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Jeon Do-yeon, Lee Jung-Jae, Youn Yuh-jung, Woo Seo, Park Ji-young ... see more see more... , Ahn Seo-Hyun , Hwang Jung-Min , So-ri Moon , Jin-ah Kim

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 hous... read more read more...emaid 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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52% liked it

4,589 ratings

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75% liked it

63 critics

Unrated, 1 hr. 47 min.

Directed by: Sang-soo Im, Im Sang-soo

Release Date: January 21, 2011

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DVD Release Date: June 7, 2011

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Flixster Reviews (247)

  • fb1463751009
    March 21, 2012
    fb1463751009
    *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 identif... read moreied 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.
  • lewiskendell
    September 20, 2011
    lewiskendell
    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. 
  • deano
    August 11, 2011
    deano
    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 ... read moreof 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.
  • skactopus
    October 18, 2010
    skactopus
    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

    ... read moreput 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.
  • gator681
    February 6, 2011
    gator681
    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... read more 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.
  • Fascade518
    November 6, 2011
    Fascade518
    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 husban... read mored'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.
  • cacutshaw
    February 23, 2011
    cacutshaw
    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 rev... read moreenge movies (with roughly the same motives) and examinations on the male dominated society.
  • John2223
    February 14, 2011
    John2223
    "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..
  • Ghw12158
    May 1, 2012
    Ghw12158
    the box says "a sexy thriller" sexy yes in parts thriller not at all just a drama with a little revenge flick mixed in
  • wumeixian
    January 16, 2012
    wumeixian
    This movie is worse than my expectations. I heard the acting is great even if the story isn't, but their acting doesn't even impress me. The main actress is too flirty to look "innocent". She doesn't make the innocent look. Instead, she made the seductive and slutty look most of ... read morethe time. Of course, at times, you can see that she actually NEEDS to act being innocent. It just doesn't convince me. I guess she is trying to be both, and she does act being both, but it still doesn't match up in my mind. I know how an innocent Asian girls look, and I also have had maids, including innocent ones and flirty ones who got knocked up by one of our construction workers. Anyway, for all the slow pace beginning to the build-up, the ending is disappointingly short and simple. Dramatic indeed, however too simple. I'm not blaming it nor I have any idea of how to change it. But the representation could be a little longer maybe, and make the pace a little faster in the beginning. There aren't many surprises nor anything shocking in this movie. I don't know. This movie is just not for me.

View All The Housemaid Reviews

Critic Reviews

J. R. Jones
December 13, 2011
J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader

The situation continues to fester, the balance of power shifts back and forth among some wonderfully defined characters. Full Review

Tom Long
February 25, 2011
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 deliv... Full Review

Colin Covert
February 17, 2011
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune

"The Housemaid" scores on so many levels it's hard to know where to begin. Full Review

Carrie Rickey
February 17, 2011
Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer

While the film grows increasingly preposterous in its final act, the enigmatic performances of Youn and Jeon carry the day. Full Review

Ty Burr
February 17, 2011
Ty Burr, Boston Globe

The secret weapon of "The Housemaid'' - the reason it works at all - is Jeon in the title role. Full Review

Michael Phillips
February 3, 2011
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. Full Review

Roger Ebert
February 3, 2011
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

This story is told by writer-director Im Sang-soo with cool, elegant cinematography and sinuous visual movements. Full Review

Peter Rainer
January 29, 2011
Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor

It's a deliciously perverse melodrama. Full Review

Sheri Linden
January 27, 2011
Sheri Linden, Los Angeles Times

Even with the piece wobbling between dark psychology and campy soap, the cast is compelling as it navigates the uncertainty. Full Review

Stephen Whitty
January 22, 2011
Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger

An often sexy and well-acted thriller, with rich bad people doing terrible things to nice poor ones. Full Review

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The Housemaid Trivia

  • Ellen Corby, perhaps best known for her work on TV's The Waltons, had a featured role as a housemaid in ...  Answer »
  • Kristin Scott Thomas is the lady of the manor, and Maggie Smith is one of her guests at a shooting party in the country. Maggie has arrived with her new lady's maid, Mary, who is shown the ropes in the servant's world by the head housemaid, Elsie.   Answer »
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