How Sydney Sweeney's Blood-Soaked Pickle Pic Became the Ultimate Marketing Masterstroke for 'The Housemaid'

The Viral Image That's Selling a Movie

If there's anything you need to know about The Housemaid movie adaptation, it's that you'll be in for a thrilling experience of twists and turns. The campy thriller has already received strong reactions from critics, with some describing it as a high-energy "crowd pleaser." If you need more reasons to be hyped for the 2025 movie release, its star, Sydney Sweeney, took a pic of her blood-soaked self eating a pickle that's selling her movie more than any marketing ever could.

Sydney Sweeney posted a cluster of Instagram BTS photos from The Housemaid that I can't take my eyes off. From cute group photos with the cast and crew to smiley selfies, you can tell the experience of making this book-to-screen adaptation must have been a lot of fun. However, the one photo that's already making me want to buy tickets for the movie is the first one of Sweeney eating a pickle while covered in blood, and oh my!

Just when I thought I saw every piece of marketing for the Freida McFadden book adaptation, I come across its star casually eating a pickle while covered in blood. No context needed. I'm sold.

If Sweeney's character seemingly overcame a moment of violence, it looks like snacking on a pickle is one way to celebrate after filming the scene. I find it an excellent horror twist on the role of a housemaid in seeing her eat food after what we can assume is a violent event. With their job subjected to domestic duties, eating a pickle while bloody is a great way to market that the main character is not your everyday servant.

Before The Housemaid came out, its marketing strategies certainly didn't shy away from the movie's bloody elements. The trailer showed the right amount of dramatic and chilling moments, as we saw Sydney Sweeney eating a sandwich while covered in blood, and director Paul Feig said people will be clutching their pearls. If we're going to continue seeing the Euphoria star eating while coated in blood, it's a wink to audiences that they'll be in for a wild ride.

You've gotta love an eye-catching marketing tool. The Blair Witch Project terrorized our childhoods by advertising that the characters were real missing people. The Smile movies had actors give creepy grins at public events. Whatever gets a film noticed and leaves us talking is almost always a good thing, as this post from Sweeney proves.

As if we needed more proof that The Housemaid will provide audiences with shock and awe, we see Sydney Sweeney chewing on a pickle with blood all over her. If I weren't unsettled already, this blood-soaked image would definitely do the trick for me.

Feel free to give in to the hype by watching the psychological thriller in theaters now.