20s Movie Review - The Housemaid

Director: Paul Feig
Genre: Thriller/ Drama
Runtime: 131 minutes
Year: 2025
Starring: Sydney Sweeney, Amanda Seyfried, Brandon Sklenar, Michele Morrone, Indiana Elle

Description: Millie (Sydney Sweeney) is a struggling young woman who is relieved by the chance for a fresh start, when she gets a job as a housemaid for a wealthy couple (Amanda Seyfried, Brandon Sklenar). Soon, she discovers that the family’s secrets are far more dangerous than her own.

Review: “The Housemaid” is based on the beloved book with the same title, by author Freida McFadden. One of today’s most popular thriller writers. The film is an over-the-top psychological thriller, with many plot twists and strong performances.

Millie has hit rock bottom. She is on parole, living in her car and has no job, money or prospects. She applies for the job as a housemaid for the rich Winchester family, but doesn’t expect much from it. But she gets the job. Finally, she feels like she will get her life back in order. Millie will be moving in with the Winchesters, wife Nina, husband Andrew and young daughter Cece. While Millie has some secrets from her past, the secrets in this family are far darker.

I read the book about two years ago. I really loved it, the plot twist half-way though took me by surprise. I have made several people in my family and friend circle read it, they were all just as surprised. I was curious to see how they would do it in the movie.

The book is no masterpiece, but it kept my attention at all times and was a great thriller. The same goes for the film. “The Housemaid” is entertaining and full of twists. It’s a wild ride, mindless entertainment and a very strong psychological thriller.

When it comes to the performances, Amanda Seyfried really stands out as Nina Winchester. She has the most difficult role to play and really does a fantastic job.

The film explores themes such as class differences and offers a feminist message. It also offers a mix of sexual and psychological manipulation.

But this film is far from perfect. Sometimes it’s a bit too over-the-top, on the edge of becoming silly. The dark humor does not always work. And even though Sydney Sweeney is solid in her performance as Millie, there are some moments where I feel she wasn’t the right choice. Finally, the role of Enzo feels a bit pointless. His role is much bigger in the book. If they had left him out of the movie, it wouldn’t have had any effect on the plot whatsoever.

Do I think it’s a successful adaptation of the book? Yes. Director Paul Feig managed to transform the original story into a compelling film. Not flawless, but an entertaining psychological thriller.

Rating: 3,5/ 5 

20s Movie Review - Reality

Director: Tina Setter
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 83 minutes
Year: 2023
Starring: Sydney Sweeney, Josh Hamilton, Marchánt Davis

Description: A former American intelligence specialist (Sydney Sweeney) was given the longest sentence for the unauthorized release of government information to the media about Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections via an email operation.

Review: Suppose you find secret information about an extremely controversial issue that could potentially change the course of history. Would you disclose this? And what if it carries a severe penalty? Reality Winner found herself faced with this dilemma, and this film is the unfortunate outgrowth of her decision. Director Tina Satter, who also made a play about it, makes her debut with this minimalist docudrama. She immediately shows that she knows her stuff. After all, the film was shot in just sixteen days.

Twenty-five-year old Reality Winner’s life takes an unexpected turn on June 3^rd, 2016, when she encounters two FBI agents in her yard when she returns from shopping. The agents have a search warrant but the unsuspecting Air Force veteran is mostly worried about her pets and the groceries that need to go into the fridge. Communication is all friendly and the atmosphere is uncomfortable rather than serious. Until Reality makes an unexpected move. Three blinded SUV’s drive by and it becomes clear that something serious is indeed going on.

Reality is given the choice of being questioned at home or at the FBI office, whereupon the interrogation moves to a fluorescent-lit empty back room of her home. As her home is turned upside down in the background, the agents put her under fire. But what exactly is she suspected of? We learn that Reality works as a translator for the Secret Service and in that capacity has access to confidential information. We get more information, bit by but, and Reality feels the noose tightening around her neck. A secret document has been leaked and she is the prime suspect.  

If you’re not familiar with Reality Winner’s case, the beginning of the film is incredibly alienating and really makes you wonder where the hell it’s all going. Contrary to what yo might expect with such raid, everything is extremely slow and the tension building lies mainly in the uneasy and almost surreal nature of the scene. The agents’ work is so amateurish and stoic that you can hardly imagine that it could be like this in real life, but the opposite is true.

In fact, the film is based on the FBI transport of the audio recording of that day, and this is emphasized several times. So often, in fact, that it almost becomes a gimmick. Every word and sound is taken from the transcript. And this provides the film with an indeniable authenticity.

Because the agents are pretty secretive, the interrogation takes on almost absurdist character and the undoubtedly tactical stretching becomes quite annoying after a while. As a result, the running time of only eighty minutes feels long. Their passive-aggressive behavior, combined with the brightly lit room and ominous background music, does at the same time create an incredibly oppressive atmosphere. The way Reality struggles through the forced pleasantries makes you feel a certain unease.

