The Handmaiden
Movie • 2016 • Drama
Report1930s Korea, in the period of Japanese occupation, a young woman is hired as a handmaiden to a Japanese heiress who lives a secluded life on a large countryside estate with her domineering uncle. But, the maid has a secret: she is a pickpocket recruited by a swindler posing as a Japanese count to help him seduce the heiress 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 the women discover some unexpected emotions.
This movie contains 66 potentially triggering events.
Filter to only show:
Both
Yes
No
Your Triggers
Yes
0
No
48
Abandonment
Yes
1
No
6
Yes
9
No
0
Is an animal abandoned?
86 supporters
Yes
0
No
9
0
nyancatspunksibling
I don't think there are any animals in the movie besides the octopus?
1 comment | Add comment
Abuse
Are there abusive parents?
1 supporters
Yes
12
No
0
0
nyancatspunksibling
Childhood abuse is a large plot point.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
10
Is someone stalked?
21 supporters
Yes
1
No
29
0
nyancatspunksibling
A character watches other characters speak secretly, but I wouldn't call it stalking.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
54
No
0
5
Lazer
Mental and physical abuse of a man toward his wife and his niece
1 comment | Add comment
Is a woman brutalized for spectacle?
79 supporters
Yes
8
No
3
0
nyancatspunksibling
I'm unsure where the 'yes's are coming from. A woman is sexualized in the movie from her childhood for pay, but she is not brutalized at all.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
10
No
3
0
nyancatspunksibling
Cycles of abuse perpetuating is a theme, but as someone with this trigger, I was okay.
1 comment | Add comment
Is someone gaslighted?
1 supporters
Yes
10
No
21
0
nyancatspunksibling
Not really, but there's a lot of behind-the-back plots and twists in this movie.
1 comment | Add comment
Is someone abused with a belt?
20 supporters
Yes
8
No
0
1
reesew
a whip, not a belt, but the same idea
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
65
No
0
14
queerdragon
A child is physically and mentally abused in several graphic scenes, and she's sexually groomed.
4 comments | Add comment
Addiction
Yes
35
No
5
5
Lazer
Constant use of cigarettes one of which is laced with mercury and used for suicide
4 comments | Add comment
Is there addiction?
18 supporters
Yes
5
No
23
1
x.kayy.x
Cigarettes.
2 comments | Add comment
Does someone abuse alcohol?
17 supporters
Yes
4
No
23
0
nyancatspunksibling
To correct the above comment, this is not abuse. It is a practice that has been going on for thousands of years and they are fed only a spoonful.
2 comments | Add comment
Animal
Were animals harmed in the making?
123 supporters
Yes
0
No
7
0
nyancatspunksibling
I don't think there are animals in the movie? Am I tweaking?
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
37
Yes
1
No
36
Are animals abused?
176 supporters
Yes
7
No
32
2
Ofinlay
Minor spoiler: there is a marine animal kept in a very small tank, could be interpreted as animal abuse.
3 comments | Add comment
Yes
0
No
36
Yes
0
No
34
Yes
0
No
9
Yes
0
No
9
Yes
0
No
37
Yes
0
No
10
Yes
0
No
36
Are there spiders?
44 supporters
Yes
1
No
34
1
swirlboy
Not sure why all these comments here are about snakes
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
7
Are there snakes?
17 supporters
Yes
43
No
3
12
Starlingley
There is a statue of a snake that marks the entrance to a library, but there are no live snakes in the movie.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
10
Are there bugs?
30 supporters
Yes
46
No
0
7
queerdragon
There's a brief scene with a cockroach in food.
2 comments | Add comment
Assault
Yes
13
No
0
0
nyancatspunksibling
An (also female) character slaps another female character.
1 comment | Add comment
Is someone drugged?
27 supporters
Yes
14
No
0
0
nyancatspunksibling
A character is drugged by another character so that they can escape a situation.
1 comment | Add comment
Is there pedophilia?
