The Housemaid by Freida McFadden was a wildly popular psychological thriller, but now that it’s been adapted into a feature film, readers always want to know the same thing: Will the movie be as good as the book?

In this interview, McFadden shares her favorite jaw-dropping moments from The Housemaid, her reaction to the cast—including Amanda Seyfried, Sydney Sweeney, Brandon Sklenar, and Michele Morrone—and why she claims the film’s ending is even better than the book.

What was your reaction to seeing The Housemaid on screen? Were there any elements that surprised even you?

I was completely blown away.  At one point, I was tearing up over what a great job they did.  When I first saw the whole movie with my family, on the way home we couldn’t stop talking about how good it was.  Even my teenagers loved it, and they are notoriously very hard to please.

One thing I hadn’t been sure about was if the movie would capture the humor in the thriller, but I shouldn’t have worried because director Paul Feig delivered.

The performances delivered in the movie were absolutely stellar. Who do you feel best captured the character you envisioned when writing the story?

Honestly, every single one of them completely surpassed my expectations for their roles. The first scene I got to watch was an intense one featuring Amanda Seyfried and Brandon Sklenar, and I had chills. When I got to see the entire movie months later, I was so impressed by all of their performances.  I am so grateful to the cast for giving 110% to their roles.

I also loved how genuinely kind they all were when I met them on the set.  Sydney Sweeney randomly jumped into a photo I was in, and I cried a bit when I saw her because it really felt like she was Millie come to life.  (Lots of happy tears involved in this movie for me!)  Michele Morrone wasn’t even scheduled to work that day, but he drove out on a Saturday just to hang out with us.

You’ve stated that you think the movie might be even better than the book—a rare feat—what gave you this impression? (PS, we still whole-heartedly adore the book just as much!)

Ha, I recognize most authors don’t say things like that, but it was the first thing I blurted out to my husband when the lights came back on in the theater.  (And he agreed!)  Without giving anything away, the ending of the movie was what won me over.

You’ve been writing under a pen name and your real life and your author life just finally became one. How does that feel?

It’s a relief in some ways that I’m not hiding such a big part of my life from so many people I know.  That said, when I introduce myself to people for the first time and they ask me what I do for a living, I still say that I’m a doctor!

The ending of the movie was such an incredible crescendo and a surprise to even those who have read the book. Without spoilers, if possible, how did the movie’s ending impact your own understanding of the story you’ve told?

I love that it was a little different and more cinematic than what was in the book.  I tend to avoid writing scenes that are too heavy on physical action, but that sort of scene works perfectly on the screen, so I was thrilled with the change. Kudos to screenwriter Rebecca Sonnenshine!

Having now seen one of your stories on the big screen, has this experience changed the way you might approach future novels?

I don’t think it changes anything, because I’m writing primarily for readers.  I figure that the talented screenwriters can deal with translating everything to the screen!

What is a moment in the movie you can’t stop thinking about?

The mind-blowing ending!