The Handmaiden

Set in 1930s Korea, The Handmaiden tells the story of swindlers Count Fujiwara (Ha Jung-woo) and Nam Sook-hee (Kim Tae-ri), as they infiltrate the household of a wealthy heiress by posing as a suitor and a handmaiden. Layered with multiple perspectives and twists, Park Chan-wook crafts a narrative that is uncertain and fragile in equal measure. In one of the film’s opening scenes, the titular Sook-hee peers through an ajar sliding door into her mistress Hideko’s bedroom beyond. This is precisely what Chan-wook invites his audiences to do throughout his masterful film, as one must question every detail of the facade that is presented before them in order to uncover the narrative’s true significance. However, beyond its structural and narrative complexity, Chan-wook makes extensive use of sumptuous Korean rurality, fostering a stunning visual style that perfectly aligns with the cast’s equally vivid performances. Complimenting this atmosphere musically is Jo Yeong-wook’s extraordinary soundtrack, which oscillates between the tender and the orchestral with telling expertise. The Handmaiden is a film that can never be underestimated; it challenges the viewer with complex themes, interrogating the nature and intersection of female relationships, deception, and greed, while delivering a narrative that will force its viewer to second-guess everything until the final shot. It is truly a masterpiece of Korean cinema, and a must-see in this term’s schedule.

Sam Ripley