The Housemaid Is Watching

I’ll admit, I went into *The Housemaid Is Watching* expecting another trope-heavy domestic thriller, but McFadden subverted my expectations within the first hour. The narration is the star here—Allman’s performance as the protagonist starts deceptively warm, almost bland, which makes her descent into paranoia all the more unsettling. There’s a scene midway through where her voice cracks on a single word, and I actually rewound to hear it again; that’s how precise the emotional work is. Smith, as the housemaid, is equally compelling, her accent and measured pacing making every observation feel like a veiled threat. Together, they turn what could’ve been a standard ‘unreliable narrator’ gimmick into something far more layered. That said, the pacing isn’t flawless. The first third drags slightly as it sets up the neighborhood’s dynamics, and there’s a subplot involving a missing child that feels undercooked compared to the main tension. But once the dominoes start falling, the payoff is worth it—especially in audio, where the lack of visual cues forces you to lean into the performances. The production is clean but clever, using silence and minimal sound design (a footstep here, a muffled voice there) to ratchet up the unease. My one real critique? The ending wraps up a touch too neatly for a story that otherwise revels in ambiguity. Still, this is a thriller that lingers, the kind that’ll have you double-checking your locks—and your housemaid’s references.