Particle.news
Download on the App Store

The Housemaid’ Opens to Polarized Reviews as Feig’s Adaptation Ups the Stakes

Early reactions are sharply divided, with Amanda Seyfried earning standout notices.

Overview

  • The feature adaptation of Freida McFadden’s bestseller opened in U.S. theaters on Dec. 19, directed by Paul Feig and starring Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried.
  • The film preserves the novel’s core twist but deliberately reshapes key moments into a harsher, more cinematic ending.
  • Author Freida McFadden has publicly praised the movie and said she believes it is better than her book.
  • Critical response ranges from enthusiastic to scathing, with several reviews lauding Seyfried’s performance and others calling the film one of the year’s worst.
  • The soundtrack includes a Taylor Swift needle drop approved after she viewed the film, and Feig says potential sequels remain possible depending on box office results.