The Housemaid, a 2025 psychological thriller directed by Paul Feig and starring Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried, has divided critics and audiences alike — some praising its twisty entertainment, others questioning whether it delivers meaningful commentary beneath its glossy surface.
Guilty Pleasure or Stylish Suspense?
At first glance, The Housemaid delivers all the hallmarks of a pulpy thriller: creepy mansions, escalating psychodrama, melodramatic twists, and campy energy reminiscent of ’90s genre fare.
Many reviewers lean into this tone, calling it a fun, stylish, and “high‑trash” ride that revels in suspense and outrageous characters rather than subtlety.
Some critics explicitly label the film as schlocky entertainment — a mixture of tension and absurdity that bears similarities to mainstream thrillers like Gone Girl but doesn’t always land its serious themes convincingly.
Feminist Readings Beneath the Surface
Yet others argue there’s more here than pure pulpy fun. Some analyses — including those in major outlets — suggest The Housemaid taps into gendered power dynamics, gaslighting, and societal dismissal of women’s experiences, echoing longstanding motifs in Gothic and psychological fiction where female protagonists are not believed or are manipulated by patriarchal systems.
Similarly, deeper dives into the film’s narrative and visual design reveal possible themes of class exploitation and gendered control, where the protagonist’s domestic role becomes a microcosm of how women’s labor and credibility are undervalued in wealthy, male‑dominated spaces.
Critics highlight motifs like psychological manipulation and the disintegration of “perfect” domestic facades that could resonate with feminist concerns about power and perception.
More Than Just a Genre Flick?
Filmmaker Paul Feig himself has defended the movie’s ambition to center women in an otherwise traditional thriller format, suggesting the film plays with genre expectations while foregrounding its female leads
At its best, The Housemaid uses its “schlock” elements — secrets, suspense, exaggerated drama — as a hook for audiences while sympathetically portraying women whose voices and experiences are dismissed or manipulated, a narrative familiar to many feminist readings of genre cinema.
At its weakest, the film’s deeper commentary can feel overwhelmed by its camp and sensationalism, leading some reviewers to call it more fun than profound.
Bottom Line
So is The Housemaid a schlocky thriller or a secret feminist masterpiece?
The answer may lie somewhere between.
It’s undeniably entertaining — full of twists, style, and charismatic performances — but beneath that surface, there are glimpses of gendered and class‑based commentary that reward viewers looking for more than just jump scares.
Whether those themes elevate it to “masterpiece” status likely depends on individual interpretation and how deeply you want to read into its subtexts.
