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| Movies Like The Housemaid. |
Paul Feig’s The Housemaid takes an ordinary live-in housekeeping job and turns it into an increasingly unsettling experience. Based on Freida McFadden’s bestselling novel, the psychological thriller follows Millie Calloway (Sydney Sweeney), a woman hoping to rebuild her life after a difficult past. Her opportunity arrives when she accepts a position with the wealthy Winchester family, led by Nina (Amanda Seyfried) and Andrew (Brandon Sklenar). The luxurious home, private attic bedroom and promise of a fresh start initially seem like an excellent deal. However, Nina’s unpredictable behaviour and the tension between the couple soon make Millie question what she has walked into.
The film explores deception, unequal power dynamics, disturbing family secrets and the danger of trusting appearances. Its appeal lies in the gradual shift from an apparently comfortable domestic arrangement to a situation where nobody seems entirely trustworthy. If you enjoy thrillers that make an ordinary house feel like the last place you would want to spend the night, these 15 films offer similarly gripping stories, complicated relationships and characters with considerably more baggage than their polished appearances suggest.
Movies Like The Housemaid
1. The Gift (2015)
Joel Edgerton’s The Gift turns an apparently harmless reunion into a psychological battle built around old grudges and uncomfortable truths. Simon (Jason Bateman) and Robyn (Rebecca Hall) appear to have settled into a comfortable life together when Gordo (Edgerton), one of Simon’s former schoolmates, unexpectedly reappears. His visits and unusual presents initially seem awkward rather than threatening, but his increasingly intrusive behaviour begins to disrupt the couple’s carefully maintained routine.
Robyn soon realises that Simon may not have been entirely honest about his past, leaving her to reconsider the man she thought she knew. The film gradually shifts its attention from Gordo’s strange behaviour to the secrets behind Simon’s confident exterior. Like The Housemaid, it explores the uncomfortable possibility that the person who appears respectable might be hiding something far less flattering. Both films also make domestic spaces feel increasingly uneasy, proving that a beautiful home and a well-dressed homeowner are hardly reliable indicators of good character.
2. The Girl on the Train (2016)
Directed by Tate Taylor, The Girl on the Train follows Rachel Watson (Emily Blunt), a divorced woman whose daily train journeys give her an unwanted fascination with the lives of strangers. She regularly observes Megan (Haley Bennett) and Scott Hipwell (Luke Evans), imagining that she understands their relationship from a distance. When Megan disappears, Rachel becomes involved in the investigation, believing that something she witnessed might help explain what happened.
The problem is that Rachel struggles to trust her own memories, making it difficult to establish which details are genuine and which might be distorted by her circumstances. As the investigation develops, the apparent simplicity of the situation begins to fall apart.
Like The Housemaid, this psychological thriller examines the gap between appearances and reality. Rachel attempts to understand a relationship from the outside, while Millie finds herself trapped inside a household she barely understands. Both stories build tension through uncertainty, hidden information and the growing suspicion that the truth is considerably more complicated than anyone initially admits.
3. Deep Water (2022)
Adrian Lyne’s Deep Water examines a marriage that has become an uncomfortable arrangement between two people who seem unable to trust each other. Vic Van Allen (Ben Affleck) and Melinda (Ana de Armas) maintain an unconventional relationship, with Melinda pursuing other partners while Vic attempts to keep their family life intact. Beneath the surface, however, jealousy, resentment and a growing struggle for control threaten to destroy their fragile domestic peace.
When people connected to Melinda begin to attract attention for troubling reasons, suspicion spreads through their social circle. Neither partner appears particularly interested in making the situation easier to understand, and their behaviour raises questions about how well they know each other.
The connection to The Housemaid lies in the way both films turn private relationships into psychological battlegrounds. Millie must navigate the complicated relationship between Nina and Andrew, while Vic and Melinda struggle to maintain the appearance of normality. Both films explore manipulation and the danger of trying to understand people whose motives remain frustratingly unclear.
4. Gone Girl (2014)
David Fincher’s Gone Girl begins when Amy Dunne (Rosamund Pike) disappears on her fifth wedding anniversary, leaving her husband, Nick (Ben Affleck), at the centre of a major investigation. As police examine the circumstances surrounding her disappearance, Nick’s public behaviour and inconsistent explanations attract increasing scrutiny. The media quickly turns the case into a spectacle, while the investigation reveals how little outsiders really understand about the couple’s marriage.
