The Housemaid

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Andy F An excellent groundbreaking film. This is what filmmaking is all about. Disturbing yet charming and totally unique. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 09/22/24 Full Review JJJJJJ J Moderately entertaining film that says at least something about the society that birthed it. The basic plot of this film is somewhat weird in which you have a women using the fact that she is a mans mistress to control him, going against most western stereotypes in which the man is always the controller. It is definitely different and I do not know how much I agree with it. It also seems to paint the adult women in a bad light but seems to have less criticism for the male it is just weird. Definitely not modern feminist approved. I don't know. I don't think its a bad movie. It creates a compelling plot, that some might not like but makes us ask important questions. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 07/05/23 Full Review william d South Korean cinema was still nascent in 1960, and I'm sure the issues it dealt with were controversial back in the day. Even making allowances for those factors, however, I just don't think this movie was done very well. The story was kind of dumb, the soundtrack is overly dramatic, and it looks like they spent about five bucks making this thing. The film did remind me of a rule I learned a long time ago though: never screw the maid. At best she'll stop cleaning the house well. At worst she'll get murderous. Rated 1.5/5 Stars •  Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member A classic Korean drama+thriller of 1960s. The film captures audience attention through suspenseful events which makes the plot interesting. The final part of the film is more exciting and twisting. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 04/01/22 Full Review andy h A good chunk doesn't make any sense, but it's still a important piece of Korean cinema that has and will continue to influence filmmakers globally. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review William L "Join our sports club and you'll get free noodles." Me: "Sold." The Housemaid is a disturbing metamorphosis, as what starts out as a mild melodrama of domestic life in midcentury Korea becomes a disturbing portrait of obsession. The Kim housheold takes on the sense of a macabre prison, as ordinary life continues in their isolated den of insanity with mortal threats lurking around every corner (or more specifically, with every bite of food or sip of water); the atmosphere and deadly plot feels very Hitchcock. The balance of the small scale and claustrophobic environment with the suprising impact of the film's events is wonderful, and it originates from director-writer Kim Ki-young's exceptional character development. Lee Eun-shim feels genuinely unpredictable and dangerous, a powerful performance for an actress who, at present, lacks a Wikipedia page. Plenty of symbolism and the most Chekhov's Gun bottle of rat poison that you ever did see. The most recent Criterion restoration is not perfect, (some of the scenes are noticeably washed out compared to the sharpness of others), but The Housemaid is an excellent thriller that has arrived to a global audience all too late. I am curious about the fourth-wall-breaking, up-tempo final scene, certainly an unusual choice; that component in particular feels open to interpretation. (4/5) Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/28/21 Full Review Read all reviews

The Housemaid

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