Films like The Housemaid (2025)

Published: Feb 22, 2026

A selection of tense domestic thrillers where frightening secrets lurk behind the perfect façade of married life. The films in this collection explore distrust, marital betrayal, and gaslighting, and they carry a taut, dark atmosphere.

The Girl on the Train

1. The Girl on the Train

Crime Mystery Thriller
6.5

2016 · 1h 52min

United States, India

Director: Tate Taylor

Divorced woman Rachel Watson watches, day after day, the life of a seemingly perfect couple in a house near the railway tracks. But one day a woman from that perfect home disappears, and Rachel is drawn into a tangled web of investigation—because she’s the one who saw what most people never did.

Similarity

Most similar in: high tension, very dark tone, fast pacing

Biggest differences: slightly bleaker

Shared keywords

Mistrust, Betrayal, Gaslighting


The Gift

2. The Gift

Thriller Mystery Drama
7.0

2015 · 1h 48min

United States, Australia

Director: Joel Edgerton

After moving into a new house, the married couple Simon and Robyn run into Simon’s former classmate, Gordo. Things quickly turn tense when Gordo starts inserting himself into their lives with intrusive visits and unexpected gifts.

Similarity

Most similar in: high tension, very dark tone, fast pacing

Biggest differences: noticeably less violent, slightly bleaker

Shared keywords

Mistrust, Revenge, Family Dysfunction


Gone Girl

3. Gone Girl

Mystery Thriller Drama
8.1

2014 · 2h 29min

United States

Director: David Fincher

On their wedding anniversary, Nick Dunne comes home to find that his wife Amy has vanished without a trace, and the house shows signs of violence. The further the investigation goes, the more questions police have about Nick’s possible involvement in the mysterious disappearance—and whether this couple was ever truly so perfect.

Similarity

Most similar in: high tension, fast pacing, moderate violence

Biggest differences: noticeably bleaker, slightly more complex

Shared keywords

Mistrust, Moral Ambiguity


The Hand That Rocks the Cradle

4. The Hand That Rocks the Cradle

Drama Thriller
6.7

1992 · 1h 50min

United States

Director: Curtis Hanson

Happy couple Claire and Michael hire a young nanny, Peyton, so they can have more time for their own lives. But everything changes when it turns out the sweet girl isn’t quite who she claims to be.

Similarity

Most similar in: high tension, very dark tone, moderate complexity

Biggest differences: slightly bleaker

Shared keywords

Revenge, Gaslighting


The Beguiled

5. The Beguiled

Drama
6.3

2017 · 1h 33min

United States

Director: Sofia Coppola

Badly wounded and looking for shelter, a soldier ends up at a secluded girls’ boarding school, where several women live and teach under the watch of a strict headmistress. His presence in this isolated world upsets the routine and sparks rivalry among the women.

Similarity

Most similar in: high tension, very dark tone, moderate complexity

Biggest differences: noticeably slower pacing, noticeably more romantic, noticeably bleaker


Side Effects

6. Side Effects

Thriller Crime Drama
7.1

2013 · 1h 46min

United States

Director: Steven Soderbergh

A young woman struggles with severe depression and turns to a clinic, where she’s put on an experimental treatment. But her normal life starts falling apart even more when the prescribed medication brings unexpected side effects.

Similarity

Most similar in: high tension, very dark tone, fast pacing

Biggest differences: slightly more complex

Shared keywords

Mistrust, Betrayal, Revenge


Rebecca

7. Rebecca

Romance Drama Mystery Thriller
6.0

2020 · 2h 3min

United Kingdom

Director: Ben Wheatley

A young woman falls for a wealthy widower, quickly marries him, and moves into his family estate. But once there, she notices everything still evokes his first wife—from the objects to the very atmosphere—as if someone can’t let her go.

