Margaret Qualley gives Netflix quietly compelling drama

by netflix Housemaid is the kind of TV series that goes with you for a long time. The gritty limited series, based on the best-selling Stephanie Land memoir of 2019 Housekeeper: hard work, low wages and a mother’s will to survive—presents a lingering and disturbing look at the struggles of single mother Alexandra Langley (Margaret Qualley). The 10 episodes are flawless in their portrayal of her poverty, isolation, and fragile emotional well-being. This is also full of hope; the show and its protagonist move forward with resilience and emotion. Anchored by a striking lead performance, Housemaid just might be one of the most hypnotic dramas of the year.

The series begins with Alex leaving her abusive boyfriend Sean (Nick Robinson) in the middle of the night with their toddler Maddy (Rylea Nevaeh Whittet) in tow. It quickly became clear that she had no one to turn to for help with rent or other expenses. While seeking government help and participating in several social assistance programs, the show explores the levels of paperwork that victims of domestic violence must clear to get basic help, especially if they have been abused. emotional. The bureaucracy here is appalling.

With the advice of a social worker, Alex gets a job at a small cleaning company. But even after finding a job, she still has to find a place to live and face a custody battle for her daughter, as well as a fickle mother. It can often feel like there are too many issues for Alex in this heartbreaking drama, but there are also surprising outbursts of sweetness and lightness.

Every expense Alex makes, whether it’s gasoline, a toy for Maddy, or cleaning supplies, appears on the screen as an income statement. She regularly goes around in circles to understand complex documents. When in court, she is unable to understand the lingo, so all she hears is the word “legal” repeated ad nauseam. Despite Sean’s drinking and rage problems, she is labeled unfit; she can’t prove her abuse is real because it’s not physical. She finds a place in a domestic violence shelter and finally forms a much-needed community there. The hoops Alex has to go through are presented as an indictment of flawed legal and judicial systems, which hamper the chances of people living below the poverty line or in debt.

Created by Orange is the new black and Shameless writer Molly Smith Meltzer, Housemaid Little by little, Alex looks back on her past, revealing that she is trying to break out of the cycle of intergenerational trauma. She is fiercely protective of Maddy. “I live for my daughter,” she said in a neutral tone to one of her housekeeping clients. It’s the kind of love she longs to receive from her mother, Paula (played by Qualley’s real-life mother, Andie MacDowell), a hippie performer with undiagnosed bipolar disorder.

Alex and Paula’s tumultuous relationship becomes central to the plot. It is a fascinating and painful examination of the transmission of trauma from parents to their children. In episode five, “Thief,” Alex has a distressing memory of her father, Hank (Billy Burke), with whom she recently reunited after several years of separation. Ultimately, even Sean isn’t a one-dimensional villain; Housemaid tries to explore his own unhappy upbringing without excusing his behavior or actions.

The seemingly peaceful moments in Alex’s life are those she spends with her daughter or when cleaning houses. Housemaid tries to put her chaotic life on hold when she scrubs the bathroom tiles or folds the laundry. The show has fun with the kind of homes she goes to, including the homes of a child burglar who has been the subject of a manhunt and a hoarder who needs help. to get rid of everything. Her experiences as a housekeeper become the subject of her writing, as they did for Land. In the second half, Alex’s aspirations begin to change and she works hard to go to Missoula to study creative writing, as was her pre-pregnancy plan.

With each passing day, despite a series of failures and falls in the patterns of the past, Alex proves his ingenuity. It’s inspiring to see her (and Land) come out of the abyss. Corn Housemaid is limited by the white lens through which it is told. The show is empathetic about the plight of women like Alex, but doesn’t do enough to demonstrate how distinct their experiences are. He also fails to recognize the level of privilege Alex, a young white woman, has over marginalized people with similar jobs and education.

Most of Alex’s interactions with women of color offer a different power dynamic. Regina (Anika Noni Rose), his first client, who also becomes his most regular client, is a successful black woman. Alex establishes a hesitant bond with her which proves invaluable in the end. At the shelter, she hooks up with Denise (BJ Harrison), an old black woman who takes her under her wing. But their time in the spotlight is mostly spent cheering on Alex on his journey.

Danielle (Aimee Carrero), who is Alex’s first friend at the shelter, is a survivor of physical violence whose story is sadly incomplete. Alex’s demanding boss Yolanda (Tracy Vilar) embodies the stereotype of the “fiery Latina”. In one episode, Alex’s fellow cleaner is a woman of color who is devious and indifferent at work. The show highlights a profession that has been historically overlooked, but it does so through an ultimately narrow perspective, rather than giving the supporting characters individual complexities. Land’s novel received similar reviews despite his lively writing. The book lacks discussion of any perks she might have had as a white woman that undereducated maids in marginalized communities don’t have, like getting a publishing deal in the first place.

Always, Housemaid is an undeniably poignant story, built on the captivating presence of Qualley, as seen in Leftovers and Once upon a time … in Hollywood. She’s incredibly convincing as a young mother determined to give her child the life she never had. It is impossible not to be attracted to his performance; it is essentially in every frame and shows an ingenuous star quality. Even in the times when Housemaid is predictable or lagging behind, Qualley’s seriousness keeps the momentum going. Directors like Nzingha Stewart, John Wells, and Lila Neugebauer spend time building Alex’s world, beautifully capturing the scenic setting and making it feel like everything is lived. Housemaid takes on a seemingly familiar but important story, making it one of the most quietly compelling dramas of the year so far.