The Housemaid ending explained, The Housemaids secret summary And Review
by Rubaditsha
Updated Mar 06, 2023
The Housemaid movie overview
The Housemaid is a South Korean film that tells the story of a wealthy man named Hoon and the young woman he hires as a nanny, Eun-yi. The majority of the film takes place within Hoon's modern and lavish home, where he, his wife Hae-ra, their daughter, and the older housekeeper Mrs. Cho all reside. Within this closed system, Hoon exercises his power and expects all of his wishes to be met without question.
When Eun-yi is introduced into the household, an imbalance is created, and it becomes clear that something disturbing will happen. Eun-yi is efficient, submissive, and very attractive, which catches the attention of Hoon. Despite knowing that seducing Eun-yi is wrong, Hoon ultimately attempts to coerce her into a sexual relationship. Mrs. Cho and Hae-ra's mother are aware of what is happening, and eventually, Eun-yi becomes pregnant.
The film explores themes of power dynamics, money, and the subjugation of women. It is told with cool, elegant cinematography and sinuous visual movements, with a dominant mood that is gothic and persistent sadomasochistic undertones. The central questions of the film revolve around who has the most to lose, who has the most to gain, and whose private agenda is not clearly perceived in the household. These questions are not fully answered until the final grotesque series of shots, where one character's reaction provides closure.
The Housemaid ending explained
The film is a satirical commentary on the way the wealthy treat their domestic staff. Eun-yi, a housemaid, is fully aware of her place in society and understands that she is powerless to fight against the wealthy family she works for. As a result, the family mistreats her, knowing that she is unable to retaliate.
When Eun-yi hangs herself, it is a final act of defiance against the family. However, this is not enough for her, and she sets herself on fire in order to inflict maximum emotional pain on the family. Even Nami, who did nothing wrong, is a target for Eun-yi's rage. By hurting Nami, Eun-yi is able to hurt Hoon and Hae-ra as well.
The final scene of the film suggests that Eun-yi's plan was successful. The family looks disturbed and insane, with the exception of Nami, who may also be affected by the trauma. This indicates that Eun-yi's actions have had a lasting impact on the family, leaving them scarred for life.
The Housemaid review
This is a review of the film "The Housemaid" by writer-director Im Sang-soo. The film is set almost entirely within the modern house of a wealthy man and focuses on the young woman he hires as a nanny. The review discusses the power dynamics within the household and how the husband exercises his will with the enabling of the subservient women in his life.
The review highlights the inevitability of something disturbing happening, given the husband's expectations and the introduction of the nanny Eun-yi. The husband expects all his wishes to be met without question, and Eun-yi's arrival creates an imbalance in the household. The wife, Hae-ra, is content to live in expensive idleness, and her focus is on her pregnancy with twins. The older servant, Mrs. Cho, is efficient but hates the family. The wife's mother is pleased her daughter married well and wants her to continue to be well-married.
The review describes Eun-yi as efficient, submissive, and very attractive, with little known about her except that she needs the job. The husband attempts to seduce the maid, and the situation is a seduction and coercion, even though Eun-yi agrees and seems to appreciate it. Mrs. Cho sees what is happening, and eventually, the housemaid's pregnancy becomes obvious.
The review notes that the film is told with cool, elegant cinematography and sinuous visual movements. The dominant mood is gothic, with persistent sadomasochistic undertones, which the reviewer notes are common in Korean cinema. The central questions in the film are who has the most to lose and gain, whose private agenda is not clearly perceived, and will everyone put up with everything as the husband expects. The review highlights that the film withholds answers to these questions until the final grotesque series of shots, where all the answers are revealed in one character's reaction in particular.
Overall, the review provides a good summary of the film's plot and themes, as well as the director's visual style. It offers insight into the power dynamics and relationships within the household and the inevitable disturbing events that unfold. The review could benefit from further analysis of the characters' motivations and emotions and the film's commentary on class and gender dynamics.
The Housemaids secret summary
Eun-yi is a young woman sharing a small apartment with her roommate in the city when an older woman named Miss Cho approaches her with a job offer to work as a housemaid for a wealthy family. Eun-yi accepts the job and her main responsibility is to take care of the couple's daughter, Nami, and help the pregnant wife, Hae-ra.
Hoon, the husband, is immediately attracted to Eun-yi and they start a sexual relationship. Hae-ra is unaware of the affair and does not object to it. However, Miss Cho discovers the affair and alerts Hae-ra's mother, Mi-hee. They suspect that Eun-yi is pregnant with Hoon's child.
Mi-hee visits her daughter and plans an accident, causing Eun-yi to fall off a ladder. Eun-yi goes to the hospital and discovers she is pregnant with twins. Hae-ra's mother advises her daughter to ignore the affair, but Hae-ra offers Eun-yi money to abort the child and leave, which she refuses.
Hae-ra poisons Eun-yi's herbal medicine, and after she gives birth to the twins, Hae-ra informs Hoon about the affair. Eun-yi succumbs to the poison and Hae-ra arranges an abortion against her will.
Miss Cho confesses to Eun-yi that she told Mi-hee about the pregnancy, and Eun-yi forgives her. Eun-yi then sneaks into the house, takes one of the twins, and starts breastfeeding him, terrifying Hoon. Hae-ra orders Miss Cho to escort Eun-yi out of the house, but she refuses and quits her job.
Eun-yi confronts the entire family, hangs herself from a chandelier, and sets herself on fire. The final scene shows the family celebrating Nami's birthday outside, speaking in English. Hae-ra sings "Happy Birthday" while Hoon hands Nami a glass of champagne.
The Housemaid ending explained: FAQs
The Housemaid is a South Korean film that explores themes of power dynamics, money, and the subjugation of women. It tells the story of a wealthy man named Hoon and the young woman he hires as a nanny, Eun-yi. The majority of the film takes place within Hoon's modern and lavish home, where he, his wife Hae-ra, their daughter, and the older housekeeper Mrs. Cho all reside. Within this closed system, Hoon exercises his power and expects all of his wishes to be met without question.
In the film's final scene, Eun-yi sets herself on fire after hanging herself, inflicting maximum emotional pain on the family who had mistreated her. The family is left disturbed and insane, with the exception of Nami, who may also be affected by the trauma. This indicates that Eun-yi's actions have had a lasting impact on the family, leaving them scarred for life.
The Housemaid follows the story of a young woman named Eun-yi who accepts a job as a housemaid for a wealthy family. Eun-yi is responsible for taking care of the couple's daughter, Nami, and helping the pregnant wife, Hae-ra. The husband, Hoon, is immediately attracted to Eun-yi, and they start a sexual relationship. Despite knowing that seducing Eun-yi is wrong, Hoon ultimately attempts to coerce her into a sexual relationship. Mrs. Cho and Hae-ra's mother are aware of what is happening, and eventually, Eun-yi becomes pregnant. The film explores themes of power dynamics, money, and the subjugation of women.
The review of The Housemaid describes the power dynamics within the household and how the husband exercises his will with the enabling of the subservient women in his life. The review notes the inevitability of something disturbing happening given the husband's expectations and the introduction of the nanny Eun-yi. The central questions in the film are who has the most to lose and gain, whose private agenda is not clearly perceived, and will everyone put up with everything as the husband expects. The review highlights the cool, elegant cinematography and sinuous visual movements, with a dominant mood that is gothic and persistent sadomasochistic undertones.