The Housemaid – original title: Cô Haû Gaí – is a 2016 Vietnamese/South Korean romantic horror film written and directed by Derek Nguyen. It stars Kate Nhung, Jean-Michel Richaud and Kim Xuan.
Linh (Kate Nhung) is a docile and hardworking poor orphaned girl who travels to Sa Cat seeking a housemaid job. Sebastien Laurent (Jean-Michel Richaud) is a French captain and owner of the Sa Cat rubber plantation.
For years, the massive mansion is rumoured to have ghosts, particularly those of Camille Sebastien’s late wife and the mistreated plantation workers. Once Linh comes to Sa Cat, she begins to hear strange sounds, have frightening dreams, and witness bizarre occurrences.
After some time, Linh and Captain Laurent become close to each other and develop a romance. However, their love soon awakens the vengeful souls of Sa Cat plantation…
In the UK, Montage Pictures/Eureka Entertainment is releasing The Housemaid as a Blu-ray + DVD combo on 19 February 2018.
Buy: Amazon.com
Reviews:
” …think less Masterpiece Theater and more The Woman in Black with a splash of James Wan. There’s an excellent chance The Housemaid will surprise you with its smartly crafted story and exceptionally executed chills.” Ian Sedensky, Culture Crypt
“The Housemaid is a blend of genres. And, the use of so many genres here upsets the film’s tone. It is from period piece, to drama, to romance and into the horror realm. The film bounces all over the place. Only foreign film fans or fans of Asian cinema will enjoy this outing.” Michael Allen, 28 Days Later Analysis
“It’s absolutely beautiful to look at and is very similar visually to Park Chan Wook’s The Handmaiden which came out earlier this year. No-one’s saying that the film isn’t visually stunning. Sadly, it’s the plot that fails to come up to the mark.” Sandra Harris, Cinehouse
“A beautifully shot piece with lavish sets and locations – The Handmaid stumbles far too many times, mostly because it throws everything but the kitchen sink into the swirling mix. Unfocused, it’s a prime example of not knowing when to pull back and when to give all you have to the best you have…” Michael Klug, Horrorfreak News
” …The Housemaid can at times feel excessively derivative, but the addition of its backdrop of colonial unrest makes it a unique experience in Asian horror. If the idea of a romance between a rich European white man and his Asian servant seems initially problematic, worry not, as there’s more than meets the eye to a film that doesn’t hold back its political stance.” Eric Hillis, The Movie Waffler
