The Handmaiden
"...It's Parasite meets PornHub - in story and aesthetic - with a brilliantly woven tale full of twists and turns..."
I often lament the fact that few high-level films are brave enough or skilled enough to dabble in full, unhinged expressions of sexuality - to use that undeniable part of the human experience in their storytelling.
Tasteful implication has its place in cinema, but there is an inherent cowardice simmering beneath that choice, a white flag of surrender to the imagination. There's no doubt that pulling off raw presentation requires masters in all departments, but it's 2021, so let's stop pretending that filmic expressions of passionate love are always beyond the pale in dramatic cinema.
Well, my lamentations were heard: The Handmaiden is that film. It's ravishing and glorious and fun and has instantly entered my personal pantheon. It's Parasite meets PornHub - in story and aesthetic - with a brilliantly woven tale full of twists and turns. And just like with Parasite, I was either smiling or wide-eyed for the entire 2.5 hour runtime.