Movie buffs out there do not confuse this film with THE HOUSEMAID 2010. Saw a BFI revue of this which was nominated for a Palm D'or.
So on Cinemama PAradiso selected it and didn't think there was another film of the same title and KOREAN and with a similar plot
made in 2016. Avoid this 2016 version like the plague. Looks like it was made by a teenager with a budget and some badly dubbed actors.
To begin with, the viewer is overwhelmed with ideas. Soothed by the impressive photography and evocative locations, the revelations and twists soon become less disorientating. Derek Nguyun is a very good director; whilst watching, I actually felt he was playing with my mind - which was his intention, I'm sure!
Linh (Kate Nhung), is a shy and humble new housemaid. Our sympathies rest with her as her good nature is taken for granted and she is treated less well than she should be. As her confidence grows, however, events become less easy to predict. It's an intriguing set-up, and Nhung is excellent.
As a horror film, this is rather less successful. The scares are tepid and it's down to the ambience of the opulent surroundings to provide something creepy - which it does, but I could have done with more actual thrills. By the end though, the twisting plot pays off and brings to an end a highly enjoyable film. My score is 8 out of 10.