The Housemaid (2010)

75% of critics liked it
(63 reviews)
52% of users liked it
(4,592 ratings)

Eun-yi is an innocent young woman who is hired as an upper class family housemaid, and is tasked to take care of the family's small daughter and her pregnant mother, Hae-ra. Byung-sik is an older housemaid who has been with this family for a long time and holds many secrets. But soon enough, the… More Eun-yi is an innocent young woman who is hired as an upper class family housemaid, and is tasked to take care of the family's small daughter and her pregnant mother, Hae-ra. Byung-sik is an older housemaid who has been with this family for a long time and holds many secrets. But soon enough, the master of the house, Hoon, takes advantage of his social position by slipping into the new housemaid's bed. Hoon's visits become frequent and Byung-sik reports the affair to Hae-ra's mother Mi-hee, who plots to give Hae-ra the control over her husband. Soon Eun-yi becomes pregnant by Hoon and wants to keep the baby. This is discovered by the family and Eun-yi is forced by Mi-hee to have an abortion despite the young woman's pleas to let her keep the baby and leave the house. Her forced abortion turns Eun-yi's already fragile mental condition for the worse and she decides to take the matter into her own hands... -- (C) IFC

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Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 47 min.
Directed By: Sang-soo Im, Im Sang-soo
Written By: Ki-young Kim, Sang-soo Im
Genres: Drama, Art House & International, Mystery & Suspense

In Theaters: Jan 21, 2011 Limited
On DVD: Jun 7, 2011
Studio: IFC Films

Critic Reviews

J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader
The situation continues to fester, the balance of power shifts back and forth among some wonderfully defined characters.
Tom Long, Detroit News
Writer-director Im Sang-Soo injects a certain sense of otherworldliness in the proceedings -- the final scene is straight from David Lynchland --- which may not make things mesmerizing, but does deliver a consistently odd angle.
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune
"The Housemaid" scores on so many levels it's hard to know where to begin.
Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer
While the film grows increasingly preposterous in its final act, the enigmatic performances of Youn and Jeon carry the day.
Ty Burr, Boston Globe
The secret weapon of "The Housemaid'' - the reason it works at all - is Jeon in the title role.
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune
Sang-soo does with "The Housemaid" what many filmmakers do with remakes of influential genre films. He amps up the sex and smoothes down the stylistic edges of the original.
Michael Nordine, Film Threat
Quick to show its characters' skin but less inclined to explore what lies beneath it.
Mayer Nissim, Digital Spy
With the honourable exception of a film-saving Byung-sik, the characters are too unpleasant and two-dimensional to keep it together.
Philip Martin, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
...an echo of the 1960 film perhaps, but it's an echo that has been compressed and processed, run through the stomp box that is director Im Sang-soo's imagination.
Nick Schager, Lessons of Darkness
Exudes a surreal sense of deranged domestic privilege.
Simon Miraudo, Quickflix
Im Sang-soo's The Housemaid either doesn't know what it wants to be, or is trying to be too many things at once. Few films can claim to be over-ambitious and half-hearted at the same time, but there you go.
Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald
The graphic sex scenes radiate an uncommon heat, and Im can pull off a hugely effective shock when he wants to.
Fernando F. Croce, CinePassion
Can't touch the original's spiraling perversity
Sarah Boslaugh, Playback:stl
Evil seems to lurk in every shadowy corner and the director's choice of a primarily brown palette imposes a layer of foreboding over even the most apparently innocent of scenes.
Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
The movie kowtows to the old truism that the rich are different - but it does it with a sardonic smile.
Gerald Peary, Boston Phoenix
The Housemaid isn't all that deep, but it's consistent fun, on the cusp between art and softcore nonsense.
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul), St. Paul Pioneer Press
It's like a contemporary, even more heightened version of one of those Bette Davis movies that still show up on late-night TV.
Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times
"The Housemaid" glitters coldly, with its marble surfaces and scheming eyes, as it builds to its dramatic, unexpected climax.
Beth Accomando, KPBS.org
Im creates a seductive and disquieting thriller in which overt violence is rare but ruthless manipulation and a callous lack of concern for people are commonplace.
Ignatiy Vishnevetsky, Ebert Presents At The Movies
Never comes to an emotional boil.

