Thriller

Drama

Romance

아가씨

Moho Film

Yong Film

CJ Entertainment

South Korea

日本語

한국어/조선말

The Handmaiden

Kim Min-hee

Kim Tae-ri

Ha Jung-woo

Cho Jin-woong

Kim Hae-sook

Moon So-ri

Lee Yong-nyeo

Kwak Eun-jin

Lee Dong-hwi

Jo Eun-hyung

Rina Takagi

Han Ha-na

Lee Kyu-jung

Kim See-eun

Ha Si-yeon

Kim Eun-yeong

Jeong Ha-dam

Yoo Min-chae

Won Geun-hee

Kim Jong-dae

Jang Han-sun

Kim Lee-woo

Shinsuke Fujimoto

Katsuhiro Nagano

Lee Ji-ha

Tomomitsu Adachi

Takashi Kakizawa

Hwang Seo-yoon

Park Do-young

Lee Ji-hye

Heo So-yeon

Lee Yoon-jae

Choi Jong-ryul

Kim Joon-woo

Bae Il-hyuck

Kim Soo-woong

Jo Yong-hyun

Park Ki-ryung

Choi Byung-mo

Han Chang-hyun

Kim In-woo

Kwon Hyuk

Im Hyeong-tae

Oh Man-seok

Kim Byung Gi

Kim In-su

Alexander Scarborough

Jin-Chul Kim

Do-Hyung Kim

Eun-ji Hong

Song Da-eun

Jeong In-kyeom

Nam Gyeong-min

Ahn Seong-bong

Seon Uk-hyeon

Lee In-chul

Yoon Hyung-tae

Jung Do-ahn

Cho Yong-seok

Hong Eue-su

Kim Tae-eui

Lee Eun-jin

Kwon Soo-yeon

Yoon Sung-hye

Shin Bo-ra

Bae Seon-ok

Jung Gun

Jeong Tae-sung

Christian Thanh Nguyen

Lee Gi-seok

Shon Byeong-su

Lee Hee-eun

Park Chan-wook

Song Min-seok

Jo Gyeong-hun

Kim Sang-bum

Cho Young-wuk

Ryu Seong-hie

Kim Yong-seong

Chung Seo-kyung

Sarah Waters

Jung Il-seo

Cho Sang-kyung

Chung Chung-hoon

Kim Kyeong-taek

Song Jong-hee

Fabrizio Cheloni

Lee Jae-hyeok

Kumiko Hosokawa

Tom Russbueldt

Cho Min-kyung

Chang-bae Kang	

Ryan McKeague

Jan Morgenstern

Kim Suk-won

Moon Chul-woo

Lee Jeon-hyoung

Jeong Won-jo

Yoon Suk-chan

Kai Engel

Lee Ja-hye

Choi Eun-ah

Kim Eun-jung

Emily Eddey

Jay Lee

Miky Lee

Kim Jae-beom

Lee Jung-ho

Matthew Bulleri

Hong Yoon-sung

Karyoon Kim

Danny Park

Yoon Seo-young

Syd Lim

Yoon Jong-shin

Kwak Tae-yong

Yoo Sang-seob

Park Choul-yong

Park Min-su

Kim Eun-jeong

Reno

**In the circle of romance, deceive and defraud.**

Those who are into the world cinema, particularly the Korean, knows Park Chan-wook very well. But if you don't, then you must. His films are definitely for the grown ups. Like everybody else, my admiration for his work has started a decade ago with the film 'Oldboy'. He had tried his luck in Hollywood with 'Stoker'. Despite a good entertainer, it was criticised. I love Park Chan-wook doing hundred masterpieces like this in Korea than trying to do one in Hollywood. His ability to turn the good book into a great flick was phenomenal. Here it goes another one. This was based on the British novel 'Fingersmith' by Sarah Waters. The story of an orphan woman who assigned to be a maid for a young rich woman who is living under the shadow of her uncle since she has no parents.

Yeah, I was expecting it, but I did not think it would be another masterpiece from the director. I even thought the ratings could be exaggerated, and the reviews from his die hard fans like Nolan's or QT's fans does. The timeline of the story was prior to Second World War Korea under the Japan rule. A perfect setting for such theme. The film opened like it is an average film. That's where all I got wrong. Or probably I judged it too soon. The storytelling was split into three parts and the first part was a bit mix of fun and like any film, introduction, the platform for the rest of the narration filled with surprises.

