The Handmaiden poster

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The Handmaiden

2016 · Movie · 145 min

Every rating

Platform pages last read 30 September 2026. IMDb’s figure comes from IMDb’s own data file, which we re-read about once a month.

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72–96 out of 100

Mostly agreed

Lowest is Criticker on 72, highest is Rotten Tomatoes critics on 96.

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In 1930s Korea, a young pickpocket is hired by a conman posing as a Japanese count to become the handmaiden to a wealthy, secluded Japanese heiress. Their plot is to convince the lady to marry the count so they can steal her fortune and commit her to an asylum. However, the intricate scheme begins to unravel as genuine and unexpected emotions develop between the two women, leading to shifting alliances and new, dangerous plots.

Details

Based on
Fingersmith by Sarah Waters
Released
1 June 2016
Country
South Korea
Language
Korean, Japanese
Runtime
145 min
Rated
R
Budget
$8.6M
Box office
$38.6M
Awards
43 wins, 55 nominations

This title elsewhere

Kim Min-hee

Kim Min-hee

Lady Hideko

Kim Tae-ri

Kim Tae-ri

Sook-hee

Ha Jung-woo

Ha Jung-woo

Count Fujiwara

Cho Jin-woong

Cho Jin-woong

Uncle Kouzuki

Kim Hae-sook

Kim Hae-sook

Ms. Sasaki

Moon So-ri

Moon So-ri

Hideko's Aunt

Lee Yong-nyeo

Lee Yong-nyeo

Bok-soon

Kwak Eun-jin

Kwak Eun-jin

Kkeut-dan

Awards & nominations

See all 98 →

1 major award won · 43 wins from 98 nominations across 34 ceremonies

Cannes Film Festival 2016 Vulcan Award Ryu Seong-hui Winner
Cannes Film Festival 2016 Queer Palm Park Chan-wook Nominee
Cannes Film Festival 2016 Palme d'Or Park Chan-wook Nominee
Critics' Choice Awards 2016 Best Foreign Language Film The Handmaiden Nominee
British Academy Film Awards 2018 Best Film Not in the English Language Park Chan-wook and Syd Lim Winner
Empire Awards 2018 Best Thriller The Handmaiden Nominee
London Film Critics Circle Awards 2018 Foreign Language Film of the Year The Handmaiden Nominee
Apolo Awards 2017 Best Adapted Screenplay Park Chan-wook Jeong Seo-kyeong Nominee
Show all 98 awards across 34 ceremonies

Awards from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA.