What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
Spoilers for the 2025 film and Freida McFadden’s novel. Nina hires Millie because she sees her as a possible way out of Andrew’s control: she expects Andrew to become interested in Millie and believes Millie can stand up to him. But Nina’s plan exposes Millie to danger without her consent. Millie’s own resistance and Nina’s eventual return—not the plan alone—lead to Andrew’s death. The final interview scene suggests Millie may take on another job to help a woman in an abusive relationship.
Why Nina hires Millie
Nina’s behavior initially makes her seem unstable and cruel, while Andrew presents himself as the calm, attentive spouse. The reveal reverses that impression: Andrew has controlled and punished Nina, including imprisoning her in the attic. He also manipulated events involving Nina’s daughter and Nina’s apparent suicide attempt. Nina’s psychiatric confinement is part of the way Andrew has undermined her and made her fear losing custody of her daughter. TIME’s account of the film’s ending describes these revelations.
Nina chooses Millie deliberately. She knows Millie previously killed a boy while protecting her roommate from sexual assault, and believes Millie may be able to survive Andrew’s violence. Nina also expects Andrew to desire Millie. Her plan is to redirect his attention so Nina can escape with her daughter.
That makes Nina’s choice understandable as an act of desperation, but not harmless: she uses Millie as bait without telling her what Andrew may do. Nina’s initial plan is not a rescue plan for Millie so much as an attempt to get herself and her daughter out.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors#1 Best Overall
How Millie and Nina bring Andrew down
Andrew repeats his pattern of coercion with Millie. He traps her in the attic and demands that she injure herself as punishment. Millie turns the situation around, stabs him, and locks him in the attic. Nina returns after her daughter prompts her to consider Millie’s danger. In the confrontation that follows, Andrew is pushed down the staircase and dies. Nina and Millie agree to say his death was an accident.
The outcome is not simply Nina rescuing Millie, nor Millie carrying out Nina’s original scheme. Millie acts for herself, and Nina comes back to help. Their alliance emerges only after Nina’s plan has put Millie at risk.
What the final interview scene means
After Andrew’s funeral, Nina and Millie go their separate ways. In the final interview, a prospective employer has bruises on her wrist and says Nina recommended Millie. Millie recognizes what the woman’s bruises suggest and accepts the job. The implication is that Nina is giving Millie an opportunity to help another woman who may be abused by her husband.
The scene points toward a continuing role for Millie, but it is a story hook rather than confirmation of the next film’s plot. The movie’s final scene and the studio’s later sequel announcement are related, but they are not the same thing.
Recommended Free Tools
Rank #3
How the film ending differs from the novel
The adaptation changes the mechanics of the climax. In the film, Millie stabs Andrew, and he ultimately dies after being pushed down the staircase during the confrontation with Nina. In the novel, as summarized by Radio Times and TIME, Andrew dies in the attic after Millie leaves him trapped; the book does not use the film’s same staircase showdown.
The punishment scene changes too. TIME describes Andrew ordering Millie to cut herself with a shard of broken plate in the film. Radio Times says that in the book he makes her balance heavy books on her stomach. The useful comparison is how the adaptation shifts the climax and gives Nina and Millie a direct confrontation with Andrew, rather than tallying every altered detail.
Rank #4
For readers comparing versions, the broad arc remains legible: Nina seeks an escape, Millie is drawn into danger, and Andrew’s control is ultimately broken. The film makes the possibility of Millie helping another woman explicit through the final interview scene.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What is confirmed about the sequel
In a January 2026 announcement, Lionsgate said the sequel would adapt The Housemaid’s Secret, the second novel in Freida McFadden’s series. The studio said Rebecca Sonnenshine would write the adaptation and that it was developing the project with the aim of bringing back director Paul Feig and Sydney Sweeney. “Aim” describes the studio’s stated intention; the announcement does not establish that every participant has signed or that production details are settled. It also does not confirm Amanda Seyfried’s return.
Best Value
The Associated Press reported on January 6, 2026 that Lionsgate planned to begin production later that year. Its report gave time-specific box-office figures—more than $75 million domestic and $133 million worldwide after 17 days—and a $35 million production budget. Those are figures reported at that point, not current lifetime totals. Read the AP report.
Lionsgate’s January 2026 release also said the book series had sold over 12 million units across all titles, with four million attributed to The Housemaid’s Secret; it described the book as translated into 40 languages, a New York Times bestseller for “65 weeks and counting,” and the winner of the 2023 Goodreads Choice Award for Best Thriller. The weeks-on-the-list wording reflects the release date, not a current count.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
