The Handmaiden poster

The Handmaiden

You're the one being tricked.

8.2(4,561)20162h 25m30

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.

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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

Produced in

South Korea

Where to watch

All options

Availability for United States. Provided by JustWatch through the TMDB API.

Gallery

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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
  • R

    Reno

    8/10/2017

    8/10

    **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…

  • C

    CinemaSerf

    1/5/2023

    7/10

    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…

  • A

    Alunauwie

    9/23/2025

    9/10

    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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