The Housemaid (2025)

The Housemaid (2025) is directed by Paul Feig, best known for comedies like Bridesmaids and Freaks and Geeks, and the tonal clash is noticeable. Feig leans into slick presentation and surface-level tension, but the film never quite reconciles its thriller ambitions with its obvious messaging. As an adaptation, it feels safer and more predictable than it wants to be, especially given how clearly it telegraphs its twists.

Sydney Sweeney, known for Euphoria and Anyone But You, plays a down-on-her-luck woman recently out on parole who is desperate for work. She does what she can with the role and brings some emotional weight early on, but the writing limits her range. Her character cycles through bashful and annoyed so often that it starts to feel repetitive rather than psychologically layered.

Amanda Seyfried, recognizable from Mamma Mia! and Mean Girls, plays the wealthy woman whose life slowly unravels as the power dynamic flips. Seyfried is solid and more controlled than Sweeney, and she understands how to play restraint better than the script deserves. The reversal between the two women is clearly meant to be clever, but it never lands with the impact the film thinks it has.

The male character, played by Brandon Sklenar, at the center of the story is written as almost comically perfect, which makes the central twist painfully obvious. The film relies on a bait-and-switch structure that assumes the audience will miss glaring red flags, and that assumption ultimately undercuts any tension. By the time the reveal arrives, it feels less like a shock and more like confirmation.

Overall, the performances are competent, but the screenplay is too on-the-nose and predictable to be effective. The film moves efficiently, but efficiency is not the same as suspense, and the story never digs deep enough to justify its themes. Result: C+

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Colony (2026)

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