The Housemaid, a popular psychological thriller written by Freida McFadden, was given a film adaptation that was released on Dec. 19, 2025. The book started to gain popularity once readers started sharing their reviews about it on social media. Due to its popularity, The Housemaid was later turned into a film adaptation. Both the book and the movie tell a suspenseful, captivating story, however there are some differences between the two.
The book The Housemaid follows a woman named Millie Calloway. We see Millie struggle with getting her life back on track after making some mistakes in the past. She starts to work for a family, the Winchesters, as a housemaid, and at first, the job seems perfect because she has a place to live and steady work. As the story progresses, Millie starts noticing strange things, especially regarding Nina Winchester, the mother of the house. Millie sees how Nina is unpredictable and cruel, while her husband Andrew seems to be a kind, understanding man. Millie soon comes to realize that nothing in the house is what it seems.
“After reading the book, I was so interested to see how the movie would compare, and what would be kept the same and what changes would be made. I really enjoyed seeing how the story I imagined while reading was brought to life in the film,” said freshman Jordana Balinsky.
The author, Freida McFadden is known for writing suspenseful stories that keep readers intrigued. She used to work as a doctor, which has definitely added to her ability to write medically realistic and serious situations in her books. Many readers like her writing because of the unexpected twists she includes. The Housemaid became one of her most popular novels and was successful enough to have two sequels.
The movie version of The Housemaid was directed by Paul Feig. The role of Millie is played by the actress Sydney Sweeney (known for her roles in Anyone But You and Euphoria). Amanda Seyfried plays Nina Winchester, and the role of Andrew is played by Brandon Sklenar. The actors’ acclaimed performances brought these fan-favorite characters to life, and made the story feel more intense.
“The actors’ performances made the emotions and relationships between the characters clearer, which helped the story to feel more intense and believable. The acting really helped to understand the tension between the characters and helped develop the storyline really well,” said sophomore Julia Finkelstein.
The movie stays mostly true to the main idea of the book, still following Millie into the Winchester house as she navigates through the many mysteries it holds. The feeling of suspense is present in both versions, and the audience is often left wondering who can be trusted. While keeping the same general storyline, there are some minor differences between the novel and the film.
One major difference is the ending of the movie. In the movie, the ending is more action packed and violent, making it more exciting for movie viewers, whereas the book’s ending is a lot slower and more painful than the film’s conclusion.
Another difference is how some characters are shown. In the book, Millie’s thoughts and feelings are explained in detail, which helps readers truly understand what’s going on in Millie’s head. In the movie, this is harder to convey because viewers cannot hear her thoughts the same way. The movie relies more on the facial expressions of the characters to show how they are truly feeling.
“Watching the movie made the story feel more intense and memorable than just reading it. I really enjoyed being able to see how the actors played their roles and expressed their emotions through facial expressions and tone, rather than hearing their internal thoughts like how it was in the book,” said sophomore Liza Zlotoff.
Overall, The Housemaid is a strong example of how a popular book can successfully be adapted into a movie. While there are differences between the two, both tell a captivating story that keeps the audience hooked. While the book allows for deeper insight into the characters’ thoughts and feelings, the movie brings excitement through acting and different visuals, making both versions enjoyable in their own way.