Weekend events planner

Here are the top 8 things to do in Houston this weekend

Even though it’s a short work week, the weekend still can’t get here soon enough. Ready to have some fun? We hear you. From lively festivals to can’t-miss food events, read on for the top eight things to do in Houston this weekend. For more options, check out the full CultureMap Events Calendar.

Deep in the heart
Thursday, June 1
Head to posh downtown residential high-rise The Star Houston for a Texas-themed three-course dinner, including cocktail pairings, by chef and former contestant on the Food Network's Chopped Javani King.

A cheese and fruit board gets things started before course one, an Heirloom tomato salad with aioli, 25-year-old balsamic, and burrata cheese, is served. It’s followed by a main entree of pan-roasted quail with aioli blanched garlic potato puree and braised kale, and chocolate bourbon pecan pie for dessert. Proceeds benefit nonprofit Preservation Houston. (6:30-9 pm; tickets: $50-$70 per person; free valet)
1111 Rusk St.

Back in time
Friday, June 2-Sunday, June 4
Experience up-close encounters with a lifelike Stegosaurus, Velociraptor, and T-Rex at Discover the Dinosaurs Unleashed event at NRG Arena. Kid-friendly activities include miniature golf, a scavenger hunt, digging for fossils, and play time in the Adventure Zone with bounce houses, crafts, and face painting. (Various times; tickets: $15-$19 per person)
1 NRG Park; 612-375-9670

Mermaid tale
Friday, June 2
Polish fantasy horror flick The Lure puts an adult spin on The Little Mermaid. The storyline involves two mermaid sisters, caught in a love triangle when they fall for the same man. Catch a showing at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. (7 pm; tickets: $7-$9 per person)
1001 Bissonnet St.; 713-639-7300

Soccer state of mind
Saturday, June 3
Kick it at FM Kitchen and Bar, where you can catch the play-by-play as Juventus takes on Real Madrid in UEFA Champions League soccer final. Score big thanks to specially priced Italian and Spanish beers ($1 off while each respective country's team leads the game) available all throughout the match. (1:45 pm; tickets: free entry)

Get your game on early with spins by DJ Ryan McKay (10 am-kickoff), and work up a thirst as former Houston Dynamo Mike Chabala, of soccer-inspired fitness club Sphere, leads two workout classes. (Classes are at 10 am and 11 am; tickets: Space is limited with free admission for the first 10 people to arrive)
1112 Shepherd Dr.

Music fest
Saturday, June 3-Sunday, June 4
The lineup of more than 55 artists on four stages at the 2017 Free Press Summer Festival includes headliners Lorde, Flume, G-Eazy, Cage The Elephant, Solange, and The Shins. Fuel up at the festival food court with elevated bites by chefs Seth Siegel-Gardner and Terrence Gallivan of The Pass and Provisions. (11 am - 11 pm on Saturday, 11 am - 10 pm on Sunday; tickets: $148 per person)
150 Sabine St.; 888-512-7469

Where the wild things are
Sunday, June 4
On loan from the Natural History Museum in London, the 52nd "Wildlife Photographer of the Year" exhibition/competition at The Houston Museum of Natural Science features 100 awe-inspiring images, from fascinating animal behavior to breathtaking wild landscapes. The annual contest receives almost 50,000 entries from 96 countries, with this year’s 100 award-winning images showcased in an international tour across six continents. (9 am; tickets: $25 per adult and $15 per child)
5555 Hermann Park Dr.; 713-639-4629

Car show
Sunday, June 4
The Houston Exotic Auto Festival and Luxury Lifestyle E-X-P-O hits NRG Arena with a display of luxe automobiles from McLaren, Aston Martin, Jaguar, and more. (11 am; tickets: $20-$35 per person)
1 NRG Park; 713-629-3700

