The Housemaid may not be chasing perfection, but critics are hinting that it is closing Sydney Sweeney’s 2025 with nerve and confidence. Lionsgate has released the final trailer for the psychological thriller ahead of its December 19 theatrical debut, starring Amanda Seyfried as Nina and Sweeney as Millie. 

Critics who caught early screenings describe a film that understands its own excess and leans into it. Paul Shirey praised its pulpy appeal and audience-friendly energy, calling it “good little winter sleeper”, while Zach Pope admitted he was stunned by how aggressively the twists landed in a packed theater.

Adam Patla highlighted Seyfried’s commitment, calling the film “so ridiculous” in a way that works. Fico Cangiano labeled it a surprising end-of-year release, and Doug Jones pointed to Paul Feig’s darker instincts behind the camera. Let’s have a look at a few critics’ reviews:

#TheHousemaid is fun, trashy, gaslit Hallmark porn and I mean that in the best way. A great, sexy cast offers plenty of eye candy, while dropping Fatal Attraction, The Hand That Rocks The Cradle, and Gone Girl into a blender with a few scoops of humor for good measure.

Way more… pic.twitter.com/eLgY7EcCOa

— Arctic Ninja (@arcticninjapaul) December 10, 2025

#TheHousemaid was a huge surprise. I expected an interesting an slickly made drama with some thrilling moments & maybe one or two twists BUT WHAT THE FUCK that was WILD. Twist after twist, I WAS TRYING TO NOT VERBALLY react multiple times. Great movie to watch with a full crowd pic.twitter.com/BEfigs0WTe

— Zach Pope (@popetheking) December 16, 2025

Taken together, the verdict is clear. This is not prestige bait; it is a deliberate swing, and that is the point.

What Is The Housemaid About? Release Date and Plot Explained

The HousemaidThe Housemaid | Credit: Lionsgate

The Housemaid, a psychological thriller directed by Paul Feig and written by Rebecca Sonnenshine, is adapted from Freida McFadden’s 2022 novel. Sydney Sweeney plays Millie Calloway, a young woman attempting to outrun a troubled past when she accepts a live-in housekeeping job for the wealthy Winchester family.

Amanda Seyfried portrays Nina Winchester, whose polished exterior masks a far more complicated reality, while Brandon Sklenar plays her husband, Andrew. The film also stars Michele Morrone as Enzo, a groundskeeper. The official synopsis sets the tone clearly (via ComingSoon). 

The film plunges audiences into a twisted world where perfection is an illusion, and nothing is as it seems. Trying to escape her past, Millie accepts a job as a live-in housemaid for the wealthy Nina and Andrew Winchester. But what begins as a dream job quickly unravels into something far more dangerous — a sexy, seductive game of secrets, scandal, and power.

Cast

ActorRoleSydney SweeneyMillie CallowayAmanda SeyfriedNina WinchesterBrandon SklenarAndrew WinchesterMichele MorroneEnzoElizabeth PerkinsEvelyn WinchesterIndiana ElleCecelia WinchesterMark GrossmanScott CrawfordHannah CruzLexiMegan FergusonJilianneEllen TamakiPatrice

Release and Production Details

CategoryDetailsDirectorPaul FeigScreenplayRebecca SonnenshineBased onNovel by Freida McFadden (2022)GenrePsychological thrillerProduction CompanyHidden PicturesDistributorLionsgateTheatrical ReleaseDecember 19, 2025Release TerritoriesUnited States and Canada

How Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney’s Bond Eased The Housemaid

Behind the tension onscreen, Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney built an easy working rhythm. Both actors have spoken about finding unexpected comfort in the New Jersey mansion where much of the film was shot, even bonding over its laundry room. “The laundry room was set up so nicely,” says Sweeney (via Good Housekeeping Magazine), adding:

There was a little window in there and an island. They had a double washer and dryer!

“And so many baskets,” adds Seyfried. That familiarity mattered during physically demanding scenes, as Sweeney says: 

A lot of the messes—like when Millie drops a tray of sentimental family china—we did ourselves.

Seyfried acknowledges the risk involved:

It’s kind of scary to do your own stunts, because it’s not practiced. Some of it was real glass, and, for one scene, milk went everywhere!

Their trust carried into performance as Sweeney explains:

I felt like we both knew our characters really well, and then we just played in the scenes together.

Seyfried echoes that sense of mutual respect:

We’re kind of protective of one another, and we know how lucky we are to have these jobs.

When asked what audiences should take away, Sweeney hesitates:

It’s so hard, because if you say what you hope they take away, I’m afraid it gives away the twist!

Seyfried offers a clearer tease:

This movie is insanely exciting, and it’s really funny in ways you do not expect it to be funny…. It’s truly satisfying.

Well, Sydney Sweeney closing out 2025 with something this unapologetic feels deliberate, and Amanda Seyfried once again proves she can anchor chaos with control. Will audiences embrace its excess the same way early critics did, or will it divide viewers down the middle? Drop your thoughts below!

The Housemaid is scheduled to release on December 19, 2025 (USA).