The thriller “The Housemaid – If She Knew” doesn’t redefine the boundaries of the genre, but it is a real nail-biter with several twists and an unexpected ending. Also new in the cinema: the social satire “Extrawurst” with Hape Kerkeling.
It remains to be seen who is really the weak one here: “The Housemaid – If She Knew” is a nasty little thriller with Sydney Sweeney and Brandon SklenarConstantin
BookTok is slowly growing up. The romance and fantasy novels, which were originally aimed at an adolescent audience and are spreading rapidly, especially via TikTok communities, are usually written in a simple style, but very quickly, and are enjoying steadily growing popularity primarily among so-called young adults.
But now many authors who (also) address an adult audience are copying the practices of BookTok writers – and are becoming increasingly successful with it. And one of the most successful for years has been the thriller author Freida McFadden.
The name is a pseudonym for the doctor Sara Cohen – who began writing books in 2013 alongside her medical career. And she was soon so successful that she now only practices medicine on the side. She has published a whopping 30 books in the last twelve years.
One of the most successful is her three-part “Housemaid” series – and volume 1 of it has now been filmed with a veritable star cast: Amanda Seyfried, Sydney Sweeney and Brandon Sklenar can be seen in the cat-and-mouse game, which was brilliantly implemented by director Paul Feig (including “Taffe Mädels”, Spy – Susan Cooper Undercover” and “Just a Little Favor”).
The small, fine thriller doesn’t want to reinvent the genre and prefers to concentrate on remixing well-known motifs and setting them in a threatening atmosphere. And he does it admirably. If you’re looking for a thrill, “The Housemaid – If She Knew” is definitely recommended. Have a good time this cinema week!
“The Housemaid – If She Knew”: Landlady Nina Winchester (Amanda Seyfried, right) soon seems as if she always has all her senses together
Constantin
“The Housemaid – If She Knew”
What it’s about Millie (Sydney Sweeney) lives a “precarious existence”, as they say: she lives and sleeps in her car, she is desperately looking for a job that is also part of her probation, because the young woman has just completed ten years in prison, and that for no small reason.
More out of desperation than real hope (or qualifications), she applies to work as a “housemaid” for the wealthy Winchester family, who reside in a posh suburban villa on Long Island. To her surprise, Millie gets a call back from Nina Winchester (Amanda Seyfried), the woman of the house: She has the job that pays well and also has a small guest room for her. You would like to think everything is perfect.
But Millie (Sydney Sweeney) also has a lot to hide
Constantin
But shortly after starting the job, Nina reveals another side: she behaves erratically, aggressively, throws things around, is aggressive towards Millie, accuses her of all sorts of wrongdoings. Her husband Andrew (Brendan Sklenar), on the other hand, seems like a rock, lovingly looking after his “crazy wife”, who was previously in a psychiatric hospital, a god’s husband, so to speak, and very good-looking to boot.
It doesn’t take long before Millie and Andrew begin an affair. But when she realizes that everything is far from what it seems, it is already too late…
Is it worth it? “The Housemaid” is what used to be called a typical mid-budget flick. A cleverly constructed, solidly executed genre film, a thriller that primarily offers entertainment, but still has enough content and psychological depth. The kind of film that is rarely made today, which is a shame. All the more pleasing that in this case it not only works on paper, but also as a finished product.
In previous reviews – “The Housemaid” started in the USA at the end of 2025 – Amanda Seyfried’s performance was particularly praised. But the highlight is Sydney Sweeney, and not just because of her charisma and the titillating half-naked scenes that this thriller with an erotic touch also has to offer: she plays believably, remarkably subtle, reserved and sympathetic for a long time. Until the plot turns her into a (feminist) avenging angel, which she also masters convincingly.
… and in the end everything gets out of hand, as it should in a thriller with several twists
Constantin
Of course, not everything that glitters is gold: The plot, whose details and twists should not be revealed here for spoiler reasons, offers little that is completely new; there are already enough erotic/revenge thrillers of this kind. And the transition from the second to the third act, when the central twist is revealed, is not entirely successful.
Despite these small weaknesses, “The Housemaid – If She Knew” is ultimately a successful film that, despite running for over two hours, doesn’t seem too long, is well made and acted and is consistently entertaining. Part 2 is already being planned.
