Quiet luxury. Private rules. Dangerous secrets. The Housemaid has transitioned from theaters to at-home viewing, bringing its tightly coiled psychological tension to digital audiences. Set almost entirely inside an immaculate mansion, the thriller turns domestic order into a source of unease, where control is subtle, appearances are carefully maintained, and nothing stays harmless for long.
Directed by Paul Feig, The Housemaid adapts Freida McFadden’s bestselling novel into a suspense-driven story about power, secrecy, and the cost of mistaking opportunity for safety. Now available as a premium video-on-demand release, the film can be watched immediately without waiting for a subscription streaming debut. Here is everything you need to know about The Housemaid – from the plot and cast to reviews and release date. The trailer is at the bottom of the article.
The Housemaid: All the key details
- Title: The Housemaid
- Original title: The Housemaid
- Format: Feature film
- Runtime: 2h 11m (131 minutes)
- Genre: Psychological thriller; mystery and thriller; drama
- Release date: Dec 19, 2025 (U.S. theaters); Feb 3, 2026 (digital)
- Director: Paul Feig
- Lead cast: Sydney Sweeney, Amanda Seyfried, Brandon Sklenar, Michele Morrone
- Produced by: Lionsgate; Hidden Pictures; Feigco Entertainment
What The Housemaid is about
The Housemaid follows Millie Calloway, a young woman determined to escape a troubled past when she accepts a live-in job as a housemaid for the wealthy Winchester family. At first, the opportunity appears almost too good to be true: a prestigious home, generous pay, and the promise of a fresh start under the roof of Nina Winchester and her husband Andrew.
That sense of security quickly begins to fracture. As Millie settles into the household, she discovers that perfection inside the Winchesters’ home is carefully constructed, and deeply unstable. What unfolds is a tense psychological game built on secrecy, desire, and shifting power, where personal boundaries blur and control becomes a weapon. Behind closed doors, the film reveals a series of unsettling turns that steadily strip away appearances, pushing the story toward consequences no one fully anticipates.
Who is the director of The Housemaid
Paul Feig is best known for studio comedies, but The Housemaid places him in darker, more suspense-driven territory. Here, the filmmaking leans into tight interiors, escalating mistrust, and the slow realization that the rules of the house are designed to keep someone trapped, not protected.
The Housemaid cast: the main characters
Sydney Sweeney plays Millie Calloway, a woman whose hope for a clean break collides with the reality of the Winchester home. Amanda Seyfried plays Nina Winchester, the volatile center of the household’s tension, whose behavior keeps both Millie and the audience off balance.
Brandon Sklenar plays Andrew Winchester, Nina’s husband, whose presence adds another layer to the film’s power dynamics. Michele Morrone appears as Enzo, and Elizabeth Perkins also stars, rounding out a cast built for uneasy chemistry and controlled escalation.
Is The Housemaid based on a true story?
No. The Housemaid is fictional. It is an adaptation of Freida McFadden’s 2022 novel The Housemaid, rather than a story drawn from real events.
What reviews say about The Housemaid
On Rotten Tomatoes, The Housemaid holds a 74% Tomatometer score based on 194 critic reviews, alongside a 92% Popcornmeter score from more than 5,000 verified audience ratings. That split points to a film that resonated especially strongly with viewers, while earning broadly favorable critical attention.
Critical response has often positioned the film as a contemporary throwback to classic domestic thrillers, emphasizing atmosphere and performance over spectacle. The Rotten Tomatoes critics consensus highlights the film’s controlled tension and tonal confidence, noting that its sense of dark fun and Amanda Seyfried’s performance help anchor the story as it leans into psychological misdirection rather than overt shock.
Why watch The Housemaid
If you enjoyed twist-driven domestic thrillers where menace builds in plain sight, The Housemaid fits naturally alongside modern psychological suspense that turns everyday spaces into traps. It blends glossy tension with character volatility, keeping the story moving through shifting loyalties, private bargains, and the fear that the person setting the rules is also rewriting them.
The Housemaid release date on streaming
Available now. Release date: February 3, 2026 (digital). The Housemaid is currently available to stream on video-on-demand platforms, including Prime Video, Apple TV+ and Fandango At Home. You can purchase the film for $24.99 or rent the film for $19.99. For rentals, you have 30 days to start watching the video and 48 hours to finish once started.
Watch the trailer
Here’s the trailer to get a first taste.
