Amanda Seyfried’s shaking it up again in Hollywood with two films in simultaneous release.

Seyfried, an Allentown native, William Allen High School graduate, Class of 2003, who was in Civic Theatre of Allentown shows, received a 2026 Golden Globe nomination and a 2026 Critics Choice Award for best actress for her title role in the film, “The Testament of Ann Lee,” about the founder of the 18th century Shakers religious sect.

Seyfried received a 2026 Golden Globe nomination, female actor, portraying a Philadelphia police officer in TV’s “Long Bright River.”

Seyfried stars in “The Housemaid,” a psychological thriller that, as of the publication for this movie review, is No. 4 at the box office.

“The Housemaid” is sheer entertainment. Think “Fatal Attraction,” the 1987 romantic thriller that pitted Glenn Close against Michael Douglas.

“The Housemaid” has a twisty and twisted plot right out of an Alfred Hitchcock film (“Suspicion,” 1941; “Shadow of a Doubt,” 1943).

Without giving too much away, let’s just say that not all is as it seems in “The Housemaid,” nor are its characters.

In “The Housemaid,” Seyfried plays Nina Winchester, a wealthy Great Neck, Long Island, N.Y., housewife who hires Millie Calloway (Sydney Sweeney) as a housemaid.

Millie is down on her luck and needs the job. She becomes the live-in maid.

Friction develops between Nina and Millie. Talk about “Mean Girls.” These are “Mean Ladies.”

Sparks fly between Nina and her husband Andrew Winchester (Brandon Sklenar).

Looking on with various degrees of disdain are Enzo (Michele Morrone), groundskeeper at the Winchesters’ house; Evelyn Winchester (Elizabeth Perkins), Andrew’s mother, and Cecelia Winchester (Indiana Elle), Nina and Andrew’s daughter.

“The Housemaid” is so over the top as to be at times laugh-out-loud funny.

These are people you might not want to invite over for a dinner party, nor attend their dinner party. RSVP “No thank-you.”

Paul Feig directs from a screenplay by Rebecca Sonnenshine (two Primetime Emmy Awards nominations, “The Boys,” 2021; also, writer, TV’s “The Vampire Diaries,” 2011-2016) based on the 2022 novel by Freida McFadden.

Feig (five Primetime Emmy Awards nominations, including “The Office,” 2009, 2008; “Freaks and Geeks,” 2001, 2000; director, “Ghostbusters” remake, 2016; “Bridesmaids,” 2011) knows pulp fiction when he sees it and squeezes the pulp out of the fiction in this one. He is having a rollicking good time and so does the movie-goer.

Seyfried is terrific as Nina, the seemingly house-wrecker housewife who may not be.

Seyfried is noted for her risk-taking roles. She received an Oscar nomination, supporting actress, portraying movie actress Marion Davies, in “Mank” (2020).

Seyfried is a Primetime Emmy Awards winner and Golden Globe winner for portraying Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes in “The Dropout” (2022).

Seyfried was in the films “Mamma Mia!” (2008) and its sequel, “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again” (2018); “Les Misérables” (2012); “Dear John” (2010), and “Mean Girls” (2004).

Sweeney is great as Millie, the seemingly house-wrecker housemaid who may not be.

Sweeney is de-glammed for the role. She’s no wall flower, though. She rises to the occasion.

Sweeney (two Primetime Emmy Awards nominations: supporting actress, “The White Lotus,” 2022; “Euphoria,” 2022, and who was also in TV’s “The Handmaid’s Tale,” 2018, and the movies, “Christy,” 2025, and “Anyone But You,” 2023), mines a range of emotions in “The Housemaid.”

Sklenar (TV’s “1923,” 2022-2025) is smooth as the seemingly ideal husband who may not be. He’s terrific. This is a breakout movie role for Sklenar.

For a fun time at the movies, invite “The Housemaid” over. Then again, maybe it’s best to keep your distance and see “The Housemaid” on the big screen.

If you enjoy the film, you can look forward to a sequel, already in pre-production, “The Housemaid’s Secret,” based on Frieda McFadden’s book sequel.

Paul Feig is set to direct. Sydney Sweeney is set to return. Will Amanda Seyfried be in the sequel? She said would, if asked. We shall see.

“The Housemaid,” MPA rated R (Restricted: Persons under 17 require an accompanying parent or adult guardian) for strong-bloody violent content, sexual assault, sexual content, nudity and language; Genre: Drama, Thriller; Run time: 2 hours, 11 minute. Distributed by Lionsgate.

Credit Readers Anonymous: “The Housemaid” was filmed January through March 2025 in Morristown, N.J.

At The Movies: “The Housemaid” was seen in the standard digital format at AMC Center Valley 16.

Theatrical Movies Domestic Weekend Box Office, Jan. 23-25: “Mercy,” starring Chris Pratt and Rebecca Ferguson in the Science-Fiction Thriller, opened at No. 1 with $10.8 million in 3,468 theaters on a snow-impacted weekend, ending the five-week No. 1 run of “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” which dropped to No. 2 after only receiving two Oscar nominations in technical categories with $6.4 million in 3,150 theaters, $377.9 million, six weeks.

3. “Zootopia 2,” with an Oscar nomination for animated feature film, stayed in place, $5.3 million in 2,930 theaters, $401 million, nine weeks. 4. “The Housemaid” stayed in place, $3.9 million in 3,007 theaters, $115.1 million, six weeks. 5. “Marty Supreme,” with nine Oscar nominations, stayed in place, $3.5 million in 2,021 theaters, $86.2 million, six weeks. 6. “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple” dropped four places, $3.4 million in 3,506 theaters, $20.5 million, two weeks. 7. “Return to Silent Hill,” third installment of the supernatural thriller based on a video game, $3.2 million in 2,000 theaters, opening. 8. “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” dropped one place, $2 million in 843 theaters, $5.9 million, two weeks. 9. “Hamnet,” with eight Academy Award nominations, got an Oscar bump, moving up seven places, $1.8 million in 1,996 theaters, $17.4 million, nine weeks. 10. “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King,” in re-release, moved up two places, $1.6 million in 421 theaters, $3.9 million, two weeks.

Movie box office information from Box Office Mojo as of Jan. 25 is subject to change.

Unreel, Jan. 30:

“Send Help,” MPA rated R; 1 hour, 53 minutes. Sam Raimi directs Rachel McAdams, Dylan O’Brien, Bruce Campbell and Dennis Haysbert in the Psychological Horror film. A boss and his employee are stranded on an island after a plane crash.

“Shelter,” MPA rated R; 1 hour, 47 minutes. Ric Roman Waugh directs Jason Statham, Harriet Walter and Bill Nighy in the Action Thriller. A man rescues a girl from the ocean and must confront his past.

Movie opening date information from Internet Movie Database as of Jan. 25 is subject to change.

Three Popcorn Boxes out of Five Popcorn Boxes