107 supporters
Yes
13
No
0
1
Lixie
Adults groom a child and a heavy part of the story revolves around it
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
10
Yes
11
No
0
Yes
0
No
9
Yes
20
No
0
Yes
58
No
0
8
queerdragon
A man attempts to rape his wife but fails and she manages to escape.
3 comments | Add comment
Yes
9
No
0
Are there jokes about sexual assault on men?
1 supporters
Yes
0
No
10
0
nyancatspunksibling
Sexual assault against men is not mentioned or shown in the movie
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
15
No
0
5
moschidae
There are a bunch of scenes where a woman is preforming sexual acts without consent- no actual r but i'm going to say its uncomfortable enough to count
1 comment | Add comment
Bodily Harm
Is there shaving/cutting?
1 supporters
Yes
43
No
0
7
Lazer
Someone cuts her hand open with a knife and the blood is shown
1 comment | Add comment
Are any hands damaged?
16 supporters
Yes
11
No
0
0
nyancatspunksibling
Self-harm (for a purpose) in one scene and graphic mutilation near the end of the movie
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
8
Is there throat mutilation?
37 supporters
Yes
1
No
6
0
nyancatspunksibling
Not sure if hangings count.
2 comments | Add comment
Does someone struggle to breathe?
28 supporters
Yes
46
No
1
5
Lazer
Chocking with hands and noose
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
0
No
8
Yes
0
No
32
Yes
0
No
12
Yes
10
No
0
Yes
0
No
38
Yes
0
No
36
Yes
5
No
6
Is there amputation?
26 supporters
Yes
41
No
7
6
royandale
Someone has their fingers cut off with bookbinding equipment.
3 comments | Add comment
Yes
0
No
35
Is there Achilles Tendon injury?
22 supporters
Yes
0
No
12
0
nyancatspunksibling
What the fuck is an achilles tendon
1 comment | Add comment
Is there a hanging?
33 supporters
Yes
59
No
0
9
queerdragon
There's two graphic scenes of hanging, one non-lethal, and numerous discussions of it.
3 comments | Add comment
Yes
0
No
10
Is there genital trauma/mutilation?
78 supporters
Yes
27
No
1
5
m3101
Attemped in the torture scene near the end of the film but not shown
2 comments | Add comment
Does someone become unconscious?
1 supporters
Yes
14
No
0
0
nyancatspunksibling
Characters sleep, and one is drugged to pass out.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
31
Yes
0
No
34
Are any teeth damaged?
51 supporters
Yes
7
No
30
11
februarryy
not really, but there is one scene where the lady says she has a sharp tooth and the handmaid files it down with a thimble. you dont see the tooth or the action at all
2 comments | Add comment
Is there finger/toe mutilation?
50 supporters
Yes
57
No
0
10
Anonymous
A man's fingers are slowly cut off in the basement.
1 comment | Add comment
Is someone tortured?
78 supporters
Yes
55
No
0
7
Sandphin
Graphic scene near the end of the film.
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
0
No
14
Yes
0
No
33
Yes
0
No
37
Yes
1
No
6
Is there excessive gore?
82 supporters
Yes
6
No
12
1
Ofinlay
Some blood in a scene later in the movie, and blood from fingers getting cut off. Not what I would call excessive
2 comments | Add comment
Children
Yes
1
No
9
Yes
0
No
35
Is a minor sexualized?
97 supporters
Yes
16
No
0
4
wildflowerchild
a young girl is forced to read sexual content aloud multiple times
2 comments | Add comment
Creepy Crawly
Yes
0
No
8
Death
Yes
1
No
6
Does a major character die?
23 supporters
Yes
2
No
5
1
nyancatspunksibling
Yes. Surprised at all the 'no' answers. Multiple important characters die.
2 comments | Add comment
Does a non-human character die?
22 supporters
Yes
0
No
10
1
nyancatspunksibling
No nonhuman characters
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
10
No
0
Disability
Is someone disabled played by able-bodied?
20 supporters
Yes
0
No
9
0
nyancatspunksibling
No explicitly disabled characters besides some that are mentally insane.
1 comment | Add comment
Is the r-slur used?
