Wow! I can’t remember the last time I spontaneously applauded at the end of a movie, but I did after the credits starting rolling for The Housemaid, based on the 2022 novel by Freida McFadden. Ordinarily, I would not sign up to see a psychological thriller, but I didn’t know what the movie was about when three of my gal pals and I ventured off for the weekday matinée. I’d seen Paul Feig, the director, interviewed on The Social, which is what ignited my interest in seeing the movie, and I’m so glad I did.

The movie stars Amanda Seyfried as the Stepford-like wife Nina Winchester who hires Millie Calloway, played by Sydney Sweeney, as her housekeeper. Millie has been released from prison on a work parole and desperately needs to get and keep the job to avoid returning to jail. Nina is a seemingly perfect wife with a seemingly perfect husband, Andrew, played with astonishing precision by man-hunk Brandon Sklenar. When Nina seems to go off the rails, Andrew picks up the pieces and puts their perfect life back in order.

If you are a fan of Stephen King movies like Misery starring Kathy Bates and James Caan, then you  will love The Housemaid. Just when you think you have things figured out, there’s a surprise. Just when you think it can’t get any worse, it does. And, surprisingly, I do not think it was a chick flick as I was led to believe (the theatre was full of women). Guys will love the frequent appearance of Sydney Sweeney’s ample and delectable bosom. There’s also a strong feminist message that all guys should pay attention to.

I often lament the dearth of movies that appeal to baby boomers. For the most part, we’re not into sci-fi, shoot-em-ups, violence, computer-generated scenes of mass destruction, or hero movies, so The Housemaid is a welcome return to good old-fashioned thrillers like Psycho.

Do not wait for this movie to come out on Netflix or Cinema streaming services. It must be experienced communally in a theatre with everyone in the audience reacting in unison. If the industry would create more movies like this, boomers would be returning to theatres, instead of staying home. It’s an experience not to be missed . We caught the 1:00 p.m. showing, which meant we were able to dig into a pail full of popcorn and a large fountain drink for lunch at the start of the movie. Life doesn’t get much better. Prepare yourself for some escapist fun—especially the last scene!