Buckle up for this movie, because for two hours, The Handmaiden will pull you in, disgust, and captivate you.

I went into this honestly not expecting too much, but the cinematography really captured me immediately. It is shot beautifully, albeit bluntly, and is very vibrant. I got some The Illusionist vibes from this movie with they way they approached the mystery and trickery. A forewarning though, this is by no means a light watch. There is sexual abuse, torture, serious themes, a suicide flashback (not the main characters, so no worries), and some pretty explicit sex scenes in this. If you're not comfortable with those, this might not be for you. Kay, on to the rest.

The acting was on point for TH. Everything and everybody pulled this together, and it is a very intense watch. I was thoroughly disgusted, happy, and thrilled throughout. There really was no disappointment for this. There was a scene where Sook Hee destroys erotic books, and that scene especially stood out. It was truly heartbreaking and freeing to watch. The acting shone and the chemistry between the two FL's is off the charts.

The story is a deep one. It follows a woman who is being used for her beauty and her uncle who is sexually obsessed with her, and plans to marry her for her fortune and to own her. It's some pretty raunchy stuff. There is some near full on nudity as well as genitals depicted in this so prepare yourself. This deals with mature elements such as sexual abuse (I'm reiterating because it is HEAVY) and mental abuse. Escaping her torturer was her only goal, but Hideko finds love in Sook Hee instead. There are some twists to this story, which I really enjoyed. TH was ultimately about escaping your abuser and the happiness you can find in the right person. The ending was wonderful as I only wanted happiness for the two.

Music wasn't such a heavy element in this, but the ending song was quite pretty.

All in all, I would recommend if you're looking for a short watch with depth to it. It is dark, but rewarding.