Adapted from Gillian Flynn’s novel, the film explores reputation, deception and the carefully constructed identities people present to the world. Its central relationship becomes increasingly difficult to interpret as new information challenges earlier assumptions.
Fans of The Housemaid should appreciate the way Gone Girl treats domestic life as a place where appearances can be carefully manufactured. Both films feature relationships in which trust becomes a serious problem and seemingly straightforward situations grow more complicated. The biggest difference is that Gone Girl places a marriage under public scrutiny, whereas The Housemaid lets suspicion develop within a wealthy household. In both cases, believing the first version of events is a risky hobby.
5. Saltburn (2023)
Emerald Fennell’s Saltburn explores wealth, obsession and the uncomfortable social dynamics surrounding a privileged family. Oliver Quick (Barry Keoghan), an Oxford student from a less affluent background, develops a friendship with Felix Catton (Jacob Elordi), whose wealthy family enjoys a lifestyle far removed from Oliver’s own. When Felix invites him to spend the summer at the family’s enormous estate, Oliver finds himself immersed in a world of extravagant parties, inherited privilege and peculiar family traditions.
The Cattons’ luxurious surroundings initially seem fascinating, but Oliver’s growing attachment to their world makes the visit increasingly unsettling. The film examines the distance between being welcomed into a family and genuinely belonging to it.
Like The Housemaid, Saltburn uses an outsider’s arrival to expose the strange dynamics beneath an affluent household’s polished exterior. Millie enters the Winchester home as an employee seeking a fresh start, while Oliver enters the Cattons’ world as a guest. Both become entangled in environments where wealth offers comfort but does little to guarantee that anyone is behaving normally.
6. A Simple Favor (2018)
Paul Feig’s A Simple Favor blends psychological suspense with dark comedy, following Stephanie Smothers (Anna Kendrick), a mother who befriends the stylish and enigmatic Emily Nelson (Blake Lively). Their friendship appears unusual but manageable until Emily suddenly disappears, leaving Stephanie to investigate what happened. Working alongside Emily’s husband, Sean Townsend (Henry Golding), she begins uncovering details about her missing friend that complicate everything she thought she knew.
Adapted from Darcey Bell’s novel, the film combines mystery, shifting loyalties and a cast of characters who seem determined to keep at least one important detail to themselves. Stephanie’s investigation becomes increasingly tangled as the distinction between friendship and manipulation grows less certain.
The film shares The Housemaid’s interest in the secrets hidden behind comfortable domestic lives. Both stories feature women drawn into complicated relationships with people whose motives are difficult to understand. The difference is that A Simple Favor delivers its suspense with a sharper comedic edge. If you enjoy trying to solve a mystery while wondering why everybody involved seems suspicious, this is an excellent choice.
7. The Handmaiden (2016)
Park Chan-wook’s The Handmaiden, also known as Ah-ga-ssi, is a South Korean psychological thriller set in 1930s Korea during Japanese occupation. Sook-hee (Kim Tae-ri), a young pickpocket, becomes the handmaiden of Lady Hideko (Kim Min-hee), a wealthy heiress living under the authority of her controlling uncle, Kouzuki (Cho Jin-woong). However, Sook-hee’s employment is part of a scheme involving Count Fujiwara (Ha Jung-woo), who hopes to marry Hideko and gain access to her fortune.
As Sook-hee becomes closer to Hideko, the carefully arranged plan grows more complicated. Personal feelings, competing intentions and concealed information gradually change the nature of their relationship.
The similarities to The Housemaid extend beyond the presence of a domestic employee working in an affluent household. Both films examine unequal power, manipulation and the difficulty of determining who holds control. Their central characters enter unfamiliar environments where employment comes with complications that go far beyond the original agreement. The Handmaiden offers a more elaborate historical setting and a deliberately intricate narrative, making it a strong choice for viewers who enjoy psychological thrillers that reward close attention.
8. The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (2025)
Michelle Garza Cervera’s The Hand That Rocks the Cradle revisits the familiar idea that hiring a caretaker can introduce unexpected complications into family life. In this 2025 reimagining, Polly Murphy (Maika Monroe) joins the household of Caitlin Morales (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and her husband Miguel (Raúl Castillo), helping care for their two young daughters. Polly initially appears capable and attentive, making her a welcome addition to the family.
