I am a strong believer that you should always read the book before watching the movie adaptation. It is much more satisfying to be able to see the words you have already read transformed into a visual story. When I found out that Freida McFadden’s psychological thriller “The Housemaid” was being adapted into a major motion picture, I immediately picked up the book, as I had already heard great things about it. The writing was juvenile, but I did find it very entertaining. With its fast pace and plot twists, I was able to fly through the book in two days. Afterwards, I watched the movie in theaters with my friend. I was pleased to see the story come to life on the screen, but I was also surprised by how much I enjoyed the movie. I’m not sure if it was because I watched it in theaters, but I liked the movie more than the book. 

“The Housemaid” follows Millie Calloway, a woman with a troubled past, who is hired to be a housekeeper for the wealthy Winchester family. She works for Nina, her husband Andrew and their daughter Cecelia. The job seems to be the answer to Millie’s prayers, until she quickly realizes that Nina is prone to emotional outbursts. Tension escalates as Nina begins to play mind games with Millie, leading her to learn of the wife’s history at a mental institution. During this time, Mille grows closer to Andrew, who is the only one that seems to understand Millie. Infidelity and hidden secrets come to the surface, uncovering the Winchesters’ true intentions. 

In my opinion, the movie followed the book’s plot fairly well. For example, the house was exactly how I imagined it. The scenes were pretty accurate as well, with some changes that made the movie more appealing than the book. I found some plot points to be unnecessary in the book and I’m happy that the producers changed them or got rid of them completely. Despite this, it felt like it was a cheap attempt at being a psychological thriller and there were still parts of the movie that felt lousy. Some of the dialogue was sub-par as well, but a few lines achieved a couple of laughs.   

Another criticism I had of the movie was the casting. For one, I was not a fan of Sydney Sweeney’s acting, who plays Millie. I wish there was an option for subtitles because I could not understand her mumbling. While reading the book, I imagined Millie to be calm and level-headed, with a fierce edge, but I do not think Sweeney was able to portray Millie’s vengeful streak. Sweeney looked too bored in the film — too preoccupied with trying to win over Nina’s husband. On the other hand, Amanda Seyfried, who played Nina, flawlessly manifested Nina’s eerie demeanor. There is no denying that Seyfried’s performance was incredible, transforming Nina into a terrifying monster. Seyfried carried “The Housemaid”’s shock aspect. I wish someone different had been cast as Millie who could have matched Seyfried’s intensity. 

In conclusion, I was pleasantly surprised by the movie. It was exciting and thrilling, leaving my friend and I satisfied as we left the theater. Of course, it wasn’t the best thriller I’ve watched, and there were definitely some parts of the movie that felt cheesy. Nonetheless, it was entertaining to watch, something where you could just relax and watch the story unfold.