30 supporters
Yes
0
No
16
0
nyancatspunksibling
The movie is in Korean and Japanese, so no. Some characters refer to others as "mad".
1 comment | Add comment
Drugs/Alcohol
Does someone overdose?
14 supporters
Yes
4
No
6
0
nyancatspunksibling
Why are people voting no?? Watch the movie again?? Idiots??
1 comment | Add comment
Family
Yes
9
No
0
Does a parent die?
24 supporters
Yes
45
No
2
8
Anonymous
Though she was not an actual parent, a kind of parental figure commits suicide and the deaths of the main characters' mothers is discussed
1 comment | Add comment
Is a child's toy destroyed?
29 supporters
Yes
0
No
28
0
nyancatspunksibling
She still has it :)
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
31
No
1
Does someone cheat?
18 supporters
Yes
25
No
7
6
Lazer
It’s more of doubling back on a deal than cheating on a committed relationship but someone is involved with two people at once
3 comments | Add comment
Fear
Are there ghosts?
9 supporters
Yes
1
No
35
6
cherry
none shown, but discussed
2 comments | Add comment
Are there jump scares?
55 supporters
Yes
23
No
7
9
Anonymous
If you want to watch the film but need a heads up on the jump scare: it happens soon after her arrival at the house, when Sookee goes to enter the library, the old man scares her with a statue of a snake. If i had the movie with me i would give you the actual time it happens but i don't, sorry
1 comment | Add comment
Is there a shower scene?
8 supporters
Yes
37
No
4
13
Anonymous
There is a romantic bath scene with sexual implications
2 comments | Add comment
Are there natural bodies of water?
2 supporters
Yes
8
No
0
0
nyancatspunksibling
Characters ride a boat. The boat is never implied to be unsafe.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
36
Yes
0
No
33
Yes
0
No
6
Yes
0
No
7
Are there mannequins?
5 supporters
Yes
5
No
2
1
Anonymous
There's a wooden body figure but nothing like what we think of as a contemporary mannequin. It has no face carved.
2 comments | Add comment
Gross
Does someone vomit?
92 supporters
Yes
8
No
21
4
Yep555
Around the 19 minutes of the movie when the woman runs to the bathroom. Not really sure if she really tr*w up or if she just cough but there are noises + heaving, that look a lot like it.
1 comment | Add comment
Does someone wet/soil themselves?
20 supporters
Yes
2
No
13
2
Anonymous
Briefly mentioned, but not shown.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
6
Yes
0
No
7
Yes
0
No
6
Does someone spit?
9 supporters
Yes
4
No
26
5
BellaRad
Not spitting per se but there's a scene where someone very messily bites into a peach and juice comes out everywhere
1 comment | Add comment
Is there audio gore?
41 supporters
Yes
30
No
1
4
Sandphin
During the torture scene at the end. I hid my face but still heard the noises. yuck.
1 comment | Add comment
Large-scale Violence
Are there 9/11 depictions?
1 supporters
Yes
1
No
9
0
nyancatspunksibling
The movie takes place before 9/11.
1 comment | Add comment
Law Enforcement
Yes
0
No
24
Is there incarceration?
4 supporters
Yes
3
No
4
0
Deny005
There's a scene that takes place in an asylum, it could be seen as such
1 comment | Add comment
LGBTQ+
Yes
0
No
9
Is a trans person depicted predatorily?
59 supporters
Yes
0
No
9
0
nyancatspunksibling
No trans people in the movie
1 comment | Add comment
Is there deadnaming or birthnaming?
34 supporters
Yes
1
No
7
0
nyancatspunksibling
No trans people in the movie
1 comment | Add comment
Is there bisexual cheating?
22 supporters
Yes
5
No
3
0
nyancatspunksibling
[Character that I'm assuming you guys are talking about] is not bisexual. She is VERY clearly played as a lesbian. Stop erasing that.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
6
Loss
Is a priceless artifact destroyed?
8 supporters
Yes
6
No
1
1
I had understood that most of the books are actually forgeries.