However, Caitlin gradually notices behaviour that makes her question Polly’s identity and intentions. Her concerns become harder to ignore, especially when Miguel struggles to share her suspicions. As the tension increases, Caitlin must work out what is happening inside her own home.
The film is particularly close to The Housemaid because both stories centre on a woman entering another family’s private world through a domestic job. The arrangement begins with trust, but that trust gradually becomes a source of anxiety. Both films also explore how difficult it can be to convince others that something is wrong when the person causing concern appears perfectly respectable.
9. The Invisible Man (2020)
Leigh Whannell’s The Invisible Man follows Cecilia Kass (Elisabeth Moss), who attempts to rebuild her life after escaping a controlling relationship with wealthy scientist Adrian Griffin (Oliver Jackson-Cohen). When Adrian is reported to have died, Cecilia hopes she can finally move forward. However, a series of increasingly disturbing incidents makes her suspect that her former partner may still be influencing her life in ways she cannot easily explain.
Her attempts to convince the people around her become increasingly difficult as uncertainty and fear undermine her credibility. The film transforms an apparently straightforward escape into a tense struggle over control, personal freedom and the limits of what other people are willing to believe.
Like The Housemaid, it examines the imbalance of power between people whose circumstances are very different. Millie depends on her employers for work and accommodation, while Cecilia attempts to escape a relationship in which control has become central. Both stories build suspense by making the protagonist question what is happening around her, although The Invisible Man adds science-fiction horror to its psychological tension.
10. The Perfect Nanny (2019)
Based on Leïla Slimani’s novel Chanson douce, The Perfect Nanny is a French psychological drama about the complicated relationship between a family and the woman they employ to care for their children. Myriam, a working mother, hires Louise as a nanny after deciding to return to her professional life. Louise initially seems to be an ideal choice, providing the family with the practical support it needs while becoming deeply involved in its daily routine.
As the arrangement develops, however, the boundaries between employment and personal attachment become increasingly complicated. The film examines the pressures placed on working parents, the responsibilities entrusted to domestic workers and the assumptions that can develop when a stranger becomes part of family life.
Its connection to The Housemaid is particularly clear in its focus on domestic employment and the trust required when someone is invited into a private household. Both stories examine the expectations attached to a seemingly ordinary job and the complications that arise when the relationship becomes more intimate than either side anticipated. It is a more grounded, serious drama, but it shares the unsettling idea that a family’s private world can be far more fragile than it appears.
11. The Woman in the Window (2021)
Joe Wright’s The Woman in the Window follows Anna Fox (Amy Adams), an agoraphobic psychologist who spends much of her time inside her New York home. From her windows, she watches the people living across the street, including the seemingly ordinary Russell family. Her interest takes a disturbing turn when she believes she has witnessed a violent incident involving one of her neighbours.
When Anna attempts to report what she saw, the situation becomes increasingly confusing. Questions about the family, her own recollections and the reliability of the available evidence complicate her efforts to establish the truth.
The film shares The Housemaid’s interest in apparently respectable households concealing unsettling secrets. Anna observes a family from the outside, while Millie experiences the tensions of an affluent family from within its home. Both protagonists must navigate uncertainty as their understanding of the people around them changes. If you enjoy thrillers that encourage you to reconsider earlier scenes and question whether you have interpreted events correctly, this film fits the mood.
12. Rebecca (2020)
Ben Wheatley’s Rebecca follows a young woman (Lily James) who marries the wealthy widower Maxim de Winter (Armie Hammer) and moves into his grand English estate, Manderley. Her new life initially seems like an extraordinary opportunity, but the house remains dominated by the memory of Maxim’s first wife, Rebecca. The imposing housekeeper, Mrs Danvers (Kristin Scott Thomas), only makes the new Mrs de Winter’s adjustment more difficult.
As the young bride attempts to find her place in the household, she encounters unexplained tensions and conflicting accounts of Rebecca’s life. The estate’s impressive rooms conceal an atmosphere of unease, leaving her uncertain about the history of the family she has joined.
Like The Housemaid, Rebecca uses a wealthy home as the centre of a mystery shaped by secrets, power and uncomfortable relationships. Its protagonist enters a new environment where other people appear to understand the rules better than she does. Both films also explore the psychological strain of living in a house where the occupants are not necessarily telling the whole story.
