The Handmaiden
아가씨
“You're the one being tricked.”
Synopsis
1930s Korea, in the period of Japanese occupation, a new girl, Sook-hee, is hired as a handmaiden to a Japanese heiress, Hideko, who lives a secluded life on a large countryside estate with her domineering Uncle Kouzuki. But the maid has a secret. She is a pickpocket recruited by a swindler posing as a Japanese Count to help him seduce the Lady to steal her fortune.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
UK TrailerOfficial
Type: Trailer • Published 2017-03-09
Top Cast
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Kim Min-hee
Lady Hideko
Kim Tae-ri
Sook-hee
Ha Jung-woo
Count Fujiwara
Cho Jin-woong
Uncle Kouzuki
Kim Hae-sook
Ms. Sasaki
Moon So-ri
Hideko's Aunt
Lee Yong-nyeo
Bok-soon
Kwak Eun-jin
Kkeut-dan
Lee Dong-hwi
Goo-gai
Jo Eun-hyung
Young Hideko
Rina Takagi
Hideko's Mother
Han Ha-na
Junko
Lee Kyu-jung
Maid 1
Kim See-eun
Maid 2
Ha Si-yeon
Maid 3
Kim Eun-yeong
Maid 4
Jeong Ha-dam
Maid 5
Yoo Min-chae
Ggeut-dan
Release History & Theatrical Window
Sydney Film Festival
Festival / Special Debut
October 21, 2016
Wide Cinema Exhibition
August 7, 2017
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$8.6M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$38.6M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
4.5x
+$30M net gain
Theatrical Status
Mega Hit
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Park Chan-wook
- Screenplay & Story
- Park Chan-wook, Chung Seo-kyung, Sarah Waters
- Original Score
- Cho Young-wuk
- Original Title
- 아가씨
- Country of Origin
- South Korea
- Spoken Languages
- Japanese, Korean
- Runtime
- 2h 25m
- Production Budget
- $8.6M
- Worldwide Gross
- $38.6M
- Production Studios
- Moho Film, Yong Film, CJ Entertainment
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Park Chan-wook
Park Chan-wook, Chung Seo-kyung, Sarah Waters
Cho Young-wuk
Chung Chung-hoon
Kim Sang-bum, Kim Jae-beom
Miky Lee, Syd Lim, Park Chan-wook
Department Leadership Roster
Park Chan-wook
Director
Park Chan-wook
Writer
Kim Sang-bum
Editor
Cho Young-wuk
Original Music Composer
Ryu Seong-hie
Production Design
Chung Seo-kyung
Writer
Cho Sang-kyung
Costume Design
Chung Chung-hoon
Director of Photography
Lee Jeon-hyoung
Visual Effects Supervisor
Kim Jae-beom
Editor
Syd Lim
Producer
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
R: Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
International Certification Matrix
FSK 16 — Restricted to viewers aged 16 and older.
Interdit aux moins de 12 ans — 12+ only.
Suitable only for adults 18 years and over.
Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for The Handmaiden.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring The Handmaiden.
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Frequently Asked Questions About The Handmaiden
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is The Handmaiden about?
1930s Korea, in the period of Japanese occupation, a new girl, Sook-hee, is hired as a handmaiden to a Japanese heiress, Hideko, who lives a secluded life on a large countryside estate with her domineering Uncle Kouzuki. But the maid has a secret. She is a pickpocket recruited by a swindler posing as a Japanese Count to help him seduce the Lady to steal her fortune.
Who directed The Handmaiden?
The Handmaiden was directed by Park Chan-wook.
Who stars in The Handmaiden?
The principal cast of The Handmaiden includes Kim Min-hee, Kim Tae-ri, Ha Jung-woo, Cho Jin-woong, Kim Hae-sook.
When was The Handmaiden released and how long is it?
The Handmaiden was released in 2016 with a total runtime of 2h 25m.
What was the box office and production budget of The Handmaiden?
The Handmaiden had a reported production budget of $8.6M and grossed $38.6M at the worldwide box office (4.5 return on budget, classified as a blockbuster success).
Who composed the musical score for The Handmaiden?
The original motion picture soundtrack for The Handmaiden was composed by Cho Young-wuk.
Is The Handmaiden based on a book or true story?
The Handmaiden is adapted from the following source material: Novel: "Sarah Waters".
What is the age rating and content advisory for The Handmaiden?
The Handmaiden holds official age classifications: AU: R 18+; DE: 16 (FSK 16 — Restricted to viewers aged 16 and older.); FR: 12 (Interdit aux moins de 12 ans — 12+ only.); GB: 18 (Suitable only for adults 18 years and over.); US: R (Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.).