Sydney Sweeney’s $400M R-Rated Thriller Continues Its Success as a Streaming #1 (& Dethrones a Horror Hit)

For a while it seemed that Sydney Sweeney could do no wrong, but 2025 saw her struggling to find a hit with three movies in a row barely making a mark on the box office. Then she teamed up with director Paul Feig and Amanda Seyfried for a dark and twisted thriller released right at the end of the year which became a surprising December hit and saved Sweeney’s year. With a $35 million budget, the movie had a formidable task of opening in the shadow of James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water. Debuting against the sci-fi juggernaut suggested that an erotic thriller could struggle to make a mark with holiday audiences. Instead, The Housemaid became a sleeper hit that continued to draw audiences into its dark web of lies and seduction on its way to a $400 million box office haul. Now, it has knocked Backrooms off the top of the global HBO Max streaming chart.

Sydney Sweeney has made herself a name in Hollywood as someone who is not afraid to defy online outrage and prudish critics and reveal more than many modern actresses are willing to in her work. Her recent “sports” betting ads put her in the headlines for appearing wearing not very much in a campaign for Novig, red carpet appearances in sheer dresses grabbed tabloid headlines, and her appearances in the hit series Euphoria ensured that the actress has been a continuous social media talking point. However, this often overshadows her actual ability to act, which she has proven in movies like Immaculate, and while The Housemaid was “saved” by Seyfried for many, her performance proved to be one of her most successful.

The Housemaid Was a Hit No One Expected

The Housemaid is based on a 2022 novel by Freida McFadden. In the story, Millie (Sweeney) is a young woman who is required to find employment as a condition of her recent parole, and she finds herself working as a housemaid for a wealthy family. But despite her own troubled past, her new employers (Seyfried and Brandon Sklenar) have plenty of dark secrets of their own. It does not take long for it to become clear that the family dynamics are not as they appeared at all, leading to a thrilling final act where it is impossible to predict exactly who will come out on top. Feig’s usual comedic sensibilities take a back seat in The Housemaid, and he pulls every trick in the book to make the movie an unsettling and worthwhile thriller that deserved the success it found in theaters.

As well as finding financial success, The Housemaid landed some impressive reviews from audiences. While critics felt the movie floundered in old thriller cliches, the 92% audience approval rating made it clear that Feig, Sweeney and Seyfried had produced something that struck a chord with those venturing out into theaters. Perhaps it came from the nostalgic haze of lurid thrillers of the ’90s, but sometimes a well-worn idea is what sells a movie to those looking for something a little familiar. Despite some complaining that Sweeney was “dull” and “unable to deliver a line without being laughable,” her on-screen dynamic with Seyfried didn’t let the movie down. The huge success of the film meant it was not long before Lionsgate announced a sequel had been green-lit, based on McFadden’s sequel novel and bringing back Feig and Sweeney along with Kirsten Dunst. The Housemaid’s Secret is currently looking for a repeat cinema run, releasing on December 17, 2027, where it will once again battle for attention against a huge event movie, this time taking on Avengers: Secret Wars.

Is The Housemaid one of Sydney Sweeney’s best movies, or did one of her several flops from 2025 deserve more than it received? Let us know in the comments.