The Handmaiden

Park Chan-wook just has the IT factor. I’ve seen Oldboy and Decision to Leave from him and have been tuning into The Sympathizer weekly on HBO, so I have become a huge fan of his work. I finally got to The Handmaiden and it RIPPED. It’s hard to touch the classic that is Oldboy, but The Handmaiden had its own twists and turns throughout the film that at times left me speechless.  When it comes to pure style of filmmaking, Park Chan-wook is on another level. His films (and tv series) are so beautifully made and tend to have twists that will knock your socks off. Once the “Part Two” screen hit here, the movie ascends to another level. I can’t write a review on The Handmaiden without commenting on it being one of the most sexy and seductive films that I have personally ever watched with some scenes being literal pornography. Kim Tae Ri has captured my heart and is now one of my new actress crushes. From the graphic nudity and sex to the sensual readings in front of rich and creepy old men, The Handmaiden has it all. I have not watched a movie that has cracked my Top 100 in quite some time, but now The Handmaiden has reached that status debuting at #83. Phenomenal romantic thriller.