Ronit J

The Handmaiden (2016) Synopsis:

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 fortune.

The Handmaiden (2016) Review:

I am one of those people who can boast of having experienced the twisted psychological thriller, Oldboy, for the first time on the big screen. Not when it released, but at a special screening. Oldboy was my introduction to Park Chan-Wook. Over the years, I watched more of his work, continuing to marvel at his amazing storytelling skills. While I didn’t particularly enjoy Decision to Leave, I loved all of the Vengeance Trilogy. Knowing of the acclaim that The Handmaiden received, I had been meaning to watch this for a while now. And finally, I did! And I’m so glad, because The Handmaiden is an absolutely beautiful film, with just the right amount of sick and twisted elements that make it a compelling watch.

The Handmaiden follows a long con that continues to grow more complicated the more the twists are revealed. None of the characters are black and white, each coming with their unique list of traumas and coping mechanisms. Their backstories justify their behaviours, the twists revealing their motivations and reasoning behind their actions and decisions. All in all, The Handmaiden is a rich film with so much to unpack, both from a filmmaking perspective, a narrative perspective, as well as philosophical.

The Handmaiden’s story is told in 3 parts (following the novel’s blueprint, which I haven’t read). Each part ends with a sick twist that will leave you hunting for clues that were in plain sight right from the start. But, it’s not just the twists that make the film so awesome, it’s everything. And I mean, EVERYTHING.

A Masterclass in Cinematic Storytelling

Right from each character’s motivation, which we learn of in a non-linear fashion, to every single piece of set design, prop, and, decor, The Handmaiden is a rich painting with so many details, each of which hold meaning if you’re willing to engage. And, the beauty of the twists is that each twist reorients your understanding of the story, the setting, and the reality of The Handmaiden. Sook-hee (Kim Tae-ri) starts off as your everywoman, a poor orphan girl who gets the opportunity to work in a noble mansion as Lady Hideko’s (Kim Min-hee) handmaiden. Soon, we learn that she’s not really in for the work, but a con to make Hideko fall in love with the conman, Count Fujiwara (Ha Jung-woo).

What starts as a rags to riches story devolves into a conman thriller. Until, we switch to Part 2, where we learn Hideko’s backstory, making the film a tragedy that resorts to a con with a completely different connotation. All this, whilst maintaining its erotic romance and historic aesthetics. Motifs like jewellery, paints, and other rich paraphernalia too keep changing meaning as new layers of backstory are added to the narrative. Just the sapphire earrings for example: they begin as an aspiration for the innocent Sook-hee. When we learn Sook-hee’s truth, we understand how she’s able to identify their fake nature, while also reminding us of Fujiwara’s con. Yet, Hideko hands them over to her selflessly—a nod to her kindness, yet foreshadowing her own fakeness.

And that’s one element I’m talking about. Through paintings, through erotic stories, through emotional manipulation and interpersonal connections, Park Chan-Wook has built a compelling narrative that’s as complex as it is deeply immersive and real.

Falsity, Eroticicsm, and the Male Gaze

As the story progresses, it becomes clear that no one is being honest. Sook-hee is lusting after the money, Hideko after freedom. Fujiwara is trying to con the Lord Kozuki (Cho Jin-woong), whose intellectual facade turns out to be just an old man’s perverseness. Books—a common symbol of knowledge—populate Kozuki’s mansion, only for them to really contain erotic literature and pornographic stories, some tasteful, others not. And yet, within the realm of eroticism, when Sook-hee and Hideko make love is when they are true to themselves—naked in body and mind alike. The two women con their conners, finally breaking free to be able to live their truth.

Eroticism makes for a major aspect of the film’s aesthetic. After all, no matter how rich and evolved you are, you can’t escape your basest needs. While each character seeks wealth and/or freedom, their medium to achieve their goal takes the erotic route. Fujiwara uses his charm to advance his goals, while Kozuki uses his dark fetishes to make money off the perverse nature of his clients. Hideko has her sex and self exploited at her uncle’s demand, until she herself uses those same learnings to gain her freedom. And Sook-hee? Well, she uses her thieving skills to advance someone else’s sexual manipulation.

There is an argument to be made for feminism, given how the film begins with two women being exploited for gain, but them ending up exploiting their exploiters in an attempt to win their freedom. Yet, the ‘male gaze’ that pervades the sexual scenes, especially those between Sook-hee and Hideko might work against this interpretation. Because I am a man, I can’t really comment on the male gaze of the film. However, the erotic scenes didn’t feel as pornographic as the ones in Blue Is the Warmest Color. This bit is up to you to decide. For me, they felt tasteful and relevant to the story at hand. I would say, decide for yourself.

Irrespective of the issues, you cannot deny the cinematic excellence and storytelling prowess of Park Chan-Wook’s The Handmaiden.

The Handmaiden (2016) Ending Explained (SPOILERS)

At one point during the farce, both Sook-hee and Hideko realise their love for each other. The more they learn of each other’s truths, the more they empathise to the point that they stop being pawns in the men’s games, and start playing the game themselves.

After admitting Sook-hee into the asylum, Fujiwara asks Hideko to assume Sook-hee’s identity so they can escape. That same night, Hideko poisons Fujiwara and steals all his possessions. Meanwhile, Sook-hee’s family break her out of the asylum, forging documents to allow the two women passage outside Korea. Hideko disguises as Fujiwara, and Sook-hee as his newlywed wife. Since the authorities are searching for two women, they pass by unnoticed.

Fujiwara—merely knocked unconscious—wakes up naked to find Kozuki’s goons waiting for him. They take him to Kozuki, who locks him up in the basement. With an octopus in the background, Kozuki tortures Fujiwara, whilst demanding sick details of his ‘nuptial night’ with his neice. Fujiwara agrees to divulge those details, if he can smoke the last two cigarettes in his case. He had previously smoked 3 on the way, leaving only 2 oddly blue colored cigarettes. Kozuki agrees, only to later find out that the cigarettes were poisoned with mercury. The basement’s poor ventilation results in the room filling up wih toxic smoke, killing the two men.

Later, Sook-hee and Hideko reach Shanghai. Finally free, they make love to celebrate their escape as well as their union.

Is The Handmaiden (2016) worth watching?

Yes. Not only does the film tell a gripping erotic-thriller story, it also shines as an exceptionally made cinematic masterpiece. From its technical finesse to its performances, to even the minute details that further realise the complex mess that makes up for the intricate game of wits, The Handmaiden is a must watch.

Seriously, I’m now looking forward to watching his upcoming film, No Other Choice.

In Conclusion:

The Handmaiden (2016) is a masterclass in cinematic storytelling, adding another gem in Park Chan-Wook’s awe-inspiring filmography.

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• Nobody 2 (2025) | Film Review
• The Thursday Murder Club (2025) | Film Review
• Weapons (2025) | Film Review
• Superman (2025) | Film Review
• Takopi’s Original Sin | Anime Review
• Island of the Dying Goddess

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