Read all 21 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Albert K

*Sigh*, Koreans... they're just so twisted lol. This may surprise you but "The Housemaid" is superbly made. Wow, the cinematography was absolutely gorgeous; excellent camerashots riddled all over this film. It's so sublime in fact that it leaves room for this… More
*Sigh*, Koreans... they're just so twisted lol. This may surprise you but "The Housemaid" is superbly made. Wow, the cinematography was absolutely gorgeous; excellent camerashots riddled all over this film. It's so sublime in fact that it leaves room for this movie to be identified as an art-house movie, but sadly, there isn't much to the movie except for eerie and surprising perversion, sickening revenge, and a twisted narrative. It's funny because everything about the movie shouts "true filmmaking". Nevertheless, the narrative simply touches upon the characters' struggles and that's it. This movie isn't here to teach people not to do certain things and it isn't here to thematically stir audiences emotions; this movie is simply here to tell its narrative, which is much of the case for a profuse amount of Korean films, but ever more so with "The Housemaid". Once the credits roll, it seems nothing more than just a shallow but twisted movie that is easily forgotten except for its credible filmmaking craftsmanship. So if its absolutely devoid of any substance aside from the production value, how is "The Housemaid"'s narrative? Is it entertaining? I guess so. It's gonna give you thrills, chills, and tension. It's also gonna give you strange goosebumps and surprises not because it's a great horror flick, but because of the audacious and extremely black raw sexuality that it throws viewers. C'mon now... it's almost like a cheap scare. Throw in some taboo-breaking content and you got yourself a shocking movie. That to me, is cheap. It draws you, but I was certainly squirming in my seat -- not cause I'm a pansy, but how deep "The Housemaid" chooses to let characters get sucked into a pitch black world of lies, deceit, hatred, and sexuality. At the end of the day, "The Housemaid" is a stylish but extremely raw sexual movie. It's a movie about sex. That's about it. You think "Black Swan" was raw? LOL "The Housemaid" is stomping all over it, and its all its got: Mesmerizing cinematography and a taboo-shattering narrative. I ain't saying this is a bad movie but it's certainly not even close to what I would enjoy.
Lewis C

The Housemaid is a South Korean thriller about a maid who is seduced by the husband of the family she was recently hired by, and then menaced and manipulated by the women of the house once they find out she's pregnant. It's a pretty good movie, but very sad.
Dean M

This Korean sexy thriller film looks gorgeous, a combination of Fatal Attraction. Immediately notable is the immensely gorgeous mansion-set for the film, the beautiful costumes and Im's drenching of every shot in a kind of elegant style that really captures… More
This Korean sexy thriller film looks gorgeous, a combination of Fatal Attraction. Immediately notable is the immensely gorgeous mansion-set for the film, the beautiful costumes and Im's drenching of every shot in a kind of elegant style that really captures well the world of the elite that Eunyi wanders into. Interestingly enough, it's in stark contrast to the bustle of the "real world" that Eunyi lives in before her move and I think that's a really effective technique. Jeon Do-yeon deserves all the acting accolades she has received thus far for her role, and we feel the pain she has to go through in having traumatic experiences forced upon her just because she's in no position to bargain, until the defining moment in the finale where she gains the upper hand but at what a price at scarring the family for life. Actor Lee Jungjae wraps the cocky arrogance and entitlement of his character so naturally. And An Suhhyun, as the observant daughter, is remarkable for a child actor, capturing a surprising distance with her huge eyes.
Justin Y

