From visionary director Park Chan-wook (Oldboy) comes a sumptuous and exhilarating period thriller inspired by Sarah Waters’ best-selling novel Fingersmith and winner of the 2018 BAFTA for Best Film Not in the English Language. Set during the Japanese occupation of Korea in the 1930s, a young maid named Sookee is hired by Hideko, a reclusive heiress who lives in a sprawling mansion under the watchful eye of her domineering Uncle Kouzuki. But Sookee harbours a secret: she has been recruited by Fujiwara, a scheming con artist posing as a Japanese Count, to trick Hideko into entrusting him with her fortune. However, when Sookee and Hideko begin to develop unexpected emotions for each other, they start putting together a plan of their own. With breathtaking visuals, grandiose set design and frenzied humour, 'The Handmaiden' is - an opulent and labyrinthine tale of deception, burning romance and triple-crossing that marks a career high for one of modern cinema’s most thrilling auteurs. BBFC Certified 18 - strong sex, sex references ★★★★★ "At once a superlative thriller and a deeply erotic character study, but it's the intelligence, mordant wit and depth of characterisation that are the real turn-ons" - Andrew Lowry, Empire ★★★★★ "A brilliant adaptation" - Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian ★★★★★ "Part melodrama, part erotica, full masterpiece" - Matthew Norman, Evening Standard