The Handmaiden (2016) Parents Guide & Movie Info
The Handmaiden Poster

The Handmaiden - Family Review

1930s Korea, in the period of Japanese occupation, a new girl, Sookee, is hired as a handmaiden to a Japanese heiress, Hideko, who lives a secluded life on a large countryside estate with her domineering Uncle Kouzuki. But the maid has a secret. She is a pickpocket recruited by a swindler posing as a Japanese Count to help him seduce the Lady to elope with him, rob her of her fortune, and lock her up in a madhouse. The plan seems to proceed according to plan until Sookee and Hideko discover some unexpected emotions.

2016 | 145 Minutes

No MPAA rating
IMDB: 8.1 ⭐️ Votes: 150,058

Content Warnings

  • Sexual Content
    Strong
    None Mild Moderate Severe
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    A woman complains about a sharp tooth and another woman grabs a file to smooth it, which quickly becomes sensual. Brief shot of the woman's breasts can be seen at one point.

    A woman opens a book and is disgusted when she finds erotic art on two pages. Disgusted and shocked, the woman tears the pages of the book.

    Sex is a major theme of the movie. The sex scenes are very graphic and detailed, and include multiple different sex acts and positions.

    Two women undress each other. Nudity is obscured.

    The first two sex scenes between two women are the same scenes, but in different perspectives. First scene is much shorter and less graphic. Second sex scene is longer (over four minutes long), and includes oral sex, digital penetration, and tribadism.

    Sex toys are used between two women.

    A woman spies on another woman undressing under bed covers before she gets out to put on her sleeping gown. You can see the woman's breasts.

    A man seduces a woman. Breasts can be seen after the man removes the top of the woman's outfit.

    From the extended version, a woman grabs another woman's hand and places it between her legs as they kiss passionately. This lasts for just a few seconds, and nothing graphic is seen, as both women are fully clothed.

    A woman catches another woman and a man kissing passionately.

  • Violence
    Moderate
    None Mild Moderate Severe
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    We see a woman's dead body hanging from a tree.

    A young girl is hit on the knuckles three times by a metal bell. We then see her bruised and bloody knuckles.

    A man's buttocks is seen with whip marks on it as he is held in a press/sexual device.

    A man wearing gloves covers the faces of a woman and young girls and aggressively shakes their faces and then removes his hands.

    Four servants are slapped aggressively by a woman.

    A woman is slapped.

    A woman pushes another woman into a small bedroom/closet and shuts the door on her.

    Discussion of suicide.

  • Profanity
    Strong
    None Mild Moderate Severe
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    Multiple uses of f**k, c**t, c**k, and s**t, often used in graphic sexual dialogue and context.

    Other sexual and anatomical references.

    Uses of bitch, ass, damn, hell, and other insults.

  • Intense Scenes
    Moderate
    None Mild Moderate Severe
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