I recently fell back into a reading phase where I started binging many of Freida McFadden’s books. Just last week, I asked my friend for book recommendations, and she suggested The Housemaid. I ended up finishing it in less than 24 hours, making it one of the fastest books I’ve read. The story was gripping, and the twists and turns made it impossible to put down. With that in mind, I was completely shocked when, during class, my group mentioned that Sydney Sweeney was to star in a new movie. When they said she would be playing the main character in The Housemaid, I audibly gasped. I had no idea a movie adaptation was in the works, and it immediately made me want to see the trailer.
Going into the trailer, I had no idea who else had been cast in the movie. I was pleasantly surprised to see Amanda Seyfried playing Nina, the wealthy and emotionally unstable wife. She has the exact look, especially her eyes, that make her a perfect fit for the role. An even bigger surprise was seeing Michele Morrone as Enzo, the hot foreign gardener. He looked exactly how I pictured Enzo while reading, which made me even more excited about the casting choices. Please call me out for being uncultured, but I had never heard of Brandon Sklenar before looking up the cast, so I don’t have strong feelings about his casting (sorry). That said, his looks definitely make him a believable choice for the perfect, handsome husband and a good choice to play “Andrew.” Finally, moving on to our main character, Millie, played by Sydney Sweeney, I have to admit, I was surprised by the casting choice. After the controversy surrounding her American Eagle ad, it felt like a bold move to make her the lead in one of the biggest “booktok” movie adaptations. However, I’m really curious to see how she brings Millie’s character to life and whether she can capture her personality and backstory.
When looking over the details the trailer might have overlooked, my biggest complaint was how pretty they made Millie’s room. In the book, it’s described as tiny and unsettling, almost creepy, but in the trailer, it looks warm and cozy. Honestly, the room somewhere I would not mind staying in if  I had to be a live-in maid. Another detail that stood out was the portrayal of Nina. In the book, she’s described as a heavier woman who has “let herself go,” and Millie even questions how she managed to end up with Andrew. Casting Amanda Seyfried, who is absolutely stunning, feels like a big shift from the book’s version of Nina, since she’s clearly not the type of woman a man would simply “settle for.”
I tried to keep this review as spoiler-free as possible. Overall, I hope the film does the book justice and gives us more of Millie’s backstory. I highly recommend reading the book before watching the movie so you can compare the details yourself. Even if some twists feel a little predictable, The Housemaid is such a fun, quick read and absolutely worth picking up.