The Handmaiden
In 1930s Korea, a girl is hired as a handmaiden to a Japanese heiress who lives a secluded life on a countryside estate. But the maid has a secret: She is a pickpocket recruited by a swindler to help seduce the Lady and steal her ...
Directed by Park Chan-wook · Drama · Romance · Thriller · 145 min · 2017
Trailer
Director
Park Chan-wook
Writer
Park Chan-wook, Jeong Seo-kyeong
Studio
N/A
Release
02 Sep 2017
Runtime
145 min
Genres
Drama, Romance, Thriller
Full Plot
1930s Korea, in the period of Japanese occupation, a new girl (Sookee) 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 elope with him, rob her of her fortune, and lock her up in a madhouse. The plan seems to proceed according to plan until Sookee and Hideko discover some unexpected emotions.
Cast & Characters
Izumi Hideko, "Lady"
Kim Min-hee
Count Fujiwara
Ha Jung-woo
Uncle Kouzuki
Cho Jin-woong
young Hideko
Jo Eun-hyung
Nam Sook-hee, "Maid"
Kim Tae-ri
Madame Sasaki
Kim Hae-sook
Hideko's aunt
Moon So-ri
Bok-soon
Lee Yong-nyeo
Goo-gai
Lee Dong-hwi
Hideko's mother
Rina Takagi
Junko
Han Hannah
Did You Know?
Made on an estimated budget of $8.6M, The Handmaiden has grossed $38.6M worldwide — about 4.5x its budget.
Source: TMDb API · verified 2026-08-02
Seodaemun Prison is featured in the film as a psychiatric hospital.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-13
Kim Tae-ri was selected from 1,500 candidates to play the role of Hideko.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-13
Shooting for The Handmaiden began in June 2015 and concluded in October 2015.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-13
Kouzuki's mansion features combined elements of Japanese and British architecture.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-13
Critical Assessment
The Handmaiden holds 8.1/10 on IMDb (199,145 votes), 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, 85/100 on Metacritic.
Not enough independent critic/audience score breakdown available.
Ratings as of July 30, 2026
Where to Watch
United States
United Kingdom
India
Streaming data from JustWatch via TMDb. Availability changes often — confirm on the provider before watching.
AI Verdict
AI-generatedBased on aggregated scores (8.1/10 on IMDb (199,145 votes), 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, 85/100 on Metacritic), this is a data-driven snapshot rather than an editorial take.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Handmaiden's Rotten Tomatoes score?+
The Handmaiden holds a 96% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes.
What is The Handmaiden's IMDb rating?+
The Handmaiden has a 8.1/10 rating on IMDb from 199,145 votes.
What is The Handmaiden's Metacritic score?+
The Handmaiden has a Metascore of 85/100 on Metacritic.
Is The Handmaiden good? What are critics saying?+
The Handmaiden holds 8.1/10 on IMDb (199,145 votes), 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, 85/100 on Metacritic.
How long is The Handmaiden?+
The Handmaiden has a runtime of 145 min.
Who directed The Handmaiden?+
The Handmaiden was directed by Park Chan-wook.
Where can I watch The Handmaiden?+
The Handmaiden is available to stream, rent, or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Fandango At Home, MUBI, BFI Player, FilmBox+, Curzon Amazon Channel, Apple TV Store, Rakuten TV, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, Sky Store, Curzon Home Cinema, YouTube.
Fan & Critic Buzz
The film has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its rich historical backdrop, gripping storyline, and masterful adaptation of "Fingersmith". The movie's success can also be attributed to the effective use of trailer comments, which have generated excitement among viewers. Overall, it appears that "The Handmaiden" is a critically acclaimed film that has received significant attention from critics and audiences alike.
Viewer Reviews (TMDb)
**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 starte…
Reno · 8/10Talk 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 o…
CinemaSerf · 7/10The 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 sus…
Alunauwie · 9/10
From the trailer's comments
This trailer = 10/10 This movie = 11/10
@bigfatraindrops · 12864 likesThis film was unbelievably good. This trailer alone deserves an award.
@pflerg · 4369 likesTrailer creators should have their name somewhere.
@Filmthechannel · 9332 likesThanks for the kind words about the music everyone <3
@v_e_s_s_e_l · 331 likesgiven the recent fame for 'parasite', this is quite underrated and deserved much more
@jaideepsai895 · 1761 likessee hollywood.. this is how a trailer must be!!!
@森-d3s · 7594 likesThe movie is so good that I had to go back to the trailer to say how good it is.
@nicolasbascunan4013 · 3578 likesWhile the trailer may be a little misleading this is one of those films where after you finish it you realize you've been watching shitty films your whole life. Most certainly a masterpiece.
@mrtomato5132 · 10939 likes
