Overview
1930s Korea, in the period of Japanese occupation, a young woman is hired as a handmaiden to a Japanese heiress who lives a secluded life on a large countryside estate with her domineering uncle. But, the maid has a secret: she is a pickpocket recruited by a swindler posing as a Japanese count to help him seduce the heiress 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 the women discover some unexpected emotions.
This film was a neat little story about ambition and desire. The central story line and conflict felt like something that might come from Shakespeare or the like. The story was told in a rather interesting way – there are a series of plot twists that result in the story being told over again. The odd thing about this (without saying too much) is that certain twists don’t appear at the end of the movie. If you pay attention (and look at how much time is left in the movie) you can pretty much guess how the movie is going to end. Couple that with everything else that the film brought to the table and the result is a unique and full viewing experience.
IHATEBadMovies.com reviews The Handmaiden
Movie title: The Handmaiden
Movie description: 1930s Korea, in the period of Japanese occupation, a young woman is hired as a handmaiden to a Japanese heiress who lives a secluded life on a large countryside estate with her domineering uncle. But, the maid has a secret: she is a pickpocket recruited by a swindler posing as a Japanese count to help him seduce the heiress 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 the women discover some unexpected emotions.
Date published: 2018-11-24
Director(s): Park Chan-wook
Actor(s): Kim Min-hee, Kim Tae-ri, Ha Jung-woo, Cho Jin-woong, Kim Hae-sook, Moon So-ri, Lee Yong-nyeo, Lee Dong-hwi, Jo Eun-hyung, Han Ha-na, Lee Kyu-jung, Kim See-eun, Ha Si-yeon, Kim Eun-yeong, Jeong Ha-dam, Kim In-woo
Genre: Thriller, Drama, Romance
My Review
This film was a neat little story about ambition and desire. The central story line and conflict felt like something that might come from Shakespeare or the like. The story was told in a rather interesting way – there are a series of plot twists that result in the story being told over again. The odd thing about this (without saying too much) is that certain twists don’t appear at the end of the movie. If you pay attention (and look at how much time is left in the movie) you can pretty much guess how the movie is going to end. Couple that with everything else that the film brought to the table and the result is a unique and full viewing experience.
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My Review - 8.5/10
8.5/10