The Handmaiden - Agassi
The acclaimed director of Oldboy returns with his first-ever period film, a stunning crime drama set in 1930s Japanese-occupied Korea. Park Chan-wook’s The Handmaiden is a riveting and carnal story of young Lady Hideko (Kim Min-hee) and Sook-Hee (Kim Tae-ri), the Korean woman hired to serve as her new handmaiden— who is secretly involved in the plot of con artist (Ha Jung-woo) to swindle Hideko. Adapting Sarah Waters’s novel Fingersmith, Park uses his distinct visual talent to transport the story from Victorian England to a ravishing estate in Korea, an exquisitely realized space blending European and Japanese architecture. Driven by outstanding performances and splendorous production design, The Handmaiden is a thrilling, erotic tale teeming with unexpected twists. A Magnolia Pictures release.
Short Takes: The Handmaiden