On a cold day, a melodrama can be just what you need, so I sought one out and landed on The Housemaid as a recommendation. However, it didn’t quite meet my expectations
Synopsis (Spoilers)
Daisy is hired as a housemaid for a wealthy family, with her primary duty being a nanny to Nami, the daughter of Roxanne and her rich husband, William.
Daisy admires Nami and is drawn to her intelligence, and Nami, in turn, likes Daisy as her new nanny because Daisy is kind and attentive. Roxanne also thinks Daisy is a good fit for the job, appreciating how well she takes care of Nami and how lovingly she seems to treat the twins she is carrying.
William, however, isn’t getting much attention from his wife, which leads him to flirt with Daisy. Before long, they are tangled in a web of secret romance.
One night, Martha, a senior live-in maid who has served the family for 31 years, catches William and Daisy in the act. She reports what she saw to Roxanne’s mother, who then devises a plan to get rid of Daisy.
The first plan was to stage an accident, resulting in Daisy falling from the second floor of the mansion to the ground. This attempt failed, only causing Daisy some muscle strain while leaving the pregnancy intact. Their next plan, concocted with Roxanne, was to drug Daisy’s milk with pills to induce an abortion. This was after they had offered Daisy any amount of money to terminate the pregnancy and leave the family, but after Daisy refused, they resorted to spiking her milk, resulting in the loss of the baby.
Roxanne eventually gives birth to her twins, and Daisy reveals to William that she was pregnant, though it was too late as the child had already been aborted.
Consumed by grief, Daisy seeks revenge. With help from Martha, who worked as a double agent siding with both Daisy and Roxanne, Daisy gains access to the babies. Before she can do anything, William intervenes and takes them from her. In the end, Daisy commits suicide in their living room, leaving everyone in utter disbelief and shock.
My Review and Rating
The Housemaid, directed by Im Sang-soo, is a psychological thriller that I initially found boring during the first 54 minutes. The lack of real action or thrilling scenes made it hard to engage, but as the story progressed, I began to enjoy the plot and found myself rooting for Daisy.
I didn’t care for Roxanne due to her indifference towards William. All she seemed to care about was having children and staying fit, likely because her wealthy husband could afford to support as many children as she desired. William was clearly sex-starved, and Daisy, who should have had the agency to say no, instead fell for the allure of his red wine and his skill at the piano.
One aspect I did appreciate was the film’s low lighting and setting. Although the beginning was slow, the atmosphere kept me watching because it hinted at a thriller.
However, this movie isn’t much of a thriller, despite being labeled as such. The characters felt underdeveloped and childish. I was hoping for a raw explosion of emotions—whether it be rage or the kind of subtle anger that can be more unsettling than an outburst—but the emotional expression in the film was lukewarm. Daisy’s reaction to losing her pregnancy, for instance, wasn’t as intense as I expected. On the other hand, Roxanne’s calm demeanor after discovering her wealthy husband’s affair with a maid was equally underwhelming.
The plot twist at the end was disappointing, and I found Martha to be particularly irritating. Her constant gossiping didn’t seem to serve any purpose, and in the end, all she did was resign. Frankly, she was the most foolish character in the film.
I rate The Housemaid a 3/5.
PS: The language is not English, so you’ll need subtitles to understand the dialogue.
