How Did Andrew Die in The Housemaid Book vs Movie? The Real Reason Author Freida McFadden Thought the Film Had a ‘Better’ Ending
The Housemaid twisted its shocking ending, even for its diehard fans. The film, starring Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried, is about how survival and revenge can often intersect.
Millie (Sweeney) is hired by Nina (Seyfried) and her husband Andrew (Brandon Sklenar) as a maid on their luxury home in Long Island, NY. Millie and Andrew end up in a torrid affair, and then the maid unravels the dark secret that her lover had abused his wife with punishments and locking her in the attic where she currently stays.
Related: The Most Popular Books on TikTok That Make You Forget You’re Even Reading
The book’s ending takes a different turn from what’s shown in the film. However, it did get author Freida McFadden’s seal of approval. She posted in September on her Instagram that she thought the ending “was better than the book.” “I just thought the end was so exciting, and it really made the whole thing go out with a bang,” she told People. “I can’t give out any details about it, but I just loved it.”
How does Andrew die in The Housemaid book?
Andrew dies of dehydration and starvation when he’s trapped in the attic after Millie leaves him with no food or water. When Nina arrives back at the house, she tries to rescue Millie since she believes her maid is still locked in the attic, but finds Andrew’s body instead.
She finds Millie and apologizes to her. Nina later tells her to flee and that she’ll handle the consequences. Fate winds up in the women’s hands when she tells Officer Connors that Andrew locked himself in the attic and ruled it as an accidental death. Connors reveals that his daughter had a relationship with Andrew, but it didn’t work out—hinting that he knew about Andrew’s abusive behavior.
How does Andrew die in The Housemaid film?
Millie still locks Andrew in the attic, but he’s still alive when Nina tries to save Millie. Nina accidentally lets Andrew loose and he pleads with his wife for forgiveness. In one last blow, Millie pushes him off the second floor and he falls to his death.
The investigation largely lines up with what’s been written in the book, but instead of Connors’ daughter being engaged to Andrew, it’s his sister.
Director Paul Feig revealed to People why he thought that the movie’s ending was necessary. “The book ends very satisfyingly for a book, but not satisfyingly enough for a movie,” he said. He added that there was still a “monster in the house,” and emphasized that Millie’s actions in the book wasn’t “harsh enough” for a “bloodthirsty” audience.
“The structure is already there,” Feig explained. “So what I wanted to play with is how much I could fool the audience for an hour, because what’s great about that story, that Freida McFadden wrote, is she makes you root for everything that you should not be rooting for, and then she makes you pay the price. That’s where the fun comes in, retribution.”