“The Housemaid – If She Knew”, thriller. USA 2025, 131 minutes, in cinemas from January 15th
Tennis club boss Heribert (Hape Kerkeling) doesn’t immediately notice how explosive the barbecue question will become: “Extra sausage”
Constantin
“Extra sausage”
What it’s about A German tennis club is planning to purchase a new grill for the upcoming summer festival. Club boss Heribert (Hape Kerkeling) wants to wave the decision through when his most successful player Melanie (Anja Knauer) speaks up: She demands a second grill for her doubles partner Erol (Fahri Yardim), because Erol, as a devout Muslim, cannot eat anything from a grill that also uses pork.
What begins as well-intentioned consideration quickly develops into a heated fundamental debate about tolerance, tradition and supposedly “common sense”. The club members soon find themselves irreconcilable as fears and prejudices that initially remained hidden beneath the friendly surface emerge.
Is it worth it? The award-winning play of the same name by authors Dietmar Jacobs and Moritz Netenjakob became a hit in 2020. In their funny culture clash comedy they let the audience have a say, but the idea of their satire was definitely a serious one: “The basic idea was to show how a society can fall apart and to make it noticeable,” says Jacobs.
Marcus H. Rosenmüller, who was most recently responsible for the “Pumuckl” remakes, has now adapted the material for the cinema and with a well-known cast. The focus is on Hape Kerkeling, who is making his first film appearance in five years. Christoph Maria Herbst (“Stromberg”), Fahri Yardim, Milan Peschel, Anja Knauer and other well-known faces of German entertainment complete the ensemble.
Erol (Fahri Yardim) is a devout Muslim, which is why his sausage is not allowed to be on the grill with pork sausages…
Constantin
The result is a pointed social satire that shows how quickly everyday questions become ideological battlefields. Incidentally, the film was shot on the Bayer Leverkusen premises.
“Extrawurst”, comedy. Germany 2026, 100 minutes, in cinemas from January 15th
They also don’t agree on who should get an extra sausage: the couple Torsten (Christoph Maria Herbst) and Melanie Pfaff (Anja Knauer)
Constantin
Also new in the cinema:
“28 Years Later: The Bone Temple”
Almost three decades after the outbreak of the Rage virus, Britain is no longer what it once was: in the ruins of a long-collapsed civilization, survivors come across the so-called “Bone Temple”, a mysterious place where new forms of violence, faith and power have emerged. Spike (Alfie Williams) feels forced to join a violent cult after leaving his home island. While old infected people continue to roam the country, the greatest threat seems to come from the people themselves.
“Bone Temple” expands the universe of the “Later” series to a dark, mythological level and combines uncompromising horror with an apocalyptic parable about radicalization and collective trauma. The film is the second part of a planned trilogy that started in mid-2025 with “28 Years Later”, which in turn was the 3rd part of the original “Later trilogy” by Danny Boyle and Alex Garland. This time, Nia DaCosta directed the film, while Garland continued as a writer.
“28 Years Later: The Bone Temple”, horror, dystopian thriller. GB / USA 2026, 109 minutes, in cinemas from January 16th
Strange things happen in the Bone Temple: “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple”
Sony
“In the shade of the orange tree”
The Palestinian saga, which stretches from 1948 to the present, tells of three generations of a family fighting for their place in modern-day Israel. The mother describes how a series of events led to her son being shot at a protest in 1988. The focus is on an orange tree in her home in Jaffa, which becomes a silent witness to events over the decades.
The film by American-Palestinian director and author Cherien Dabis celebrated its world premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Since then, it has been shown at numerous festivals: at the San Francisco International Film Festival it won both the Best Feature Film and the Audience Award.
“In the shade of the orange tree”, drama. CYP / DE / QAT / GRE / KSA / JOR 2025, 145 minutes, in cinemas from January 16th
Palestinian family history over three generations: “In the shade of the orange tree”
filmladen
“Madame Kika”
The social worker Kika (Manon Clavel) finds herself in psychological and financial distress after a stroke of fate and urgently needs help herself. Without further ado, she decides to become a sex worker, which turns out to be more difficult than expected. Only with the help of an experienced dominatrix does Kika understand that her customers are interested in more than the satisfaction of physical needs.
The directorial debut of the Frenchwoman Alexe Poukine tells an unusual story of female self-empowerment: a surprisingly funny and versatile portrait of a woman in search of herself.
“Madame Kika”, drama. BEL / FRA 2025, 108 minutes, in cinemas from January 15th
Kika (Manon Clavel) pretends to be a sex worker, but it’s not that easy: “Madame Kika”
Einhorn Film
