“The Housewife”: A Holocaust-Era Thriller Unfolds in 1960s Queens

“The Housewife” follows New York Times reporter Joseph Lelyveld (Tye Sheridan) after a tip from Nazi-hunter Simon Wiesenthal leads him to the immaculate home of Russell Ryan (Luke Evans) and his Austrian-born wife Hermine Ryan (Naomi Watts). Hermine is revealed as Hermine Braunsteiner, a former Ravensbrück guard responsible for the deaths of over 1,000 people. Lelyveld’s investigation culminates in a newspaper exposé that triggers Hermine’s extradition to West Germany, where she is tried and convicted for war crimes.

Hollywood Reporter

The film is based on real events from the mid-1960s, when U.S. authorities began uncovering former Nazis who had entered America after World War II. Braunsteiner was indeed deported from the United States in the 1960s and later convicted in Germany. The screenplay, written by Alyssa Hill, appeared on the 2016 Black List before being filmed by Canadian director Ben Shirinian.

TIFF Review: Ben Shirinian's The Housewife is almost interesting but in the end it settles for mediocrity

• Ben Shirinian – first-time feature director, previously known for music-video work.

The Wrap

• Naomi Watts – portrays Hermine Ryan.

Hollywood Reporter

• Tye Sheridan – plays journalist Joseph Lelyveld.

Hollywood Reporter

• Michael Imperioli – appears as immigration officer Anthony DeVito.

Hollywood Reporter

• Lena Olin – depicts Holocaust survivor Rachel Berger.

IndieWire

• Simon Wiesenthal – famed Nazi hunter whose tip initiates the investigation.

IndieWire

• The film states Braunsteiner was convicted for complicity in the murders of over 1,000 people.

Hollywood Reporter

• Runtime: 1 hour 42 minutes.

Hollywood Reporter

Director Shirinian said the film examines how hatred can become “normalized” and hide behind ordinary life, noting its relevance to today’s polarized climate. He added that the project aims to make audiences confront the discomfort of relating to a perpetrator who appears “perfectly ordinary.”

The Wrap

Reviews are mixed. *The Guardian* calls the drama “self-serious” and “overcooked,” criticizing its “plodding procedural” structure and finding Watts’ performance “less convincing” than in previous roles. *The Hollywood Reporter* praises the period detail and “psychologically nuanced” lead but says the later courtroom sequences become “generic.”

The Guardian

• Performance Assessment – *The Guardian* finds Watts “unsteady,” while *IndieWire* and *Deadline* deem her performance “stunning” and the film’s “most effective” element.

The Guardian

“The Housewife” adds to a small body of cinema that explores the post-war lives of Nazi perpetrators in the United States. By dramatizing a journalist’s confrontation with a seemingly benign housewife, the film prompts reflection on hidden histories, immigration policy, accountability, and collective memory.

TIFF Review: Ben Shirinian's The Housewife is almost interesting but in the end it settles for mediocrity

The film premiered on opening night of the Toronto International Film Festival’s Special Presentations program and will receive broader theatrical distribution later in the year. No further scheduled screenings or related events are detailed in the sources.

Deadline Hollywood