The Housemaid (2025) review
Rated 4.5/5
618 reviews · 1,544 films logged · 159,192 words
Non spoiler thoughts (summary):
Watching this a second time gives me a very different appreciation for how the film is built. Instead of relying only on surprise, it becomes more about performance, control, and how carefully certain moments are planted early on. I end up noticing more of Amanda Seyfried’s choices. What I like is that the film fully commits to its own logic and carries that confidence all the way through. Even without the shock factor, it remains effective, well presented, and easy to get pulled into again.
⚠️ Spoilers ahead. From here on, plot details are discussed. Read on if you’ve seen the film. If not, save this post and come back after. ⚠️
Watching this for the second time hits differently because I already know the twist. The story plays in a new way now. I appreciate Amanda Seyfried’s performance more, especially that quiet “thank you” at the beginning. The line carries more weight because I now understand what she actually mean that. Knowing the twist makes that moment feel liberating for her.
The whole plan unfolds smoothly, which some people might see as self serving or too convenient. But honestly it still works for me. The film commits to the idea and follows through with it.
Amanda’s crying scene when she gets kicked out also lands differently now. The first time it felt like pure defeat. Watching it again, it feels triumphant. It is like she already knows the game she is playing and where it will eventually lead.
What surprised me is that I caught myself reacting the same way I did during the first watch. Even though I know what will happen, certain moments still trigger the same emotions.
I honestly do not understand the hate the film gets. For me it was well presented and effective in telling its story. Maybe not everyone sees it as well made, but both me and my wife really enjoyed it.
Earlier take, 2026-01-14 · ★★★★½
This review contains spoilers after the NON-SPOILER section.
NON-SPOILER:
What starts as romance slowly mutates into a psychological thriller, where intimacy feels deliberate and weaponized rather than romantic. The film is sharp in how it explores power, manipulation, and control, not in loud, obvious ways, but through charm, structure, and quiet strategy. What makes it unsettling is that no one here is purely innocent or purely evil. Everyone is adapting, surviving, and playing within a broken system that only allows one to win. It’s provocative, uncomfortable, and effective, the kind of film that can be read as a critique but is dangerous enough to linger because of how easily it can be misread.
SPOILERS BELOW:
May Get Out energy akong nafeel dito. May something off talaga kay Nina (Amanda Seyfried) from the start, parang may tinatago. Habang tumatagal, mas ramdam mo na hindi lang siya basta victim dito. I think si Andrew (Brandon Sklenar) talaga ang nagpupull ng strings, quietly controlling everything behind the scenes.
The bed scene was hot! Yung thunderclaps at buhos ng ulan, very deliberate. It wasn’t just sex, it was power, it was an applause of triumph of a conqueror. Mas maayos yung execution nito kaysa sa Die My Love. The intimacy feels weaponized, not romantic. May tension, may danger, may intent.
Eventually, magsshift ang story from romance to thriller. Ang galing ni Nina, plano at acting lang pala niya lahat. She learned the system, internalized it, and used it back. But instead of pure liberation, what we see is something darker. Women controlling women as replacement. It’s not empowerment in a clean way. It’s survival within a broken system. Parang patriarchy but mirrored. Reverse feminism na may bahid ng desperation. It becomes “either you or me” because the system only allows one to survive.
Ang galing magmanipulate ni Andrew. He represents a certain type of male control, hindi yung outright abusive agad, but calculated, charming, and strategic. Yung tipo na kaya kang paikutin hanggang magmukha kang may choice kahit wala naman talaga. This film is clearly about men controlling women, but what’s interesting is it doesn’t stop there.
Both Nina and Andrew were crazy. Hindi lang one sided evil. Andrew controls through dominance and structure, Nina controls through deception and adaptation. Pareho silang produkto ng parehong power dynamics.
Kadiri yung scene na inislice ni Millie (Sydney Sweeney) yung abdomen niya, pati yung front teeth ni Andrew.
Then when the tables have turned, ramdam ko yung collective reaction ng cinema. Tahimik tapos biglang nagsisigawan. Effective ang film!
Ganda ng ending. Nagkaroon ng parang hidden samahan ng abused wives. This is a dangerous film for the wrong mindset. May 48 Laws of Power energy siya. Pwedeng basahin bilang critique, pero pwede ring mamisinterpret as a manual to do horrible things. And that thought is what makes the film linger.