The film version of The Housemaid closely mirrors the essence of Frieda McFadden‘s original novel, capturing its suspense and intrigue.

Released on Friday, December 19, this cinematic adaptation stars Sydney Sweeney alongside Amanda Seyfried. Audiences were left stunned by its shocking twists. Even for those familiar with the book’s narrative, director Paul Feig managed to create a sense of surprise and tension, ensuring the movie remains unpredictable.

The plot, both in print and on screen, revolves around Millie (played by Sweeney), a young maid who takes a job in the home of Andrew (Brandon Sklenar) and Nina Winchester (Seyfried). However, she soon uncovers the unsettling secrets that lurk within the family dynamic.

Note: Spoilers for The Housemaid follow.

Feig confessed that adapting a beloved story for the big screen is “intimidating.” Nonetheless, with McFadden’s endorsement, he and the talented cast have crafted a film that promises to spark conversations among viewers.

Amanda Seyfried wants fans to go into The Housemaid movie without having read the source material. “Do not read it until you’ve seen the movie,” Seyfried, 40, told Us Weekly exclusively ahead of the film’s release. “Then it will ruin the twists for you.” Seyfried recalled seeing a screening of The Housemaid “a couple of […]

“The great thing is, it’s a great book and it’s really structured well for a movie. So it’s kind of perfect source material,” Feig told Newsweek earlier this month. “I think we got everything we needed from the book, and the greatest compliment of all was Freida McFadden, when she saw it, she said she thinks it’s better than the book. So that was a huge thing to hear from the author.”

Keep scrolling for the biggest changes from The Housemaid book to the movie:

The Ending

Perhaps the biggest change was the ending of the movie. “The ending [in the book] ends in the attic,” Feig told Newsweek, noting that his ending was different.

Both endings start out pretty much the same, revealing that Nina’s not actually crazy but just pretending to escape from her abusive husband Andrew. When Andrew makes Nina leave, he and Millie get hot and heavy. But she eventually disobeys him and gets locked in the attic. This is where things change a bit.

In the book, Millie finds pepper spray left in the attic, which she uses on Andrew. In the movie, it’s a knife and she stabs Andrew in the neck. Both instances include Millie leaving Andrew in the attic — but in the book, she leaves him there to die.

The movie, rather, takes things to another level by making Nina return to their home and save Millie from Andrew. However, they all get into a blood-filled fight, resulting in Millie pushing Andrew down the stairs and killing him.

Sydney Sweeney shared her process on connecting with a character who makes morally questionable decisions. “I think it’s important as an actor to find empathy for your character even if you don’t agree with all their choices,” Sweeney told Variety on Tuesday, December 2, while on the red carpet for the New York City premiere […]

The Andrew Hints

One thing the movie does a really good job of is hinting at Andrew being a psychopath. It seems like when reading the book, the twist comes as a major shock to the reader who had no idea that the perfect husband could actually be a raging lunatic.

The film focuses on Andrew’s obsession with perfection, often having him talk about his wife’s hair — more specifically, her roots. Later on in the film a flashback reveals that Andrew had previously punished Nina because her roots weren’t done.

Similarly, Nina and Andrew’s daughter, Cecilia, doesn’t say much to Millie in the book. But the movie version of Cecilia (Indiana Elle) warns Millie to stay out of the attic.

Andrew’s Punishments

In the book, Andrew has Millie balance three textbooks on her stomach for three hours as punishment for leaving his things strewn about the house.

In the movie, Andrew makes Millie carve 21 lines into her stomach with one of the shards of a plate that she broke.

Role Reversals

The book has Andrew’s mom, Evelyn, with a smaller role and their groundskeeper Enzo with a bigger one. The film makes a subtle switch, with Elizabeth Perkins appearing as Evelyn in more than one scene and Michele Morrone’s Enzo having less of a backstory.

Millie’s Arrest

At one point in the movie, Nina has Millie arrested for allegedly “stealing” her car. (Nina had previously given her permission to drive it.) In the book, there is a similar scene. However, there is no arrest, just Millie getting followed around a grocery store by a policeman.