**In the circle of romance, deceive and defraud.** Those who are into the world cinema, particularly the Korean, knows Park Chan-wook very well. But if you don't, then you must. His films are definitely for the grown ups. Like everybody else, my admiration for his work has started a decade ago with…
2016 · THRILLER, DRAMA, ROMANCE
The Handmaiden
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.
Availability
Where to watch The Handmaiden
28 official sources across 4 regions. Rows with a direct link open this exact title on the provider’s own site; the others open that provider’s own search for the title, where price, video quality and audio options are confirmed before you pay.
Official trailer for The Handmaiden, via Curzon. Open on YouTube
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United Kingdom13 options
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Checked 4 November 2026. Listings from TMDB / JustWatch data and they change daily; the provider page always shows the final price. Compare every option on JustWatch. MovieState links only to licensed services.
Editor’s note
Should you watch The Handmaiden?
The Handmaiden sits in the thriller corner of cinema. 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.
Directed by Park Chan-wook. Lead cast: Kim Min-hee, Kim Tae-ri, Ha Jung-woo.
Clocking in at 2h 25m, 4,573 ratings average 8.2/10.
Worth your evening if thriller is your lane.
Written by the MovieState editorial team from TMDB data (synopsis, cast, crew, runtime, ratings, certification, provider listings). Verified 2026-11-04. Read our editorial policy.
The facts
The Handmaiden details
- Release date
- September 22, 2016
- Status
- Released
- Runtime
- 2h 25m
- Genres
- Thriller, Drama, Romance
- US certification
- R
- Original language
- KO
- Budget
- $8,575,000
- Box office
- $38,600,000
- Director
- Park Chan-wook
At a glance: The Handmaiden runs 2h 25m, was directed by Park Chan-wook, opened in US cinemas on September 22, 2016, has 28 licensed options across 4 regions tracked here.
Exact record pages: IMDb record · TMDB record
Audience reaction
Ratings and reviews
8.2/104,580 ratings
The Handmaiden sits at 8.2 out of 10 from 4,580 user ratings. For context, the film's worldwide gross is $38.6M.
Scores show TMDB user ratings at the time of publishing and shift as new votes arrive.
Talk about the best laid plans! This is a cracking, sexy, thriller set in Korea during the Japanese occupation of the 1930s. It centres around the charming, butter-wouldn't-melt "Sook-Hee" (Tae Ri Kim) who takes a job attending the wealthy "Lady Hideko" (Kim Min-hee). She lives on a grand estate…
FAQ
The Handmaiden — common questions
Is The Handmaiden worth watching?
Audiences rate it 8.2/10 from 4,573 votes. Read the editor's note above for who it suits, then check the provider page before paying.
Who directed The Handmaiden and who stars in it?
Directed by Park Chan-wook. Starring Kim Min-hee, Kim Tae-ri.
How long is The Handmaiden?
The Handmaiden runs 2h 25m.
Where can I watch The Handmaiden?
Official options are listed for United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia. We only link to licensed providers and never to unlicensed streaming sites.
When was The Handmaiden released?
2016-06-01 (Released).
Who is in it
The Handmaiden cast
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Sources & how we verify
Synopsis, cast, crew, runtime, certification, release dates and ratings come from the TMDB record for this title (TMDB). Provider listings and logos come from TMDB / JustWatch data. We check each page against those sources and date the page; corrections go through our editorial policy.
Verified 2026-11-04. MovieState does not host or stream video and links only to licensed providers.