3 comments | Add comment
Medical
Yes
0
No
31
Yes
0
No
28
Is there a mental institution scene?
25 supporters
Yes
51
No
0
9
Real_Horrorshow
someone is put in a mental institution against their will
1 comment | Add comment
Is there a hospital scene?
10 supporters
Yes
35
No
7
8
queerdragon
A character is forcefully placed into an asylum and there are brief scenes inside.
1 comment | Add comment
Is there menstruation?
6 supporters
Yes
0
No
6
0
nyancatspunksibling
Blood that comes from the vagina is shown but it is not menstrual
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
32
Mental Health
Does someone have a mental illness?
1 supporters
Yes
7
No
0
0
nyancatspunksibling
You could argue that a main character has PTSD.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
40
No
0
1
nyancatspunksibling
A character cuts her own hand with a blade. This is for a purpose and not just to cause pain to herself.
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
0
No
7
Yes
1
No
16
Yes
0
No
4
Is there D.I.D. misrepresentation?
1 supporters
Yes
0
No
7
0
nyancatspunksibling
No characters with DID
1 comment | Add comment
Is there autism specific abuse?
40 supporters
Yes
0
No
31
0
nyancatspunksibling
No explicitly autistic characters
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
16
No
0
3
wildflowerchild
a woman attempts to hang herself but is saved at the last second
3 comments | Add comment
Is reality unstable or unhinged?
1 supporters
Yes
0
No
6
1
nyancatspunksibling
There are no unreality themes
1 comment | Add comment
Does someone have a meltdown?
7 supporters
Yes
2
No
4
0
nyancatspunksibling
You could say that, maybe? The scene where a character gets angry and becomes violent towards another character
1 comment | Add comment
Is there misophonia?
32 supporters
Yes
18
No
1
4
BellaRad
A person bites into a peach messily/noisily
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
1
No
22
Is there ABA therapy?
17 supporters
Yes
0
No
6
0
nyancatspunksibling
No explicitly autistic characters
1 comment | Add comment
Does someone say "I'll kill myself"?
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255)
30 supporters
Add comment
Yes
18
No
1
Yes
0
No
7
Yes
0
No
27
Is there a claustrophobic scene?
17 supporters
Yes
20
No
2
0
nyancatspunksibling
I'm gonna be honest I'm unaware about what the "yes" answers are for, but there's scenes inside cars and a characters sleeping quarters (which she... doesn't tend to use much) is a bit small
1 comment | Add comment
Does someone have an eating disorder?
1 supporters
Yes
2
No
28
6
leee
No, but there is scene where a character eats one grain of rice at time.
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
53
No
0
9
Starlingley
They talk about two characters who die by suicide in the first part of the movie. In part two of the movie they show the aftermath of one suicide by hanging and the attempt of another hanging. There is also talk of plans for suicide by overdose.
3 comments | Add comment
Does someone suffer from PTSD?
1 supporters
Yes
11
No
1
0
nyancatspunksibling
Implied
1 comment | Add comment
Noxious
Yes
0
No
8
Yes
2
No
5
Yes
0
No
28
Does a baby cry?
1 supporters
Yes
27
No
0
3
pirpar
quite a bit at the start of the movie
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
7
No
0
Is there obscene language/gestures?
5 supporters
Yes
14
No
0
5
wildflowerchild
A lot of graphic sexual language, it's a large part of the plot
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
29
Paranoia
Is someone watched without knowing?
12 supporters
Yes
8
No
0
0
nyancatspunksibling
Characters listen in on conversations a few times. Nothing very creepy.
1 comment | Add comment
Is the fourth wall broken?
1 supporters
Yes
0
No
12
0
nyancatspunksibling
As someone with unreality triggers, I was fine the entire movie. There is no "breaking the fourth wall" at all in this.
1 comment | Add comment
Pregnancy
Yes
0
No
14
Yes
0
No
30
Are there babies or unborn children?
