# Maid (2021)

> A young mother who flees an abusive partner takes a job cleaning houses while fighting to provide for her daughter and build a better future.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/92711

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 10
- Episode runtime: 54 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: drama
- Created by: Molly Smith Metzler
- Network: Netflix
- Cast: Margaret Qualley, Nick Robinson, Andie MacDowell, Rylea Nevaeh Whittet, BJ Harrison, Théodore Pellerin, Aimee Carrero, Matthew Mandzij
- TMDB rating: 8.3/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11337908/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: mild
- Tone: gritty, heartfelt, raw, bleak, hopeful, sincere

## What critics say

Critics and viewers acclaim Maid as a heartfelt, honest portrait of a young mother's struggle through poverty and bureaucracy, carried by Margaret Qualley's performance, though its lengthy episodes and pacing draw some complaints.

## Synopsis

Maid (2021) is an American limited series created by Molly Smith Metzler for Netflix, adapted from a memoir. Margaret Qualley stars as Alex Russell, a young mother who flees an abusive relationship and takes a job cleaning houses to support her small daughter. Nick Robinson plays Sean Boyd, the complicated father whose presence complicates her custody fight, while Andie MacDowell plays Paula Langley, Alex's own volatile mother whose help comes with strings. The engine of the ten-episode story is blunt and relentless: every paycheck is measured against rent, daycare, and court deadlines, and every shelter or welfare office Alex visits presents another hurdle. Each episode moves through the physical labor of scrubbing other people's homes, the humiliations of dependence, and the small victories of a stubborn independence. The tone is raw and sincere, with moments of wry humor and quiet hope surfacing through bleak circumstances. Its portrait of the American working poor, bureaucratic indifference, and the grind of poverty will appeal to viewers who admire grounded social dramas such as Shameless and Precious. Fans of intimate, character-driven survival stories will find it resonant.

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