The Handmaiden is a South Korean film that was released in 2016. It is based on the UK novel Fingersmith and is 145 minutes long.
The story is about a Korean pick-pocket named Sook-Hee who has been hired to help a swindler seduce the Japanese heiress Hideko.
The pace of the story is rather quick, which is understandable since a lot of chaos is happening throughout the film. It is told in short fragments and flashbacks, as the full story unfolds. The same scenes are seen from different perspectives and angles, keeping it interesting until the very end. As for the erotic scenes, although absolutely present, they do not distract from the story and instead support it very well. If you enjoy stories that have smart female leads and many twists, then this film is something for you.
The visuals are rather dark, which is not only fitting for the time the story takes place in (1930s), but also for the story itself. The film uses classical background music, but it has many scenes without any at all.
For more information and for where you can watch The Handmaiden in your country, we highly recommend visiting : https://letterboxd.com/film/the-handmaiden/
Angry Lesbian archives 