: Critics and viewers often note that the film leans heavily into the claustrophobic nature of the house. The "bathroom request" scenes are used to establish the power imbalance between the employer, Nina Winchester, and the housemaid, Millie.
“Millie's first punishment is cutting herself 21 times... Nina left a knife in the closet with the pee bucket, not the key.” Heidi Dischler : Critics and viewers often note that the
: Reviewers from Heidi Dischler point out that the movie amplifies the physical punishments. In the book, the "pee bucket" in the closet is a central symbol of Millie's degradation, whereas the movie adds more graphic sequences to emphasize the torture. and the housemaid