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The Handmaiden

Original title: Ah-ga-ssi
  • 2016
  • Not Rated
  • 2h 25m
IMDb RATING
8.1/10
157K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
518
35
Kim Min-hee, Ha Jung-woo, Cho Jin-woong, and Kim Tae-ri in The Handmaiden (2016)
Trailer for The Handmaiden
Play trailer1:08
3 Videos
99+ Photos
DramaRomanceThriller

A woman is hired as a handmaiden to a Japanese heiress, but secretly she is involved in a plot to defraud her.A woman is hired as a handmaiden to a Japanese heiress, but secretly she is involved in a plot to defraud her.A woman is hired as a handmaiden to a Japanese heiress, but secretly she is involved in a plot to defraud her.

  • Director
    • Park Chan-wook
  • Writers
    • Sarah Waters
    • Chung Seo-kyung
    • Park Chan-wook
  • Stars
    • Kim Min-hee
    • Ha Jung-woo
    • Cho Jin-woong
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    8.1/10
    157K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    518
    35
    • Director
      • Park Chan-wook
    • Writers
      • Sarah Waters
      • Chung Seo-kyung
      • Park Chan-wook
    • Stars
      • Kim Min-hee
      • Ha Jung-woo
      • Cho Jin-woong
    • 340User reviews
    • 351Critic reviews
    • 84Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Top rated movie #238
    • Won 1 BAFTA Award
      • 70 wins & 108 nominations total

    Videos3

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 1:08
    Watch Official Trailer
    The Handmaiden Official Trailer
    Trailer 1:05
    Watch The Handmaiden Official Trailer
    The Library
    Clip 1:06
    Watch The Library

    Photos154

    Kim Min-hee and Kim Tae-ri in The Handmaiden (2016)
    Kim Min-hee and Kim Tae-ri in The Handmaiden (2016)
    Kim Min-hee in The Handmaiden (2016)
    Kim Tae-ri in The Handmaiden (2016)
    Kim Min-hee at an event for The Handmaiden (2016)
    Kim Min-hee, Ha Jung-woo, Cho Jin-woong, and Kim Tae-ri at an event for The Handmaiden (2016)
    Kim Min-hee and Kim Tae-ri at an event for The Handmaiden (2016)
    Cho Jin-woong at an event for The Handmaiden (2016)
    Park Chan-wook, Kim Min-hee, Ha Jung-woo, Cho Jin-woong, and Kim Tae-ri at an event for The Handmaiden (2016)
    Park Chan-wook, Kim Min-hee, Ha Jung-woo, Cho Jin-woong, and Kim Tae-ri at an event for The Handmaiden (2016)
    Kim Min-hee, Ha Jung-woo, Cho Jin-woong, and Kim Tae-ri in The Handmaiden (2016)
    The Handmaiden (2016)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Kim Min-hee
    Kim Min-hee
    • Lady Hideko
    Ha Jung-woo
    Ha Jung-woo
    • Count Fujiwara
    Cho Jin-woong
    Cho Jin-woong
    • Uncle Kouzuki
    • (as Jin-woong Jo)
    Moon So-ri
    Moon So-ri
    • Aunt of Lady Hideko
    • (as Moon So-Ri)
    Kim Tae-ri
    Kim Tae-ri
    • Sook-Hee
    • (as Tae Ri Kim)
    Yong-nyeo Lee
    Yong-nyeo Lee
    • Bok-soon
    Min-chae Yoo
    • Ggeut-dan
    Dong-hwi Lee
    Dong-hwi Lee
    • Goo-gai
    Kim Hae-sook
    Kim Hae-sook
    • Miss Sasaki
    • (as Hae-suk Kim)
    Kyu-jung Lee
    • Maid 1
    Si-eun Kim
    • Maid 2
    Si-yeon Ha
    • Maid 3
    Rina Takagi
    • Hideko's Mother
    Geun-hee Won
    • Butler
    Jong-Dae Kim
    • Mansion Driver
    Han-sun Jang
    • Kouzuki Porter
    Eun-yeong Kim
    • Maid 4
    Ri-woo Kim
    • Japanese Officer 1
    • Director
      • Park Chan-wook
    • Writers
      • Sarah Waters
      • Chung Seo-kyung
      • Park Chan-wook
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The film title in Korean (Ah-ga-ssi) means ''The Lady'' referring to Lady Hideko, while the English/International title is The Handmaiden referring to Sook-hee.
    • Goofs
      The Count uses a propane gas lighter. That was impossible in 1930.
    • Quotes

      Lady Hideko: The daughter of a legendary thief, who sewed winter coats out of stolen purses. Herself a thief, pickpocket, swindler. The saviour who came to tear my life apart. My Tamako. My Sookee.

    • Crazy credits
      During the credits, the moon on the wall in the background shifts from full to new.
    • Alternate versions
      Extended version runs approx. 21 minutes longer.
    • Connections
      Featured in The EE British Academy Film Awards (2018)
    • Soundtracks
      The Song at the End of the Century
      Performed by Kim Tae-ri

      (P) 2016 CJ E&M MUSIC

    User reviews340

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    10/10
    Just amazing
    "The Handmaiden" is a crazily imaginative and beautiful movie by Chan-wook Park, who is at the top of his game in this story of a pickpocket that tries to steal the fortune of a naive, innocent rich woman that has been secluded in a mansion in the middle of nowhere. Of course, things will start to get complicated soon enough.

    Chan-wook Park has done a great job in adapting the original novel by Sarah Waters, and mixing it with the history of the Japanese invasion of Korea at the beginning of the twentieth century. The plot is a little bit silly sometimes, but Chan-wook Park makes it all tight and fast-paced, and even the most silly moment becomes a moment of beauty and fun. From the first moment, the viewer will be enthralled by the story of these two women and their relationship, and every plot development will just add fun to the whole.

    If the plot and the direction weren't amazing enough, the movie is as beautiful as they come. From the darkest moment, the most violent, to the most intimate, beauty transpires in every frame, and every scene comes to life and threatens to pop and break free from the screen. This is helped by the amazing work of all the cast, who does an incredible job in bringing this tale to life (it could be criticized, though, some of the heavily accented Japanese, for characters that are supposed to be able to pass as them).

    All in all, "The Handmaiden" is proof that a movie can have a plot, amazing direction, acting, scenery, craziness and the most beautiful package possible. And even if it is almost two hours and a half long, it feels like a breeze.

    You will fall in love with this movie. Just plain great.
    helpful•175
    45
    • tenshi_ippikiookami
    • Aug 5, 2016

    Top picks

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 1, 2016 (South Korea)
    • Country of origin
      • South Korea
    • Official sites
      • Amazon.com
      • Official Facebook
    • Languages
      • Korean
      • Japanese
    • Also known as
      • Người Hầu Gái
    • Filming locations
      • Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
    • Production companies
      • CJ Entertainment
      • Moho Film
      • Yong Film
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • ₩10,000,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $2,006,788
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $92,129
      • Oct 23, 2016
    • Gross worldwide
      • $37,854,655
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 25 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
      • Dolby Atmos
      • Dolby Surround 7.1
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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    Kim Min-hee, Ha Jung-woo, Cho Jin-woong, and Kim Tae-ri in The Handmaiden (2016)
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