Lisa Johnson Mandell’s The Housemaid Review and Wake Up Dead Man review says that these two holiday counter programers are delightfully entertaining in their own ways.

The Housemaid Review

If you’ve had your fill of happy/snappy holiday Hallmark-type movies and feel up for something a little steamier, a little soapier, it’s time to grab your bookclub members, do a little last minute holiday shopping, swill a few Happy Hour cocktails then slide on over to the cineplex to see this chick-lit adaptation on hormones. Your family will get enough of your time through the rest of the holidays. This is just for you.

Based on, and quite closely following (as I recall) the first installment of the popular psychological thriller series by bestselling author Freida McFadden, it tells the tale of an inexperienced housemaid with a dubious past (Sydney Sweeney), who applies for a live-in job with an uber wealthy family in their palatial estate.

At first the job (and the sexy husband played by 1923’s Branden Sklenar) seems too good to be true, but soon darkness and unhinged reactions rear their ugly, if well-coiffed, heads, and naughty action ensues.

Director Paul Feig (the juicy Simple Favor series, Ghostbusters, Bridesmaids), uses his well cultivated and catty comedy/suspense chops to wring out every giggle, gasp, squirm and sigh from his eager audiences. Sure, some of the scenes are obvious and over-the-top. That’s half the fun! We watch it for all the same reasons we watch episodes of Real Housewives franchises—except in The Housemaid, the production value and acting are infinitely superior.

And the casting is sublime. Sweeney was born to play the deceptively naive hotty who lounges about the mansion in flimsy boxers and a skin-tight hoodie that barely covers her overflowing push-up bra. And of course a super rich and dedicated husband is going to swan about the house in bulging wife beaters, flexing muscles and sappy sincerity at every opportunity.

And Seyfried is obviously having the time of her life as a gloriously unhinged housewife, after the challenge of playing a much more serious unhinged prophet in The Testament Ann Lee, opening on Christmas.

It’s fine, in fact it’s refreshing, to openly giggle at the obvious, and roll your eyes at the torrid plot twists. The Housemaid movie gives you an excuse to let off some pent up steam. Hottie holidays!

Rated R

2 Hours, 11 Minutes

Wake Up Dead Man review

The film is officially titled Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, which is a little awkward for SEO purposes,  but is helpfully descriptive, because you know all Knives Out films have three things going for them: First, that they’re gleefully directed by Rian Johnson; second, that they will star Daniel Craig as Southern fried gentleman detective Benoit Blanc, and third, that they will have a killer cast (literally).

This standalone sequel to Glass Onion is the third installment in the Knives Out film series, and you can’t really say that the third time’s the charm, because they’re all quite charming. But Wake Up Deadman differs from the others in that it doesn’t mostly take place in a fancy mansion, and entitled rich people (or wannabes) are not its chief focus.

Here, Josh O’Conner, the newly minted “hot priest” of the year, stars as Father Jud Duplenticy, a recently ordained cleric who has impulse and anger issues, but is doing his best to contain them in the service of God. Because of a rash episode, he is transferred to a small New York parish to assist a well established but troublesome and domineering priest (Josh Brolin). Of course death happens. But whodunnit?

In addition to the two extraordinary actors already mentioned, Glenn Close, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny and Thomas Haden Church team up to create an excellent supporting cast that could well be awards nominated this year. All appear to be having the best of times, and when the cast does, the audience does as well.

Wake Up Dead Man made its required Academy run in theaters for about two minutes, and then when straight to Netflix, where you can currently enjoy a highly entertaining film with high production value that makes movie watching at home feel like a big event. Why not invite the whole (adult) family?

Rated PG-13

2 Hours 24 Minutes

If this The Housemaid review makes you crave a good, juicy melodrama, get times and tickets at Fandango.com.

If this Wake Up Deadman review leaves you with a killer hankering to see it, find it immediately on Netflix.

Lisa Johnson Mandell’s The Housemaid Review and Wake Up Dead Man review says these two holiday counter programers are highly entertaining in their own ways.