Puppy love
Sunday, June 4
At the Chefs for Paws fundraiser at The Merrill House, enjoy tastings created by a roster of local top chefs, including Martha DeLeon (Pax Americana), Alyssa Dole (Cherry Pie Hospitality), Felix Flores (Ritual), Ben McPherson (Krisp Bird & Batter), and Ryan Hildebrand (FM Kitchen and Bar). You’ll also enjoy cocktails from Deep Eddy Vodka, beer from Goliad Brewing, and wine from Cannonball Wines. Proceeds go to Rescued Pets Movement. (5-7 pm; tickets: $75 per person on up to $500 for a VIP table for eight)
2502 Algerian Way; 713- 360-2002

FM Kitchen and Bar as the newly open hotspot hosts a watch party for the UEFA Champions League soccer final.

Houston, FM Kitchen and Bar, May 2017, interior

Courtesy of FM Kitchen and Bar/Facebook

FM Kitchen and Bar as the newly open hotspot hosts a watch party for the UEFA Champions League soccer final.

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Movie Review

Over-the-top thriller The Housemaid revels in camp, chaos, and excess

Photo courtesy of Lionsgate

Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney in The Housemaid.

Both Amanda Seyfried (the upcoming The Testament of Ann Lee) and Sydney Sweeney (Christy) are starring in movies with Oscar ambitions this year. By sheer coincidence, the two actors are also co-starring in The Housemaid, a thriller coming out within weeks of their more ambitious works, one that is likely to be seen by many more people than those prestige plays.

Sweeney is given top billing as Millie, a down-on-her-luck ex-convict looking to land any type of job so as not to break her parole. She finds a too-good-to-be-true lifeboat with Nina (Seyfried), who hires her to be a housemaid for her large house on Long Island, where she lives with her husband, Andrew (Brandon Sklenar), and daughter, Cecilia (Indiana Elle).

After a warm interview, Nina almost immediately becomes highly erratic, whipping back-and-forth between happy-go-lucky and rageful. It seems clear that Nina is suffering from mental health issues, as she’ll often accuse Millie of misplacing or stealing items that she didn’t take. Andrew, apparently used to Nina’s tirades, tries to protect Millie from the worst, something that grows increasingly difficult as Nina ups the ante.

Directed by Paul Feig (A Simple Favor) and adapted by Rebecca Sonnenshine from the bestselling book by Freida McFadden, the film is likely the trashiest mainstream movie to come out in 2025. The first half of the movie relies not on story but on moments as Nina embodies the word “hysterical” to an unbelievable extent. The resigned acceptance of the abuse by Millie, as well as the saintly patience of Andrew, make almost every scene laughable, as nobody seems to be acting anywhere close to how a person would normally react to such extreme situations.

The scenes and the performance of Seyfried are so over-the-top, in fact, that it’s clear that the filmmakers are in on the joke. It’s next to impossible not to have a little bit of fun while watching the actors react to outrageous incidents as if nothing is out of the ordinary. The worse Nina acts, the more Millie and Andrew retreat into their chosen roles, and the funnier the film becomes.

Fans of the book will know that the story changes course, eventually turning into a more stereotypical thriller that also has some relatively gnarly visuals to offer. But the trashiness continues, with Sweeney’s, um, assets repeatedly on display in both clothed and unclothed ways. The sex appeal of the R-rated movie makes it an outlier, as recent studio films have shied away from asking their big stars to disrobe completely.

Both Seyfried and Sweeney are far from their Oscar hopeful roles here. Seyfried is given free rein to act as brazenly as she pleases, and she takes full advantage of that ability. Sweeney seems to have been told to be much more reserved, and unfortunately that results in too many wooden line readings. Sklenar continues his breakout streak (It Ends with Us, Drop) with a role that allows him to show more range than either Seyfried or Sweeney.

The Housemaid is an unusual type of movie to be released at a time of year when most films are either those aiming for awards or more family-friendly fare. Despite its many flaws, it’s still an enjoyable watch that features a variety of crazy scenarios not typically seen in movies nowadays.

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The Housemaid is now playing in theaters.

movies film