13. The Others (2001)
Alejandro Amenábar’s The Others stars Nicole Kidman as Grace Stewart, a mother living with her two children in an isolated country house. The children have a condition that requires them to avoid direct exposure to sunlight, so the family follows strict rules throughout the property. When three servants arrive to work at the house, unusual events begin to unsettle the household and challenge Grace’s understanding of her surroundings.
The film builds its atmosphere through silence, restricted spaces and the growing impression that the house is not behaving as it should. Rather than relying on constant action, it gradually develops a sense of mystery that encourages viewers to pay attention to small details.
Although The Others leans towards supernatural horror, it shares The Housemaid’s interest in domestic spaces that become increasingly uncomfortable. Both films establish rules within a household and then make those rules feel suspicious. The servants also play an important role in the story’s atmosphere, making the film a compelling choice for anyone who enjoys the idea that a seemingly ordinary home might be hiding something extraordinary.
14. Parasite (2019)
Bong Joon-ho’s Oscar-winning South Korean film Parasite explores class inequality through the relationship between two families living in sharply different circumstances. The Kim family struggles financially, while the wealthy Park family enjoys a spacious modern home and a life of relative comfort. When members of the Kim family gradually obtain jobs working for the Parks, the arrangement creates opportunities that none of them could easily have secured otherwise.
However, the professional relationships become increasingly complicated as the two households grow more closely connected. Their interactions expose the inequalities, assumptions and hidden tensions beneath the Parks’ comfortable lifestyle.
The similarities to The Housemaid are especially strong in the way both films use domestic employment to bring outsiders into wealthy households. The employees gain access to a world of privilege, but their presence also exposes how unstable that world can become. Both stories explore the gap between social appearances and private reality, showing that a luxurious home does not automatically create a harmonious family. Parasite combines suspense with dark humour and social commentary, offering a broader perspective on the power dynamics that make The Housemaid so compelling.
15. The Beguiled (2017)
Sofia Coppola’s The Beguiled is a psychological thriller set during the American Civil War. The story takes place at an isolated girls’ school in Virginia, where a wounded Union soldier, John McBurney (Colin Farrell), is taken in by the women living there. The headmistress, Martha Farnsworth (Nicole Kidman), attempts to maintain order while the soldier’s arrival disrupts the routines and relationships within the secluded household.
As the women become increasingly involved in the situation, personal tensions and competing interests begin to influence their decisions. The school’s quiet atmosphere gradually gives way to a struggle shaped by attraction, resentment and the desire to maintain control.
Although the historical setting differs from the modern luxury home in The Housemaid, the underlying themes are familiar. Both films examine how the arrival of an outsider can disrupt an established household and reveal tensions that were previously hidden. The confined setting also helps build suspense, with characters unable to escape the consequences of their interactions easily. For viewers who enjoy psychological drama driven by power struggles rather than straightforward action, The Beguiled makes a fitting final addition.
Opinion: Why These Films Are Worth Watching
What makes The Housemaid such an appealing thriller is its ability to turn an ordinary job into a situation filled with uncertainty. A live-in housekeeping position should involve cleaning, organising and perhaps politely pretending not to notice the family’s expensive furniture. Instead, Millie finds herself dealing with people whose behaviour raises more questions than answers. That combination of domestic tension, wealth and concealed motives gives the story plenty of room to explore the darker side of seemingly perfect lives.
The films on this list approach those ideas from different angles. Gone Girl delivers marital deception, Parasite examines class divisions, and The Handmaiden builds an intricate story around manipulation and conflicting loyalties. Meanwhile, The Gift and A Simple Favor prove that even an apparently ordinary friendship can become a complicated business.
My recommendation is to start with The Gift if you prefer grounded psychological suspense, or Parasite if you want something more ambitious. Choose The Handmaiden for an elaborate period mystery and Rebecca for an atmospheric story about entering an unfamiliar household. Whichever you choose, remember one simple rule: when a family seems suspiciously perfect, perhaps do not accept a job that requires moving into its attic.
Which of these films would you watch first, and have you found another thriller that captures the same unsettling atmosphere as The Housemaid? Share your recommendations and help other viewers find their next watch.