While Paul Feig’s film adaptation of The Housemaid largely honors Freida McFadden’s bestselling novel, it takes significant creative liberties with its climax, delivering a far more cinematic and violent finale that reshapes the story’s core message of female vengeance.
This analysis contains major spoilers for both the The Housemaid novel and film.
The transition from page to screen always necessitates change, but the adaptation of Freida McFadden’s 2022 psychological thriller The Housemaid presents a fascinating case study. Director Paul Feig and screenwriter Rebecca Sonnenshine crafted a film that is remarkably faithful to the novel’s plot and character dynamics for the majority of its runtime. However, the final act diverges significantly, culminating in a climax that is not just different in execution, but altered in its very tone and thematic resonance.
At its heart, both stories follow Millie Calloway (Sydney Sweeney), a young woman with a troubled past who takes a job as a live-in housemaid for the wealthy and seemingly perfect Winchester family. She is initially charmed by the handsome Andrew (Brandon Sklenar) and tormented by his erratic wife, Nina (Amanda Seyfried). The central twist—that Nina’s cruel behavior is a calculated act to escape her abusive husband, who has been imprisoning her in the attic—is preserved intact. The film, however, amplifies the drama and violence of the conclusion, transforming a story of psychological torment into one of physical vengeance.
A Tale of Two Tortures: Dehydration vs. The Staircase
The most profound difference lies in Andrew Winchester’s demise. In McFadden’s novel, Millie’s revenge is a slow, psychological burn. After trapping Andrew in the attic, her punishment is cruel and unusual: she forces him to balance heavy books on his groin, mirroring the torment he inflicted upon her, and ultimately denies him water until he dies of dehydration. The death is indirect and drawn-out, emphasizing a cold, calculated form of justice.
Daniel McFadden/Lionsgate
Brandon Sklenar as Andrew Winchester in ‘The Housemaid’
The film, in contrast, opts for immediate, visceral impact. Millie’s methods are more aggressive and theatrical. She uses Andrew’s mother’s prized china as a psychological weapon, smashing plates to break his will. When that fails, she escalates to pouring gasoline under the attic door and threatening to light a match. This direct threat of immolation is what finally forces Andrew to use pliers on his own teeth—a gruesome scene the audience witnesses via security camera. His ultimate death, however, is accidental. During a struggle with Nina, who has arrived to help Millie, Andrew is pushed over a banister by Millie and falls to his death. This change creates a more dynamic and cinematic final confrontation, but it shifts the moral calculus from premeditated murder to a crime of passion in the heat of the moment.
Character Expansions and Omissions
The film gives a more substantial role to Evelyn Winchester (Elizabeth Perkins), Andrew’s mother. While she is a peripheral figure in the book, appearing mainly in flashbacks and at the funeral, Feig’s adaptation uses her to provide deeper context for Andrew’s pathology. Her obsession with her china collection becomes a key plot device, and her final interaction with Nina at the funeral is stripped of the novel’s chilling revelation. In the book, Evelyn confesses to pulling out Andrew’s baby teeth with pliers, a dark mirror to his fate that suggests the cycle of abuse started with her. The film omits this, leaving Andrew’s evil more enigmatic and less explicitly tied to his upbringing.
Another significant change involves the character of Enzo (Michele Morrone), the landscaper. In the novel, Enzo is a crucial ally and even becomes romantically involved with Nina. His personal vendetta—his sister was a victim of a man like Andrew—drives him to actively participate in the escape plan. He ultimately stays behind to watch over Millie. In the film, his role is drastically reduced to a sympathetic bystander, and the romantic subplot is entirely excised. This streamlining focuses the narrative more tightly on the bond between Nina and Millie, making their alliance the sole engine of the plot.
Daniel McFadden/Lionsgate
Michele Morrone as Enzo in ‘The Housemaid’
Thematic Implications of the New Ending
By altering the nature of Andrew’s death, the film’s adaptation changes the story’s final statement. The novel’s conclusion is bleak and methodical. Millie’s actions are presented as the continuation of a dark, necessary profession—avenging abused women. The slow dehydration death is a punishment that fits the crime of psychological torture. It’s a cold, just end for a cold man.
The film’s more explosive ending leans into a cathartic, almost slasher-movie finale. The push down the stairs is a moment of pure, chaotic justice. It’s more emotionally satisfying for a viewing audience and provides a clear, dramatic climax. Furthermore, Nina’s gesture of giving Millie a $100,000 check in the film (a detail absent from the book) adds a layer of financial reward and gratitude that softens the story’s edges, framing the ordeal as a twisted but profitable fresh start for Millie.
Daniel McFadden/Lionsgate
Sydney Sweeney as Millie Calloway in ‘The Housemaid’
Faithful in Spirit, Bold in Execution
Despite these changes, the film successfully captures the core themes of McFadden’s novel: the resilience of women, the hidden horrors of domestic life, and the forging of powerful female alliances in the face of male oppression. The central relationship between Nina and Millie remains the story’s backbone, and their journey from antagonist and victim to co-conspirators is portrayed with the same complexity and tension.
The alterations, particularly the heightened finale, can be seen as a concession to the language of cinema. A slow death by dehydration is a powerful literary device, but the visual medium often demands more immediate and physical stakes. The film’s ending provides a clear, visceral payoff that resonates in a different, but equally valid, way.
Lionsgate
Sydney Sweeney’s Millie eats a sandwich after inflicting some damage on Andrew in ‘The Housemaid’
Ultimately, both versions of The Housemaid offer a compelling exploration of vengeance and survival. The book provides a slower, more psychologically nuanced burn, while the film delivers a punchier, more visually arresting thriller. The key differences in the ending ensure that each version stands on its own, providing unique experiences for readers and viewers while honoring the story’s powerful central message. For the most authoritative and fastest analysis of major entertainment events, keep reading at onlytrustedinfo.com.
