Some films earn their success quietly. The Housemaid did the opposite. Paul Feig’s adaptation of Freida McFadden’s bestselling novel opened in December 2025, outgrossed every expectation on its way to more than $400 million worldwide, and has now done it all over again on streaming, topping HBO Max’s movie chart within two days of its arrival on October 9, 2026. A year on, it remains one of the most talked-about thrillers of the moment, and the attention is largely deserved. This is a deliciously pulpy, gleefully twisty thriller that knows exactly what it is and plays to the balcony at every opportunity.
Millie Calloway, played by Sydney Sweeney, is a young woman trying to escape a troubled past. Desperate for work, she accepts a live-in housemaid job with the wealthy Nina and Andrew Winchester, played by Amanda Seyfried and Brandon Sklenar, in a beautiful house with an attic bedroom barely bigger than a cupboard. Millie soon realises something is deeply wrong behind the Winchesters’ polished front door.
| Director | Paul Feig |
|---|---|
| Screenplay | Rebecca Sonnenshine |
| Based on | The Housemaid (2022) by Freida McFadden |
| Cast | Sydney Sweeney, Amanda Seyfried, Brandon Sklenar, Michele Morrone |
| Release date | December 19, 2025 |
| Runtime | 131 minutes |
| Rating | R |
| Rotten Tomatoes | 74% critics, 92% audience |
| Metacritic | 65/100 |
| IMDb | 6.7/10 |
| Box office | $400.5 million worldwide on a $35 million budget |
| Streaming | HBO Max (from October 9, 2026) |
What Works: A Thriller That Trusts Its Twists
The film’s greatest strength is its structure. McFadden’s novel was built around a rug-pull, and Sonnenshine’s screenplay preserves the book’s boldest move: the story you think you are watching is not the story you are actually watching. Feig directs the first half like a straight domestic thriller, and then lets the second half detonate. The reversals land because the film commits to them completely.
Amanda Seyfried is the film’s secret weapon. Her Nina begins as a brittle, seemingly unstable society wife and becomes something far more dangerous and far more interesting, and Seyfried plays both registers with total conviction. She is the reason the film’s most outrageous turns feel earned rather than absurd. Sweeney, meanwhile, gives Millie a watchful, coiled energy that suits a character who is always calculating her next move, and Sklenar is convincingly slippery as the charming husband at the centre of it all. Michele Morrone adds warmth as Enzo, the groundskeeper who becomes Millie’s only ally.
What Doesn’t: The Script Sometimes Overreaches
The film is not without flaws. The dialogue can be clunky, particularly in the early scenes, and one or two of the twists require the audience to accept a fair amount of coincidence. Feig’s bright, glossy direction occasionally sits uneasily against the darker material, and viewers wanting a restrained thriller will find this one too operatic. None of this damages the film fatally, but it explains why critics were cooler than audiences: 74% with critics against 92% with audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, and 65 on Metacritic.
Performances That Carry the Film
What ultimately elevates The Housemaid above a standard potboiler is the cast’s refusal to treat the material as a joke. Seyfried in particular plays every scene as though it were high drama, and that sincerity is what makes the film’s excesses so entertaining. Sweeney holds the centre with a quieter, more guarded performance, and the contrast between the two women is the engine of the whole film.
The Box Office Story Behind the Hit
The numbers tell their own story. Made for a reported $35 million, The Housemaid earned $400.5 million worldwide, including about $126.4 million in North America and roughly $274 million overseas, making it Sweeney’s highest-grossing film. After debuting on Starz in April 2026, it arrived on HBO Max on October 9 and reached No. 1 on the platform’s US movie chart on October 11, according to tracker FlixPatrol, displacing Backrooms; it was still No. 2 as of November 7. That second life has had consequences: a sequel, The Housemaid’s Secret, was greenlit in January 2026, with Feig and Sweeney returning and filming under way in New Jersey ahead of a planned December 17, 2027 release.
Verdict
The Housemaid is not a subtle film, and it never tries to be. It is a big, bold, shamelessly entertaining thriller built around two superb central performances and a twist that genuinely reframes everything that came before it. Its flaws are real but forgivable, and its pleasures are considerable. If you missed it in cinemas, HBO Max is the perfect place to catch up. Our rating: 4 out of 5 stars.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is The Housemaid based on a book?
Yes. It is based on Freida McFadden’s 2022 novel of the same name, adapted for the screen by Rebecca Sonnenshine.
Where can I watch The Housemaid?
The film is streaming on HBO Max in the US, where it arrived on October 9, 2026 after an earlier window on Starz.
Is The Housemaid worth watching?
Yes, particularly if you enjoy twist-driven psychological thrillers. Audiences rate it far more warmly than critics, at 92% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Will there be a sequel to The Housemaid?
Yes. A sequel, The Housemaid’s Secret, was greenlit in January 2026, with director Paul Feig and star Sydney Sweeney returning. It is scheduled for release on December 17, 2027.
What is The Housemaid rated?
The film is rated R for strong sexual content, nudity, language and some violence.