#85: THE HOUSEMAID

STARRING: Sydney Sweeney, Amanda Seyfried, Brandon Sklenar, Michele Morrone and Elizabeth Perkins. Writen by Rebecca Sonnenshine. Directed by Paul Feig. Budget $35 million. Running time 131 minutes. 

Right then, eyes down for a full house. Sydney Sweeney is Millie Calloway, a troubled young woman living in her car and desperately trying to make a life for herself after serving 10 years of a 15 year prison sentence, for what -- remains to be seen, although all will be revealed... Amanda Seyfried is Nina Winchester the massively neurotic wife of rugged beefcake Andrew Winchester (Brandon Sklenar) and Elizabeth Perkins is Andrew's mother Evelyn, a deeply sinister matriarch with an unhealthy control over her rugged, beefcake of a son. Oh, and Indiana Elle is Nina's daughter Cece. And together they all live under the roof of a sprawling handsomely appointed town house in the middle of an apparently never ending winter. Well, they will be once Millie accepts the job offer of becoming Nina's live in housemaid of the title. 

At first, Nina couldn't be more wonderful if she tried, but the minute Millie moves in, she changes, transforming into a seriously unhinged maniac with obviously bipolar tendencies, flying off the handle at every slight, verbal abusing Millie in front of friends, neighbours and her daughter, leaving her handsome, rugged and fabulous beefcake husband to pick up the pieces and try to patch things up. But Nina just keeps escalating the abuse, literally driving Millie into the arms of Andrew until they become lovers and that's all I'm giving you, plot wise.

Paul Feig made his name with a series of genuinely funny films which included Bridemaids, The Heat and Spy, then ruined all that good will with all-female remake of The Ghostbusters. In recent years he's moved into the realm of the psychological drama, popularised by the 2014 film, Gone Girl with a Simple Favor and the sequel Another Simple Favour. He's a director who clearly enjoys complex, multi-layered dramas which like to twist his audience up a corpse on a noose. And this one is one of those. 

It's a twisty and very entertaining drama whose outcome is never clear. It's carried effortlessly by Sydney Sweeney who gives the film it's strong emotional core, but it's Amanda Seyfried, however, who has the biggest emotional arc in the film, seriously she's magnetic and you'll find yourself desperately trying to work out what her game plan is, because it soon transpires that all but one of the characters has a game plan.

I was expecting to hate this, but it won me over and I found myself engaged and more importantly entertained by this, plus it's helps massively that Sydney Sweeney is a very game actress and eager to share her bountiful abilities at the drop of a hat, repeatedly. 

Anyway, this was fun, twisty, and rather gripping, plus it nails its landing. So, a good ending to the year. 

8/10