First-time director Derek Nguyen makes a captivating debut with The Housemaid [Cô Haû Gaí], a haunting gothic romance which blends bold eroticism with a pervasive sense of dread.

Linh is a docile and hardworking poor orphaned girl who comes to Sa Cat seeking a housemaid job. Sebastien Laurent is a French captain and owner of the Sa Cat rubber plantation. For years, the massive mansion is rumoured to have ghosts, particularly those of Camille Sebastien s late wife and the mistreated plantation workers. Once Linh comes to Sa Cat, she begins to hear strange sounds, have frightening dreams, and witness bizarre occurrences. After some time, Linh and Captain Laurent become close to each other and develop a romance. However, their love soon awakens the vengeful souls of Sa Cat plantation.

With its sumptuous visuals and memorable scares, The Housemaid is a bold update of the gothic-horror genre, and Eureka Entertainment is proud to present the film in its UK debut as part of Montage Pictures.

***

Linh (Kate Nhung) arrives at the mansion with nothing. She explains to the housekeeper (Kim Xuan) that her family has been killed; she's soaked to the skin and her feet are bleeding from the long distance she's walked in search of work. Hesitantly, the housekeeper agrees to take her on, on a trial basis. It's the middle of the First Indochina War and desperate people are not hard to find, but nobody wants to work at Sa Cat, which has been said to be cursed since the deaths of the Captain's wife and child.

You may think you've been here before; indeed, The Housemaid is another in the recent tide of East Asian films inspired by 19th Century Gothic literature with a stylistic fusion that has breathed new life into the genre. As such, it's astoundingly beautiful, with the costumes, set decoration and cinematography all sumptuous. It also really layers on the clichés, an approach not completely redeemed either by its elegance or by its twist.

Excerpt from EyeForFilm located HERE

Average Bitrate: 28.63 Mbps

Chapters 11

Firstly, this is not the 1960's South Korean film The Housemaid, (part of the World Cinema Project - Volume 1 on Blu-ray) nor is it the sexy 2010 Remake - also on Blu-ray Reviewed HERE.  This 2016 Vietnamese film is more of a horror with romantic themes.

This is the another Eureka Blu-ray release associated with Montage Pictures, like the Hungarian films Strangled and Kills on Wheels.

The Housemaid has so many appealing features from the deep occult element, the developing love story and the hypnotic visuals. The film's leaves a lot to the viewer - but I had no problem with that. It can be a shade unsatisfying but I still recommend it for any late Friday night in the home theatre.  The Blu-ray offers an exceptional view, and appreciate, this unique world cinema. Certainly recommended!