Should I Watch It? Maid, the new Netflix drama you won't be able to stop thinking about.

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In the first five minutes of Netflix's Maid, a young mother, Alex, escapes from her home in the middle of the night. 

Leaving her sleeping partner Sean in bed, she tiptoes around broken glass on the kitchen floor, before speeding away with her young daughter Maddy in tow. 

As Alex drives away, we learn she has just $18 to her name.

It's the first of many obstacles the 25-year-old will face.

Watch the trailer for Netflix's Maid below. Post continues after video.

Below, we unpack what Maid is about and deliver our verdict on whether you should watch it.

What's it about?

Netflix's Maid follows Alex (Margaret Qualley), a young mother who finds herself without any resources after leaving her emotionally abusive boyfriend, Sean (Nick Robinson).

Alex chooses to flee their trailer park home in the middle of the night after Sean got so drunk that he punched a hole in the wall.

Within the first 15 minutes of the series, it becomes searingly obvious just how hard it is to leave an abusive relationship.

Sitting opposite a social worker after spending the night in her car, Alex learns that there's little support available for her and her two-year-old daughter.

Until she finds her feet, Alex's parents aren't really an option. Her mother, Paula (played by Margaret Qualley's real-life mother Andie MacDowell) has a severe mental illness, while her father, Hank (Billy Burke), hasn't been in the picture for years.

On top of that, in order to qualify for subsidised housing, Alex needs a job. But without a job in the first place, Alex can't afford daycare for her daughter Maddy. And in order to get subsidised daycare, you guessed it, Alex needs a job.

"I need a job to prove that I need daycare in order to get a job?" Alex asks the social worker. "What kind of f*ckery is that?"

From that moment onwards, the endless obstacles continue to crop up for Alex as she slowly attempts to piece her life back together with a low-paying job cleaning houses.

Margaret Qualley as Alex, Rylea Nevaeh Whittet as Maddy, and Nick Robinson as Sean in Maid. Image: Netflix. 

Come for the...

The gripping plot that's so real that it hurts.

Stay for the...

The outstanding cast.

What shows will it remind you of?

Shameless for the raw portrayal of poverty, and Big Little Lies for the often hidden nature of abuse.

How many episodes are there and how long are they?

There are 10 episodes, ranging from 45 to 60 minutes long. All 10 episodes of Maid are available to watch on Netflix now.

Will there be a second season?

Maid was based on Stephanie Land's memoir, Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive.

As Maid is a limited series, Netflix hasn't renewed the drama series.

Speaking to Decider, series creator Molly Smith Metzler confirmed a continuation of Alex's story is out of the question.

However, she didn't completely rule out a second season.

"I do think there's a lot of maids out there, there's a lot of domestic workers who are experiencing stories that are as bad, if not worse than, Stephanie Land's," Metzler said. 

"I think it would be very exciting and a dream world to get to see a different maid's story in another season. Someone from a totally different geographic with totally different life experience and who probably is a mum."

Andie MacDowell as Paula and Margaret Qualley as Alex in Maid. Image: Netflix. 

So, should you watch it?

Absolutely.

Maid isn't easy to watch. It's gut-wrenching and intense. In fact, some viewers may even find the series triggering.

But it's also an incredibly important series.

Maid is an unflinching portrayal of emotional and verbal abuse, which is rarely depicted on screen.

The series also creates a clear picture of just how hard it is for women to escape abusive relationships, making it the kind of series that you'll be thinking about for days afterwards.

Coupled with a gripping plot and outstanding performances from Margaret Qualley and Andie MacDowell, Maid is set to be one of the most compelling dramas of 2021.

Maid is available to watch on Netflix now.

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If this post brings up any issues for you, or if you just feel like you need to speak to someone, please call 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) – the national sexual assault, domestic and family violence counselling service. It doesn’t matter where you live, they will take your call and, if need be, refer you to a service closer to home. 

You can also call safe steps 24/7 Family Violence Response Line on 1800 015 188 or visit www.safesteps.org.au for further information.

Feature Image: Netflix.