The Housemaid movie left out alarming plot points – here’s everything the book explains better

The Housemaid finally landed in cinemas last week and has had mixed reviews, arguably due to the casting of Sydney Sweeney as one of the leading roles.

The main cast is also made up of Amanada Seyfried and Brandon Sklenar, and follows the story of how a young woman becomes the live-in housekeeper of a wealthy family.

However, others noticed key differences between The Housemaid novel and the film which you may not have immediately noticed.

The reason Andrew locks Millie in the attic is different

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Adding to the list of big differences between The Housemaid novel and movie, Millie left some books lying on a table, resulting in Andrew locking her in the attic with rage. However the film disregards this action, instead having Millie break a plate that holds sentimental value to Andrew, with it being his mothers. Despite being an accident, Andrew locks her in the attic. But of course, instead of using the books to bruise her by piling them on top of her, she is instead made to cut her stomach using sharp shards of the broken plate.

The peanut butter scene is cut from the film entirely

In the book, Nina freaks out when Millie tries to feed Cece a peanut butter sandwich as she’s allergic to it. However, when Millie questioned Andrew on this, he denies it and claims it would be absurd to keep peanut butter in the house when Cece is allergic. This results in Millie believing Andrew and assuming Nina and Cece were making things up.

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Yet, later in Nina’s POV, she explains that Cece “was actually allergic to peanut butter” and keeping the same in their kitchen was part of Andrew’s control tactics.

A number of viewers claimed that omitting this detail cut out a lot of depth between characters and storyline.

The chandelier made of hair

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Tell me I’m not the only one who noticed this!?? #housemaid #sydneysweeney #amandaseyfriend

♬ original sound – The Housemaid

Eagled eyed viewers noticed a chandelier in the house which appeared to be made with human hair. Many argued not reading this in the book, as others explained Nina was forced to pull out 100 strands of hair in order to be released from her locked room. So viewers put the pieces together, gathering that the hair belonged to Kathy, Andrew’s ex-fiancé, as the lamp was there when they first got married. Another one of the subtle differences in The Housemaid which seemed small, but viewers picked up on.

Andrew’s death is more dramatic in the film

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Another one of the differences in The Housemaid film was Andrew’s death. In the book, Andrew is left locked in the attic for days without food or water, eventually discovered by the police, who determine he died of dehydration. The film, however, opts for a far more intense climax, and his death could be perceived more as an accident than a consequence of cruelty.

Nina returns to check on Millie and hears a noise coming from the TV room. She initially thinks it’s Andrew sneaking upstairs to free Millie, but instead, she finds Andrew himself, locked away. Before she can react, Andrew bursts through the door, throwing Nina down the stairs. She manages to recover and reach the landing, where Andrew pleads for forgiveness and tries to convince her they can reconcile. When Nina refuses, he lunges at her again. Millie, who had disappeared, suddenly returns and charges at Andrew, pushing him down the stairs, leading to his fatal fall.

Enzo has a less important role in the film

As always, the book gave a lot more detail about Enzo and his background. He deliberately speaks Italian to discourage women in the neighbourhood who are attracted to him from approaching and he later becomes someone Nina can rely on during a difficult period in her life. At that point, he confides that his sister was murdered in Italy by her husband and that he has never been able to forgive himself for not preventing it. This history gives him a clear motive for wanting to stop Andrew.

What begins as a friendship between Nina and Enzo gradually develops into romantic feelings, which is ultimately revealed to be the reason he turns down Millie’s advances. After Nina escapes and goes to Enzo’s home, they sleep together, and it is Enzo who urges Nina to check on Millie, who has been left alone in the house with Andrew.

In contrast, Enzo plays a much less significant role in the film. Although he attempts to help Nina escape after she confides in him, once she is returned to the psychiatric ward he steps back, choosing instead to remain nearby as a source of support rather than actively involving himself in her life. As a result, when it comes to checking on Millie, it is Nina’s daughter, Cecilia, who suggests that Nina return to the house.

Nina confides in Enzo about Andrew’s actions, not a friend

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Enzo does eventually play an important role, but this occurs later in the book, after Nina confides in a friend about the abuse she has suffered at Andrew’s hands. This friend, clearly acting against Nina’s best interests, contacts Andrew to relay what she has been told, resulting in Nina being sent back to the psychiatric clinic.

Following this, Nina withdraws and avoids sharing her experiences with anyone, until she eventually opens up to Enzo. In contrast, the film shows Nina going directly to Enzo, who accepts her account without questioning it. Together, they devise an escape plan, but it is ultimately discovered. This is where Millie enters the story, as Nina employs her in a final attempt to bring Andrew to justice.

Nina doesn’t gain wait to repulse her husband

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Nina Winchester is described as a US size 14, roughly equivalent to a UK size 18. Once slimmer, the book notes that photographs displayed around the house show her gradual weight gain over the years, which is later revealed to be a deliberate attempt to make herself less attractive to her husband, Andrew. She also allows her dark roots to grow out, further neglecting her appearance as part of this strategy.

Naturally, this aspect of Nina’s physical characterisation isn’t included in the film adaptation, although the detail of Nina’s dark roots growing out is retained.

Andrew’s punishments differ (again)

As the roles reverse, Millie makes Andrew endure a lot. In the book, she forces Andrew to pull out his own teeth, deprives him of water and leaves him in the attic for days. But in the film, Millie only asks him to pull out one tooth and he does eventually end up escaping from the room.

The detective’s identity is different, but still linked to Andrew

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Regardless of how Andrew meets his end, it’s suspicious that either Millie or Nina might have ended up in trouble. Yet, as with any truly terrible character like Andrew, neither woman was his first victim.

In the book, the detective investigating Andrew’s death is the father of Andrew’s fiancé, who had mysteriously disappeared. However, The Housemaid features differences in this storyline and takes a slightly different approach, keeping the connection in the family but giving it a twist.

The detective is a young woman whose sister was engaged to Andrew. Given that his victims are all women, there’s something especially satisfying about seeing him finally face justice at the hands of a group of strong, determined women.

Minor differences in Nina’s interaction with Andrew’s mother at the funeral

Adding to the many differences in The Housemaid movie, both the book and the film subtly hint that Andrew was unkind to his mother, or at least that she was aware of his mistreatment of women.

In the book, after all the guests have left, Andrew’s parents approach Nina. His father, distraught, offers his condolences before rushing out. Left alone, Andrew’s mother mentions hearing about his missing teeth. Nina panics briefly, but his mother dismisses it, saying teeth are a privilege and he should have taken better care of them. Before leaving, she thanks Nina for teaching him a lesson. Nina then takes Cecelia home, with Millie noticeably absent.

In the film, the interaction happens differently. It takes place while Nina and Andrew’s parents are still receiving condolences from other guests. When his mother comments on Andrew’s missing tooth and repeats that teeth are a privilege he should’ve cared for, the guests around them are confused but quickly move on. The film concludes with Nina walking over to Millie, who is standing with Cecelia at the funeral. They exchange farewells and part ways.

Featured image via YouTube