The young orphan Sook-hee was recruited by a thief who is planning to trick a young woman named Lady Hideko with all the wealth left behind by her parents. The only obstacle for him is her uncle, a guardian. So Sook-hee becomes close to her. More than she had expected, but their plan is working. Now they have to wait for the perfect moment for a perfect strike. When it arrives, an unexpected twist takes the tale to go back to where the film originally had started. But even further earlier and this time, the perspective of the story was from the Lady Hdeko.

> ❝So even if my love for you leads me to ruin, don't pity me.❞

So, with that flashback, the second part begins. But literally it was a series of twist, that keep explaining us in another angle of the whole scenario I had witnessed in the previous part. Believe me, I have never seen such a long twist before. I was like unmoved for that entire segment. One of the best things I have ever in a film. The praise must go to the author, but the director and his actors as well did a fine job. There's a twist in every scene. So, for that one must pay close attention to the first part, despite slow moving story.

But above all, what I'm surprised was I did not know it was a lesbian film. Moreover, I did not think it could have bold scenes for such theme. Everything seemed perfect. I mean the erotic parts are sensual, but very artistic than unnecessary disturbance. Mainly because of stronger hold of the story narration than anything else. Even the pace picks up, like a crazy speed. Everything about the film you would learn in this section. All the secrets of the past revealed and what might comes are still kept under mysterious for the third and final part.

The most awaited, the conclusion part begins forth. For everything we saw so far, what might come after makes this film at its best. Just like the mid part, this is also full of twists. Because it will going to tell who ends where and what they get. Over two hours long film, and every frame are worth. The casting was best and so the setting of the 1930s Korea. Especially I must applaud the filmmaker's effort to turn the original setting from Europe to East Asia. It was great, but still now and then you can see the influence of the original source. I mean western culture, names, architect references which might have come from the book.

Not just the lesbian or a love triangle story, but something like a circle of love with deceive and defraud. You can notice that in the film poster with four main characters. So when it has a multiple strings attached, you could expect surprises/twists from each angle and it gives that more the convincingly. Put this into your must see list. This is not the first screen adaptation, but surely the best so far. Now we can expect a European or a Hollywood project in a big scale soon. Believe me the Oscars would pour in, because it's that kind of story. Highly recommended!

_8/10_

CinemaSerf

Talk about the best laid plans! This is a cracking, sexy, thriller set in Korea during the Japanese occupation of the 1930s. It centres around the charming, butter-wouldn't-melt "Sook-Hee" (Tae Ri Kim) who takes a job attending the wealthy "Lady Hideko" (Kim Min-hee). She lives on a grand estate with her cantankerous uncle "Kouzuki" (Cho Jin-woong) and is frankly rather low maintenance for her new maid. Pretty quickly, though, we begin to smell a rat! Is she what she seems, and what has the obviously duplicitous "Count" (Ha Jung-woo) got to do with things? Well gradually, we find out that there are schemes afoot to rob the lady of her fortune, her liberty - even her mind. What the plotting didn't take account for, though, was human nature. A bond gradually starts to build between the two women, a bond of friendship, of trust - of love! What happens next...? This benefits hugely from having a tightly-knit cast who work well together; a solid and intriguing story that marries the Machiavelian with the mischievous, the sexy with the sordid - and, it looks great too. The characters vacillate from being likeable, kinky, and often pretty loathsome in equal measure, but somehow there is always a sense that right will be done! I loved the ending, and the performances from the two women are engaging and captivating. Some of it isn't for the squeamish, but it flew by, is expertly crafted, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The Handmaiden, adapted from Sarah Waters' Fingersmith, masterfully transposes the 19th-century London setting to 1930s Japanese-occupied Korea, creating a rich and visually stunning historical backdrop. Told in three intricately woven chapters, the film unfolds with gripping suspense, emotional depth, and narrative twists that keep viewers fully engaged. With award-winning cinematography, meticulous artistic direction, and powerful performances—especially from debut actress Kim Tae Ri—The Handmaiden stands out as a bold, sensual, and unforgettable cinematic achievement that expertly blends mystery, romance, and rebellion.

Read the full review here: (Indonesian version : alunauwie.com)

In the Projection Booth - Park Chan-wook, director of The Handmaiden (contains spoilers)

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The Handmaiden

Cast & Crew

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Cast

Kim Min-hee

Kim Tae-ri

Ha Jung-woo

Cho Jin-woong

Kim Hae-sook

Moon So-ri

Lee Yong-nyeo

Kwak Eun-jin

Lee Dong-hwi

Jo Eun-hyung

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