The Handmaiden
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Overview
1930s Korea, in the period of Japanese occupation, a new girl, Sookee, is hired as a handmaiden to a Japanese heiress, Hideko, who lives a secluded life on a large countryside estate with her domineering Uncle Kouzuki. But the maid has a secret. She is a pickpocket recruited by a swindler posing as a Japanese Count to help him seduce the Lady to st...
Director / Creator
Park Chan-wook
Writers
Chung Seo-kyung, Sarah Waters, Park Chan-wook
Top Cast
About The Handmaiden (2016)
Filmoverview · cast · reception · where to watch
Overview
The Handmaiden (2016) is a Romance, Thriller, and Drama film from South Korea. the film was directed by Park Chan-wook from a screenplay by Chung Seo-kyung and Sarah Waters. It runs 2 hours and 25 minutes and was produced primarily in Korean and Japanese.
What it's about
1930s Korea, in the period of Japanese occupation, a new girl, Sookee, is hired as a handmaiden to a Japanese heiress, Hideko, who lives a secluded life on a large countryside estate with her domineering Uncle Kouzuki. But the maid has a secret. She is a pickpocket recruited by a swindler posing as a Japanese Count to help him seduce the Lady to steal her fortune.
Cast and crew
The film stars Kim Tae-ri, Lee Yong-nyeo, and Yoo Min-chae in supporting roles. Writing credits go to Chung Seo-kyung, Sarah Waters, and Park Chan-wook, whose work establishes the story structure and dialogue throughout.
Critical reception
On IMDb, The Handmaiden holds a rating of 8.1/10 based on 199,280 user votes. Rotten Tomatoes lists a critical score of 96%. Metacritic aggregates a score of 85/100 from professional reviewers. Notable recognition: Won 1 BAFTA Award69 wins & 104 nominations total. These numbers place The Handmaiden within the broader landscape of Romance and Thriller cinema from 2016, giving viewers a benchmark before deciding to watch.
Where to watch
The Handmaiden is currently available to stream with a subscription on FilmBox+ or Amazon. Streaming rights move between platforms regularly, so the providers shown above reflect current availability based on the most recent data we have on file.
Why The Handmaiden is worth knowing
If you enjoy Romance or Thriller films, The Handmaiden offers a representative example of the genre's conventions and storytelling style. As a 2016 release, it sits within a specific moment in film history, making it a useful reference point for understanding how romance evolved during that period. Performances from Kim Tae-ri and Lee Yong-nyeo are central to the work, and tracking their broader filmographies can lead to other titles you may want to add to your watchlist. Use VidScio to identify scenes, find related movies, and keep The Handmaiden on your watchlist for later.
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