The tension reaches boiling point in the newly released trailer for psychological thriller The Housemaid, featuring Sydney Sweeney on the receiving end of co-star Amanda Seyfried's explosive anger.
Trailer Reveals Intense Confrontations
In the dramatic preview that dropped on Wednesday, Seyfried transforms into Nina Winchester, a wealthy married mother whose rage erupts over missing PTA notes. 'Where are they?! Millie threw away my PTA notes!' the 39-year-old Mean Girls alum screams, her face contorted with fury.
Sweeney's character Millie Calloway, a live-in housemaid, finds herself dodging flying objects while attempting to defuse the situation. 'Why don't you check your office?' the 27-year-old American Eagle brand ambassador responds, showcasing the growing tension between employer and employee.
The dynamic becomes increasingly unsettling as Nina's husband Andrew, played by Brandon Sklenar, comforts his wife while she delivers a chillingly calm rebuke to Millie: 'You need to be more careful next time. You've ruined my entire day.'
Sinister Undertones and Mysterious Characters
Earlier in the trailer, Michele Morrone's groundskeeper Enzo strikes an intimidating pose while questioning Millie's presence. Her simple reply - 'I work here' - does little to ease the growing sense of unease.
The camera then cuts to Nina glaring suspiciously at the pair through an upstairs window, her expression growing increasingly erratic. This moment perfectly captures the film's promise to 'plunge audiences into a twisted world where perfection is an illusion, and nothing is as it seems.'
Based on Freida McFadden's 2022 novel, the 336-page bestseller features a jaw-dropping twist that sees Millie developing lustful feelings for Nina's 'broken, handsome' husband while caring for their daughter. Adding to the ominous atmosphere, Millie lives in an attic that only locks from the outside.
Violent Past and Box Office Pressure
The trailer offers brief but disturbing glimpses of a bloody knife and hints at Millie's violent history, which includes at least one prison stint. Sweeney's character proves she shouldn't be underestimated, ending the preview with the memorable line: 'I need a f***ing sandwich.'
Both Sweeney and Seyfried serve as executive producers for Paul Feig's big-screen adaptation, which arrives in US theatres on December 19. The cast also includes Elizabeth Perkins, Indiana Elle, Mark Grossman, Hannah Cruz, Megan Ferguson and Ellen Tamaki.
The film's release comes at a crucial time for Sweeney, who desperately needs a box office success after her last three films underperformed dramatically. Her most recent project, David Michôd's $15 million-budget biopic Christy, made history for all the wrong reasons - achieving one of the top 12 worst openings for a new release that opened on 2,000 screens, with a total gross of just $2 million.
Despite the disappointing box office performance, Christy currently holds a 66 percent critic approval rating from 155 reviews and boasts an impressive 97 percent audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
August proved particularly challenging for the actress, with two of her films flopping simultaneously. Her $9 million-budget thriller Americana earned only $500,000, while Ron Howard's $55 million-budget Eden managed just $2.5 million.
Earlier this year, Sweeney appeared in Michael Pearce's thriller Echo Valley for Apple TV+, which was poorly received, though its theatrical box office gross remains undisclosed. Last year's universally-panned superhero flick Madame Web, where she played Julia Cornwall, barely broke even despite earning $100.5 million globally.
As The Housemaid prepares for its December release, all eyes will be on whether this psychological thriller can reverse Sweeney's box office fortunes and deliver the hit she urgently needs.