Sang-soo Im's The Housemaid is a Korean thriller that doesn't do much in the way of thrilling.The story is a slow burn and there is be a lot of buildup for every major event. The first portion is heavy on the sexual content, while the… More
Sang-soo Im's The Housemaid is a Korean thriller that doesn't do much in the way of thrilling.The story is a slow burn and there is be a lot of buildup for every major event. The first portion is heavy on the sexual content, while the consequences of these actions are put to the test in the second half. It isn't that the film lacks any entertainment value, but the surprises are few and far in between.The luxurious settings of the film are a highlight and the camera work is also a plus. On the flip side, the characters are a problem. Over time the antagonists and the protagonists eventually become clear, yet it is difficult to root for any of the characters.Do-yeon Jeon's performance is noteworthy. She brings both a mature and a childlike nature to her character. Seo-Hyeon Ahn is adorable as Nami and the rest of the supporting cast deliver acceptable performances.The Housemaid does deliver a surprise for the finale, which is quite good. Unfortunately, it is a long road to get there. This film isn't a waste of a viewing, but it is not something to alter a schedule for.
Walter M

In "The Housemaid," Mrs. Cho(Yeo-Jong Yun) is very thorough in the hiring of maids and has only chosen Eun-yi(Do-yeon Jeon) after thoroughly consulting her resume and references, plus entering her apartment unannounced. That's because she works for a very wealthy… More
In "The Housemaid," Mrs. Cho(Yeo-Jong Yun) is very thorough in the hiring of maids and has only chosen Eun-yi(Do-yeon Jeon) after thoroughly consulting her resume and references, plus entering her apartment unannounced. That's because she works for a very wealthy couple who have one daughter, Nami(Seo-Hyeon Ahn), while Haera(Seo Woo) is very, very pregnant with twins. Thanks to her kind nature, Eun-yi fits in the household very nicely while it is Hoon(Jung-Jae Lee), the master of the household, who takes the most interest in her, especially on a trip to the mountains. "The Housemaid" is an unsettling movie that could have definitely used a better ending. As it is, it is exquisitely filmed with an excellent use of widescreen photography, especially with one shot that involves Hoon observing both Haera and Eun-yi at the same time. That fits in nicely with the movie's themes of voyeurism, but not always in a sexual sense. Everybody is watching everybody else in the household which is not meant to be a criticism of the rich, by the way. Look at the prolonged opening scene when nobody notices the woman jumping to her death which could have saved her life. As it is, Mrs. Cho's complaint is about the family, not the wealthy, and Eun-yi says there is no difference in having sex with a rich man, except the compensation. The trouble with this family stems from Haera's mother(Ji-young Park) who is a true piece of work, but evil as she is, I understand what her motivation is and where she is coming from. Now, if only the same could be said for the mystifying epilogue, unless in a very roundabout way, it is meant to be a commentary about a very specific family.
Fascade F

A rather moving story of a young woman Eun-yi (Jeon Do-Yeon) who is hired to be a maid for an extremely wealthy family. As fate would apparently have it, the wife Hae-Ra (Woo Seo) is expecting twins for her husband Hoon (Lee Jung-Jae). Unknown to the expecting wife is the… More
A rather moving story of a young woman Eun-yi (Jeon Do-Yeon) who is hired to be a maid for an extremely wealthy family. As fate would apparently have it, the wife Hae-Ra (Woo Seo) is expecting twins for her husband Hoon (Lee Jung-Jae). Unknown to the expecting wife is the husband's philandering ways. Soon enough it comes home to her in a rude an unexpected way. How the wife handles the situation and whom the accomplice is in the husband's nasty habit is of no surprise...but the way the victim acquires revengeis most shocking. Make an attempt to see this. It is stimulating for the senses.
Christopher B

Beautifully shot thriller which examines the class system and patriarchal South Korean society. The director handles everything superbly up until the last couple scenes, but that being said, this is easily recommended. Watch along with South Korea's Bedevilled for 2 different… More
Beautifully shot thriller which examines the class system and patriarchal South Korean society. The director handles everything superbly up until the last couple scenes, but that being said, this is easily recommended. Watch along with South Korea's Bedevilled for 2 different revenge movies (with roughly the same motives) and examinations on the male dominated society.
John M

"The Housemaid" is a stylish movie from Korean and interesting in most parts, specially the social criticism, but the movie is lacking of power at telling the story and for instants it seems you are watching a Mexican soap opera..