

The Handmaiden
You're the one being tricked.
1930s Korea, in the period of Japanese occupation, a new girl, Sook-hee, 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.
TMDB
8.2/10
4,564 votes
IMDb
Not rated yet
View on IMDb
- Status
- Released
- Budget
- $8.6M
- Box office
- $38.6M
- Language
- Japanese
- jealousy
- based on novel or book
- library
- pickpocket
- eroticism
- con man
- swindler
- lesbian relationship
- mansion
- lust
- lgbt
- noblewoman
Top billed cast

















Behind the camera
Where to watch
Availability for United States. Provided by JustWatch through the TMDB API.
Rent
Fandango At Home
Gallery












Videos
Release dates
United StatesUS
- PremiereFantastic Fest22 Sept 2016
- Theatrical (limited)R21 Oct 2016
United KingdomGB
- Theatrical1814 Apr 2017
- Physical18Blu-ray Special Edition (Theatrical + Extended Versions)7 Aug 2017
AustraliaAU
- PremiereR 18+Sydney Film Festival18 Jun 2016
- PremiereR 18+Melbourne International Film Festival5 Aug 2016
- TheatricalR 18+13 Oct 2016
CanadaCA
- PremiereToronto International Film Festival10 Sept 2016
BelgiumBE
- Theatrical (limited)181 Jun 2016
BrazilBR
- Theatrical1812 Jan 2017
CzechiaCZ
- PremiereKarlovy Vary International Film Festival3 Jul 2016
DenmarkDK
- Theatrical1512 Apr 2017
EstoniaEE
- Theatrical19 Aug 2016
FinlandFI
- TheatricalK-1619 May 2017
FranceFR
- PremiereCannes Film Festival14 May 2016
- Theatrical122 Nov 2016
- Digital / OTT12Arte.tv13 May 2019
- TV16Ciné+ Festival 1 Oct 2026
GermanyDE
- Theatrical165 Jan 2017
Frequently asked questions
The Handmaiden was released on 1 June 2016.
Audience reviews
3- R8/10
Reno
8/10/2017
**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…
- C7/10
CinemaSerf
1/5/2023
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 quickl…
- A9/10
Alunauwie
9/23/2025
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 directi…
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