The Housekeeper (2023) Review

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Film Summary

A young housekeeper is hired by a wealthy couple. Questions arise when news personnel are spotted outside the home, reporting on a previously missing individual who once worked for the couple. The housekeeper brings her deep-seated faith and maternal love to her role, but the couple forbids any religious expression within their home. The wife’s strictness with the maid likely stems from her husband’s past infidelity with a former maid. The couple operates a non-profit, “The Foundation,” that airs clips urging the public to demand government spending accountability. This non-profit, through its lobbying efforts, seeks change, for better or worse.

Character Descriptions

Kit Ash

A not-so-proud wife, married to Preston Ash, Kit becomes fixated on the role of the housekeeper in their home, a consequence of her husband’s betrayal.

Preston Ash

A man scarred by childhood wounds, Preston matures into a man-child, resentful of an absent father, and lured by the allure of wealth and influence.

Sandra

A young Latina housekeeper, Sandra’s unwavering faith isn’t easily swayed by the haughty Kit or the enigmatic Preston. She is perturbed by the strange sounds in the house but remains steadfast in her quest for answers

William

A lawyer serving the elite, William occasionally moonlights as a hitman

Sheila

An astute journalist, Sheila keeps a watchful eye on the Ash residence following the disappearance of a housekeeper

Mayor Clark

A quintessential politician, he mingles with the dubious elite, seen at the Ash’s estate frequented by the affluent and opportunistic.

Review

Our Rating: Mixed (Divisive) 

On-The-Fence

Affluenza Affliction

After a tense encounter with an enraged Kit Ash, Sandra, propelled by her curiosity, sneaks into the attic. She had discreetly procured the access code during a Foundation dinner. Preston urgently cautions Sandra to escape, highlighting Kit’s malicious intentions. The subsequent chase, with Kit wielding a lengthy blade, offers a stark insight into the pair’s intricate relationship dynamics.

Their issues appear to stem from a deep disconnection with what truly feeds the spirit, juxtaposed against their materialistic endeavors. Preston wrestles with the guilt of his infidelity and seeks his wife’s understanding. Meanwhile, Kit’s contempt for his disloyalty takes on a harmful form, intensifying Preston’s emotional distance from mundane matters.

This film can be interpreted as a reflection on the maltreatment some groups endure under the overpowering dominance of others. However, it regrettably fails to deliver a lasting lesson.

A Strange Collection

Preston’s study showcases peculiar pieces, including a taxidermied zebra head. A portrait of his father looms over the room. Sandra is taken aback by this collection and the home’s overall eerie ambiance. Her curiosity leads her to the attic, revealing a morbid discovery: the decaying remains of Preston’s son.

Preston’s oddities don’t stop at his study. The presence of the stuffed zebra head and the dominant portrait of his father hint at a man clinging to memories and perhaps symbols of power or dominance. The discovery of his son’s remains in the attic further deepens the enigma surrounding him. It suggests that Preston might be struggling with profound grief and is unable to let go of his past. Keeping his son’s body close might be his desperate attempt to preserve a connection, no matter how macabre, rather than confronting the pain of loss. This attachment to the tangible, even in death, portrays a tormented soul seeking solace in the physical when the emotional becomes unbearable.

Low Points

A Mangled Plot

Upon her arrival, Sandra faces immediate criticism from Kit Ash, who instructs her not to display her faith through jewelry. Concurrently, the haughty wife details the estate’s prized heirlooms, their history, and their care needs. Kit’s explanations of creaky floorboards do little to assuage Sandra’s unease, which deepens when she discovers a photograph pointing to a freshly planted tree over a mound of conspicuous dirt.

When she stumbles upon this, she encounters a stern-looking lawyer, shifting the atmosphere to one of palpable dread. This series of events instill a chilling sense that all is not as it seems. Even after discovering some details and coming face to face with the hair-raising lawyer, it still seems as if the housekeeper has a chance. 

The way this movie runs gives the audience hope for her escape and even release of the dirty deeds behind the Ash estate. Unfortunately, The movie does not allow for this, and by the end of the movie, we see another tree planted right next to the old one (housekeeper). 

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