The Handmaiden header

Following up his English-language debut Stoker, Park Chan-wook is finally back this year with The Handmaiden. Amazon Studios and Magnolia Pictures picked up the Cannes premiere for a release this October, and we now have the first U.S. trailer. While it’s identical to a previous international version, it’s a great reminder to get excited for what’s surely an essential watch. Amazon has also dropped a fantastic new poster that gets a little handsy.

As we said in our review, “Park Chan-wook has often iterated his conviction that vengeance is a topic ripe for infinite cinematic treatments. Following the conclusion of his trilogy dedicated to the subject – Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, Oldboy, and Sympathy for Lady Vengeance – he largely moved on. (Although Stoker did use elements of revenge to drive the narrative along, it didn’t constitute the film’s central preoccupation.) But now he’s back and his thematic ambition is greater than ever. In The Handmaiden, an adaptation of Sarah Waters’ novel Fingersmith, the target of his heroines’ vengeance is none other than the patriarchy. Those familiar with Park’s earlier work will know that he’s hardly the most subtle of filmmakers, and his approach to gender politics here is risible, even self-contradictory. His customary prowess as a stylist and knack for constructing and navigating intricate plots, on the other hand, is once again put to good use.”

Check out the trailer below for the film starring Kim Min-hee, Ha Jung-woo, Kim Tae-ri, and Cho Jin-woong:

From Park Chan-wook, the celebrated director of OLDBOY, LADY VENGEANCE and STOKER, comes a ravishing new crime drama. Park presents a gripping and sensual tale of two women—a young Japanese lady living on a secluded estate and a Korean woman who is hired to serve as her new handmaiden, but is secretly plotting with a conman to defraud her of a large inheritance. Inspired by the novel Fingersmith by British author Sarah Waters, THE HANDMAIDEN borrows the most dynamic elements of its source material and combines it with Park Chan-wook’s singular vision to create an unforgettable viewing experience.

The Handmaiden poster

The Handmaiden opens on October 21.

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