Similarity

Most similar in: high tension, very dark tone, moderate complexity

Biggest differences: much more romantic, noticeably slower pacing, noticeably less violent


Blink Twice

8. Blink Twice

Mystery Thriller
6.5

2024 · 1h 42min

United States

Director: Zoë Kravitz

After meeting at a charity event, a tech millionaire invites a waitress and her friend on a trip to his private island. Following a string of wild parties, strange events begin to unfold, leaving the girl questioning what’s actually real.

Similarity

Most similar in: high tension, fast pacing, moderate complexity

Biggest differences: slightly bleaker, slightly more action-heavy

Shared keywords

Violent, Revenge


Room

9. Room

Drama Thriller
8.1

2015 · 1h 58min

United States, Canada

Director: Lenny Abrahamson

A little boy and his mother have been held captive in a locked room since his birth. One day they finally dare to escape, and he gets his first chance to experience the world outside.

Similarity

Most similar in: high tension, very dark tone, moderate complexity

Biggest differences: slightly less violent


Nocturnal Animals

10. Nocturnal Animals

Drama Thriller
7.4

2016 · 1h 56min

United States, China

Director: Tom Ford

Susan has a successful life in Los Angeles: she has a husband and runs her own business. One day she receives an unexpected package from her ex—a novel written especially for her. Reading the manuscript awakens long-forgotten memories and makes her see the past in a new light.

Similarity

Most similar in: high tension, fast pacing, light action

Biggest differences: noticeably bleaker, slightly more complex, slightly darker tone


Lady Macbeth

11. Lady Macbeth

Drama
6.8

2016 · 1h 26min

United Kingdom

Director: William Oldroyd

England, 19th century. Young Katherine is married off by arrangement to a much older man. Later she meets a worker on her new husband’s estate, and a romance sparks between them.

Similarity

Most similar in: high tension, very dark tone, moderate complexity

Biggest differences: noticeably bleaker, slightly slower pacing, slightly more romantic

Shared keywords

Betrayal, Moral Ambiguity, Trapped, Infidelity


Elle

12. Elle

Drama Thriller
7.1

2016 · 2h 11min

Belgium, France

Director: Paul Verhoeven

Similarity

Most similar in: high tension, fast pacing, moderate violence

Biggest differences: slightly bleaker, slightly darker tone


God's Crooked Lines

13. God's Crooked Lines

Drama Mystery Thriller
7.1

2022 · 2h 35min

Spain

Director: Oriol Paulo

A private detective enters a psychiatric hospital posing as a patient to investigate the mysterious murder of one of the inmates. The deeper she digs into the case, the greater the danger to her becomes.

Similarity

Most similar in: high tension, very dark tone, fast pacing

Biggest differences: slightly more complex, noticeably less violent


Misery

14. Misery

Drama Thriller
7.8

1990 · 1h 47min

United States

Director: Rob Reiner

During a terrifying blizzard, a famous writer gets into a car accident. He’s rescued by a woman—a devoted fan of his work—who is ready to do anything so she never has to let him go.

Similarity

Most similar in: very dark tone, fast pacing, moderate complexity

Biggest differences: noticeably more violent, slightly bleaker, slightly more tense

Shared keywords

Violent, Trapped, Survival Game


Swimming Pool

15. Swimming Pool

Crime Thriller
6.7

2003 · 1h 42min

France, United Kingdom

Director: François Ozon

A British crime novelist travels to her publisher’s luxurious estate in the south of France to find solitude and work on her next book. But the unexpected arrival of his daughter disrupts her peace — and ultimately leads to a crime.

Similarity

Most similar in: high tension, very dark tone, moderate hopelessness

Biggest differences: noticeably slower pacing, slightly more complex, slightly less violent

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About the movie The Housemaid

Year: 2025

Genres: Mystery, Thriller

Plot: A young woman named Millie takes a job as a maid in a luxurious mansion. But over time she realizes that behind the flawless facade of the perfect family lie shocking and dangerous secrets that won’t let anyone go so easily.

Keywords: Violent, Mistrust, Betrayal, Moral Ambiguity, Suspenseful, Revenge, Trapped, Trauma, Risk vs. Control, Family Dysfunction