The Handmaiden(2016)

TV-MA
2h 25m

Release Date: Oct 21, 2016 | Limited

In 1930s Korea under Japanese occupation, a skilled pickpocket is hired as a handmaiden to a wealthy Japanese heiress as part of a con to steal her fortune. What begins as deception and manipulation soon becomes entangled with desire, power, and betrayal, pulling all involved into an intricate web of secrets, passion, and shifting alliances.

Official Website

Releases

Original Release | Oct 21, 2016

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Box Office Results

Results

Opening Weekend US & Canada:
$92,129
Total US & Canada:
$2,006,788
Total International
$35,847,867
Total Worldwide:
$37,863,670

Current Showtimes

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(U.S. Only)

Director & Top Cast

Park Chan-wook
Director

Kim Min-hee
Lady Hideko

Ha Jung-woo
Count Fujiwara

Cho Jin-woong
Uncle Kouzuki

Moon So-ri
Actor

Kim Tae-ri
Sook-Hee

Lee Yong-nyeo

Actor

Yoo Min-chae

Actor

Lee Dong-hwi

Goo-gai

Kim Hae-sook

Actor

Lee Kyu-jung

Actor

Kim Si-eun

Actor

Ha Si-yeon

Maid 3

Rina Takagi

Hideko's Mother

Won Geun-hee

Butler

Kim Jong-dae

Mansion Driver

Jang Han-sun

Kouzuki Porter

Kim Eun-yeong

Maid 4

Technical Specifications

Sound Mix: Dolby Digital,Dolby Atmos,Dolby Surround 7.1

Aspect Ratio: 2.35 : 1

Other Details

Country of Origin: South Korea

Language: Korean,Japanese

Summaries

Plot Summary

The Handmaiden is a 2016 South Korean historical psychological thriller drama directed by Park Chan-wook with a screenplay by Jeong Seo-kyeong, adapted from the 2002 novel Fingersmith by Sarah Waters. The film stars Kim Min-hee as Lady Hideko, the reclusive and wealthy heiress living in a remote estate, and Kim Tae-ri as Sook-hee, the young woman brought in as her maid and unwitting instrument in an elaborate scheme by a conman posing as Count Fujiwara (played by Ha Jung-woo). Set against the backdrop of Japanese-occupied Korea and Japan in the 1930s, the story unfolds in shifting perspectives that reveal layers of truth, deception, and desire. The con’s original aim is to convince Hideko to marry the Count so he can seize her inheritance, but unexpected emotional connections and deepening complexity blur the lines between manipulation and affection. The film’s narrative structure is both sophisticated and surprising, charting a course through romance, revenge, and psychological subtlety. Premiering at the Cannes Film Festival in 2016, where it competed for the Palme d’Or, The Handmaiden earned widespread critical acclaim for its lush visuals, complex storytelling, and fearless performances. It went on to win several awards, including the BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language and honors for production and costume design.

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Fun Facts

Park Chan-wook and cinematographer Chung-hoon Chung meticulously planned every frame's color palette to reflect character emotions—cool blues for Sook-hee's scheming phase shift to warm ambers during her romance with Hideko—achieved through custom lighting gels and production design symbiosis rarely seen in Korean cinema.