The Handmaiden
Updated: 12/11/2025, 1:30:12 PM Wikipedia source
The Handmaiden (Korean: 아가씨; RR: Agassi; lit. 'Lady') is a 2016 South Korean erotic historical psychological thriller film directed, co-written and co-produced by Park Chan-Wook and starring Kim Min-hee, Kim Tae-ri, Ha Jung-woo and Cho Jin-woong. It is inspired by the 2002 novel Fingersmith by Welsh writer Sarah Waters, with the setting changed from Victorian era Britain to Korea under Japanese rule, where a Korean girl is hired as a handmaiden to a Japanese heiress who lives a secluded life on a countryside estate. The Handmaiden was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival. It was released in South Korea on 1 June 2016 to widespread critical acclaim for its directing, writing, twists, cinematography, musical score and cast performances, and grossed over US$38 million worldwide. At the 71st British Academy Film Awards, the film won the category of Best Film Not in the English Language. The movie appeared in many lists of 2016 top ten best movies, and since its release has been regarded as Park's best film since Oldboy (2003).
Infobox
Tables
| List of awards and nominations | |||||
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
| 2016 | Alliance of Women Film Journalists | Best Non-English-Language Film | Park Chan-wook | Won | |
| Austin Film Critics Association | Best Film | The Handmaiden | 4th Place | ||
| Best Director | Park Chan-wook | Nominated | |||
| Best Supporting Actress | Kim Min-hee | Nominated | |||
| Best Adapted Screenplay | Park Chan-wook Jeong Seo-kyeong | Nominated | |||
| Best Cinematography | Chung Chung-hoon | Nominated | |||
| Best Foreign Language Film | The Handmaiden | Won | |||
| Blue Dragon Film Awards | Best Film | Nominated | |||
| Best Director | Park Chan-wook | Nominated | |||
| Best Actress | Kim Min-hee | Won | |||
| Best New Actress | Kim Tae-ri | Won | |||
| Best Cinematography | Chung Chung-hoon | Nominated | |||
| Best Art Direction | Ryu Seong-hui | Won | |||
| Best Music | Jo Yeong-wook | Nominated | |||
| Technical Award | Jo Sang-kyeong (costume design) | Nominated | |||
| Boston Society of Film Critics | Best Cinematography | Chung Chung-hoon | Won | ||
| Best Foreign Language Film | The Handmaiden | Won | |||
| Buil Film Awards | Best Film | The Handmaiden | Nominated | ||
| Best Director | Park Chan-wook | Nominated | |||
| Best Actress | Kim Min-hee | Nominated | |||
| Best New Actress | Kim Tae-ri | Won | |||
| Best Cinematography | Chung Chung-hoon | Nominated | |||
| Best Art Direction | Ryu Seong-hui | Won | |||
| Best Music | Jo Yeong-wook | Nominated | |||
| Buil Readers' Jury Award | Park Chan-wook | Won | |||
| Busan Film Critics Awards | Best New Actress | Kim Tae-ri | Won | ||
| Cannes Film Festival | Palme d'Or | Park Chan-wook | Nominated | ||
| Queer Palm | Nominated | ||||
| Vulcan Award | Ryu Seong-hui | Won | |||
| Chicago Film Critics Association | Best Film | The Handmaiden | Nominated | ||
| Best Director | Park Chan-wook | Nominated | |||
| Best Adapted Screenplay | Park Chan-wook Jeong Seo-kyeong | Won | |||
| Best Cinematography | Chung Chung-hoon | Nominated | |||
| Best Foreign Language Film | The Handmaiden | Won | |||
| Best Art Direction | Won | ||||
| Critics' Choice Awards | Best Foreign Language Film | Nominated | |||
| Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association | Best Foreign Language Film | Won | |||
| Director's Cut Awards | Best Actress | Kim Min-hee | Won | ||
| Best New Actress | Kim Tae-ri | Won | |||
| Florida Film Critics Circle | Best Foreign Language Film | The Handmaiden | Runner-up | ||
| Best Cinematography | Chung Chung-hoon | Runner-up | |||
| Korean Association of Film Critics Awards | Top Ten Films of the Year | The Handmaiden | Won | ||
| Best Cinematography | Chung Chung-hoon | Won | |||
| IndieWire Critics Poll | Best Film | The Handmaiden | 7th Place | ||
| Best Director | Park Chan-wook | 5th Place | |||
| Best Original Score or Soundtrack | The Handmaiden | 8th Place | |||
| Best Cinematography | 4th Place | ||||
| Best Editing | 8th Place | ||||
References
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