn Awards Nominations". Deadline Hollywood.
  33. ^ Jackson, Angelique; Malkin, Marc (January 6, 2026). "'The Housemaid' Sequel in the Works With Sydney Sweeney and Paul Feig Returning". Variety.
  34. ^ Grobar, Matt (January 6, 2026). "Lionsgate Greenlights 'The Housemaid' Sequel For 2026 Production Start; Sydney Sweeney Eyeing To Return". Deadline Hollywood.
  35. ^ VanHoose, Benjamin (January 6, 2026). "Sydney Sweeney Set to Return for The Housemaid Sequel After Box Office Success". People.

Notes

  1. ^ For an Exemplary Body of Work, also for The Testament of Ann Lee
  2. ^ Director, also for Another Simple Favor
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