After controversial ad, Sydney Sweeney says she wants to make films that “save lives”

“I like complex, gripping, crazy stories full of twists and turns. It’s a dream project,” she adds.

The film also stars Amanda Seyfried and Brandon Sklenar as Nina and Andrew Winchester, who employ Sweeney’s character in their home.

Seyfried and Sweeney were cast as the two female leads in The servant due to the physical similarity between them, but Seyfried states that the similarities don’t end there.

“There’s a striking similarity between us, and it’s really fun to work with people who live the same way, who have similar ideals about work and life,” she told the BBC.

Sweeney also states that the couple have developed a “dynamic” in which they “are able to enjoy each other’s company” – and their relationship allows them to “explore unusual places and discover much more about their characters.”

Seyfried’s character, Nina, deals with complex mental health issues throughout the film, making it difficult to watch at times.

“You have to play it as realistically as possible because it has to reflect real life,” she says.

The film has been compared to thrillers domestic products of the 1980s and 1990s, such as The hand that moves the cradle (1992), Fatal attraction (1987) and Basic instinct (1992).

But it has a resolutely modern touch with the plots of physical and mental violence present in the film.

Seyfried, known for her roles in Mama Mia! And mean girlsbelieves that the cast “struck the tone” and hopes that, although the film is entertainment, people will “come away with a better understanding of domestic violence” and “broaden their horizons”.

She adds that this can happen “especially” to “people who, fortunately, have not had to deal with it.”

This opinion is shared by director Paul Feig, who admits to being “nervous” about approaching the subject with sensitivity.

“I made sure there was no physical violence, but rather psychological violence,” he says.

Domestic violence in cinema has become a hot topic in Hollywood, driven by the film’s promotional tour This is how it ends (2024), which was criticized by some for presenting it as a romantic story rather than one of abuse.

Brandon Sklenar, who stars in both The servant as in This is how it endssays it’s “difficult” to take on the role of an abuser.

He describes his characters – Andrew Winchester in The servant and Atlas Corrigan in This is how it ends – like “opposite poles”.

“When it comes to acting, you can try whatever you want, but at the end of the day, sometimes it happens to you,” he says.

“It’s intense and ultimately it’s going to affect you in some way.”

The servant It received mostly positive reviews, including four stars from British newspaper The Guardian, who said Feig and his cast “deliver with incredible enthusiasm; it’s an innocent holiday treat”.

The reception will be a welcome one for Sweeney, after being at the center of much controversy and discussion in 2025.

Her appearance in commercials for American Eagle jeans drew criticism for raising questions about race and beauty standards.

Sweeney told People magazine earlier this month that she was “against hate and division” and was surprised by the reaction to the campaign.

His career was also under scrutiny after a series of box office failures, but The servant grossed an impressive US$19 million (R$105 million) in its North American debut last weekend.

This is no surprise, given that the original novel was a huge success, selling over 1.6 million copies worldwide.

Three sequels have also been released (two novels and a novella), meaning more film adaptations could be on the way.

Feig, whose previous films include Bridesmaid Mission (2011) and The well armed (2013), believes that novels will become an even more fertile source of material for Hollywood, because “studios always want something of proven quality” to “justify their ability to invest a lot of money” in the project.

But he says he tries not to let books with large audiences and fans dictate the projects he pursues, because “there are a lot of very popular books that just don’t work as films.”

Feig adds that it was “fun” working on Rebecca Sonnenshine’s adapted screenplay for The servantbut who “restored” certain parts of the book that “readers would greatly miss if they were not there.”

There’s also “an additional ending that’s not in the book,” he says, “so readers can be surprised.”

“The Maid” will be officially presented in Brazil on January 1, 2026, but has been in preview since December 19