A classically surprising Park Chan-Wook story, that is both every bit his signature and uncharacteristically tender. Unlike the vengeance trilogy, the characters in THE HANDMAIDEN do not pass their own blame onto others, rather, their detriment is caused by their adoption of each other's hardships, making for a captivating interlocking of character arcs. Seekers of expertly crafted fight scenes will find them in true, literati form; doubly intense and subversive. Although by no means his most violent film, THE HANDMAIDEN presents Park Chan-Wook's world as more bloodthirsty than ever.