The Housemaid

IFC Films | Release Date: January 21, 2011

6.4	USER SCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 25 Ratings

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khan2705May 1, 2012

Grade: C - Not a very bad movie but i didn't liked it much. Beautiful set pieces, visually stunning, pretentious acting, too much holding back apart from a few good scenes. Overall the ending was quite strong which i liked .... eroticGrade: C - Not a very bad movie but i didn't liked it much. Beautiful set pieces, visually stunning, pretentious acting, too much holding back apart from a few good scenes. Overall the ending was quite strong which i liked .... erotic thriller that acts like a indie arthouse flick but fails in both ways.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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TitoRapPinasAug 4, 2011

if you find the ending histrionic or excessively and annoyingly melodramatic, it means you have been thinking in a hollywood formulaic manner. it's wonderful to appreciate as a whole, a show-don't-tell movie, has a wonderful soundtrack, andif you find the ending histrionic or excessively and annoyingly melodramatic, it means you have been thinking in a hollywood formulaic manner. it's wonderful to appreciate as a whole, a show-don't-tell movie, has a wonderful soundtrack, and it's sexy. but at the back of my head, i ask, is this an anti-abortion, anti-classist propaganda? maybe not.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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RobinsNestFeb 17, 2012

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. PLEASE DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU INTEND TO SEE THE FILM; I HAVE REFERENCED THE ENDING. The Housemaid is a sexy, gripping, can't wait to see what happens film. No gratuitous sex or nudity just a story that may seem common but with a shocking ending and a quirky lead character. As usual with foreign films my not knowing the culture precludes me understanding the sense of how the action and relationships make the characters do or not do something. When they speak, at times there is no translation. Am I missing some banter? Perhaps it is part of a previous or upcoming translation, yet somehow I feel I am missing the nuance. If not for this flaw, I would rate this film a straight A (instead of an A-). Excellent acting, perfectly staged and shot. A minor issue is the relationship of the lead and friend (?) in the opening sequence and again later in the film. A metaphor on the opening suicide? Relation to the end? Strong believable, if a little melodramatic, but stirring. Well worth seeing.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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lasttimeisawAug 14, 2012

A remake of a classic masterpiece is always been a thankless task, but since half a century has passed since 1960, when Ki-young Kim

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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jeffsaremiMar 30, 2014

This review contains no spoilers.

Whatever your first impression of the title of this movie is wrong. This is a tragic drama of course revolving around a housemaid. It is again another fine piece of work from the Korean cinema. The themeThis review contains no spoilers.

Whatever your first impression of the title of this movie is wrong. This is a tragic drama of course revolving around a housemaid. It is again another fine piece of work from the Korean cinema. The theme is around one of the classic human-relationship problems.

The movies has excellent performances all around and benefits from actors such as Lee Jung-Jae (New World) and Jeon Do-yeon (Secret Sunshine). Character building is quite adequate with Hae-ra's mom shaping up very quickly. Eun-yi's (Jeon Do-yeon) character get more expressive progressively. I must say the most interesting and most complex character is that of the buttress and Yeo-jeong Yoon does a fine job of acting them at each turn.

The score of the movie is an original pieces of classical-style and deserves appreciation as such. This is one of the many things that Koreans have mastered so well.

You'll love the cinematography as well however I found that some of the shots (tracking, hi-angled) were unnecessary. The score, the acting and the plot carry the movie forward so powerfully that nothing else seems to be needed. The settings and the snowy grounds definitely helped.

To me the movie or the story seemed to have another hidden conclusion. And that is the message of inevitability in life. At times and under circumstances a few steps can seal your fate forever. You can fight to change this slightly but you can change the direction of where the life is taking you.

Overall if you like dramas I strongly recommend this well-executed movie.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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Meth-dudeAug 30, 2019

With great acting performances, beautiful cinematography, a good soundtrack and interesting characters, "The Housemaid" is a remake done right. Despite it's admittedly over the top ending, it's still worth watching.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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JLuis_001Aug 4, 2021

To be an erotic thriller, the truth is that it came to feel too passive at times, yet the characters are defined and the film is elegant and suspenseful enough to keep you wondering about when things are going to explode.

The Housemaid isTo be an erotic thriller, the truth is that it came to feel too passive at times, yet the characters are defined and the film is elegant and suspenseful enough to keep you wondering about when things are going to explode.

The Housemaid is unquestionably ordinary, but it fulfills its purpose of entertaining and at the same time of making you think a little about the situations of submission, power and privilege the story presents.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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