This is absolutely due to the phenomenal acting by Sydney Sweeney, who portrays the titular character. Sweeney’s performance is raw and believable and she shines thanks to her convincing body language, especially in the awkward silences. With refined facial expressions, fiery eyes, and well feigned nervous twitches, she manages to make the feeling of discomfort really get under your skin.

The end result is an intriguing docudrama that shows without too much embellishment what Reality Winner experienced that particular day. With Sweeney as the highlight.

Rating: 4/ 5

Movie Review - Anyone But You

Director: Will Gluck
Genre: Comedy/ Romance
Runtime: 103 minutes
Year: 2024
Starring: Sydney Sweeney, Glen Powell, Alexandra Shipp, Hadley Robinson, Dermot Mulroney, Rachel Griffiths, Gata
 
Description: After an amazing first date, Bea (Sydney Sweeney) and Ben’s (Glen Powell) fiery attraction turns ice-cold, until they find themselves unexpectedly reunited at a wedding in Australia. So they do what any two mature adults would do: pretend to be a couple.

Review: Bea and Ben meet by accident, which leads to a spontaneous date. Due to an awkward misunderstanding, things end badly and they never see each other again… until Bea’s sister gets married to Ben’s friend. The wedding takes place in Australia where Ben and Bea are forced to be around each other. Their plan: pretend to be a couple to solve their problems.

It's a enemies-to-lovers and fake dating trope that has been done many times before. It has been done better, but definitely worse too. A romcom fails when the two lead have no chemistry. That’s one thing they do have: Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney are great together and sparks fly. There are genuine romantic (and sensual) moments as well as good jokes. So, with these elements “Anyone But You” wins.

But, it’s just not refreshing enough. And way too many romcom cliches. Which I don’t mind, when done well. It’s also way too predictable. And aside from Ben and Bea, no character feels like an actual person. They feel like fictional characters and have conversations that would never be real. It feels cartoonish.

It is a typical romcom, perfectly watchable with two fun leads. But also pretty forgettable.

Rating: 2,5/ 5

TV Show Review - The White Lotus (Season 1)

Season: 1
Genre: Comedy/ Drama
Number of episodes: 6
Year: 2021
Starring: Murray Bartlett, Jennifer Coolidge, Connie Britton, Steve Zahn, Alexandra Daddario, Sydney Sweeney, Fred Hechinger, Jake Lacy, Brittany O’Grady, Natasha Rothwell, Molly Shannon

Description: Set in a tropical resort, it follows the exploits of various guests and employees over the span of a week.
 
Review: Vacationing is something people like to do. To let go of everything, and in the case of many vacationers, get yourself well pampered at an all-inclusive resort. A single women, a family plus the daughter’s friend and a newly wed couple all arrive at the same time, at the Hawaiian resort The White Lotus. The staff of the hotel is awaiting their guests and everything looks promising. But it’s going to be one hell of a week.

What an entertaining series. In a satirical and humorous way, they basically take everything and everyone to task. No one is perfect and everyone has their secrets and struggles. And since all of the characters we follow are either quirky, peculiar, irritating or highly unlikeable, the perfect vacation they all wished for, doesn’t go as planned. And this creates some fantastic, uncomfortable, silly, hilarious and embarrassing moments.

Each character has a role in the story. Ten of them to be exact. First there is the Mosbacher family. At the head, mother Nicole, a successful business woman who calls the shots. Her husband Mark has a health scare, son Quinn is simply bored and daughter Olivia brought her best friend Paula, who just want to relax and read complex literature. Then there is the newlywed couple, Rachel and Shane. They married quick after meeting and are now on their honeymoon. Where Rachel is a freelance journalist who wants to make it in the world, her rich new husband believes she doesn’t need to work anymore and just be his beautiful wife. Tanya came to Hawaii to spread her mother’s ashes, she is a lonely woman who befriends the owner of the resort’s spa, Belinda. And finally we have Armond, the resort manager, trying to make sure every guest is happy and taken care of. Which is a big challenge with the new arrivals.

Talking about Armond. He’s portrayed by Murray Bartlett and he is the absolute highlight of this series. I love everything he does in this series, he is so funny. And as a former customer service employee, I know exactly how it feels like to always try to please everyone, even the ones that you actually want to strangle. Always with a smile on your face, but mentally slapping the person opposite you complaining once again. Bartlett got a well-deserved Emmy Award for his role and he lifted “The White Lotus” to a higher level.
 
The ending of the show wasn’t all I hoped for. At least not for all characters. I especially didn’t like what they did with Rachel and Shane. I did like Quinn’s ending though. But overall, “The White Lotus” was a very enjoyable series, easy to watch. And there is a second season coming, which will be starring a bunch of new characters and is set at a different location.