14 supporters
Yes
13
No
0
0
moschidae
skip the first section of the movie if you're upset by these themes- i dont have timestamps unfortunately but they go away after protag arrives at the estate. However they are briefly brought up in a sex scene where one character is kissing the others chest and it was enough to upset me, so watch out.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
31
Yes
0
No
29
Does a pregnant person die?
18 supporters
Yes
8
No
22
9
isabella431
a woman dies in childbirth but its only talked about
1 comment | Add comment
Prejudice
Yes
0
No
30
Yes
1
No
24
Are there usages of the n-word?
32 supporters
Yes
0
No
28
1
nyancatspunksibling
No racism towards black people in the movie. Also, the movie is in KR+JP, so the N-word isn't used at all.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
29
Are there "Man in a dress" jokes?
33 supporters
Yes
0
No
17
0
nyancatspunksibling
Men do not wear dresses in the movie.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
32
1
nyancatspunksibling
No trans people
1 comment | Add comment
Does an LGBT person die?
30 supporters
Yes
0
No
44
15
error_cascade
Potential spoiler territory, but this film is arguably the opposite of the dead lesbian trope.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
2
No
30
Is there aphobia?
20 supporters
Yes
0
No
7
0
nyancatspunksibling
No asexual characters
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
8
Does the black guy die first?
17 supporters
Yes
0
No
36
6
Sandphin
No Black people in this movie; everyone is Asian.
2 comments | Add comment
Is there hate speech?
28 supporters
Yes
28
No
1
2
Anonymous
At the beginning of the film, the slur “J*p†is used.
2 comments | Add comment
Race
Yes
0
No
7
Relationships
Is there a large age gap?
38 supporters
Yes
11
No
1
3
wildflowerchild
An old man intends to marry his niece
1 comment | Add comment
Religious
Yes
0
No
6
Yes
0
No
5
Sex
Are there nude scenes?
39 supporters
Yes
15
No
1
4
wildflowerchild
And a lot of them
2 comments | Add comment
Is there bestiality?
79 supporters
Yes
8
No
1
3
Amy17
Pictured not seen
1 comment | Add comment
Does someone lose their virginity?
1 supporters
Yes
7
No
1
0
nyancatspunksibling
:))))
1 comment | Add comment
Is someone sexually objectified?
42 supporters
Yes
17
No
0
2
MovieWatcher10
While it can be said that the sex scenes between the two female leads are sexualized, I've seen commentary from queer asian people saying that the movie meant a lot to them. The scenes can also be viewed as explicit, sexual liberation for two characters who've been controlled and abused prior, but find a freedom in each other.
Behind the scenes, the male director consulted a lesbian friend of his and while they shot the sex scenes, the male staff was absent.
Behind the scenes, the male director consulted a lesbian friend of his and while they shot the sex scenes, the male staff was absent.
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
43
No
2
10
queerdragon
There is no actual incest but a man sexually abuses his wife's niece and intends on marrying her.
1 comment | Add comment
Is there sexual content?
52 supporters
Yes
61
No
0
9
Sandphin
Very explicit
2 comments | Add comment
Is there BDSM?
22 supporters
Yes
6
No
1
1
pajama
not explicit sub/dom dynamics but there are restraints, power and control, and kink/tie adjacent moments
2 comments | Add comment
Sexism
Yes
0
No
11
Sickness
Yes
0
No
6
Yes
0
No
10
Yes
0
No
8
Yes
0
No
10
Social
Yes
0
No
7
Is someone homeless?
6 supporters
Yes
1
No
13
0
nyancatspunksibling
Characters are described to be in poverty but not homeless
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
6
Yes
0
No
6
Spoiler
Yes
0
No
32
Yes
0
No
7
Yes
0
No
43
Vehicular
Does a car honk or tires screech?
13 supporters
Yes
2
No
10
0
nyancatspunksibling
I thought there was some honking in one scene? But not sure.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
34
Yes
0
No
33
Yes
0
No
34
Violence
Yes
0
No
33
Is there blood/gore?
52 supporters
Yes
46
No
0
3
error_cascade
Most of the gore is in a graphic torture scene at the end of the film; there’s a caning scene midway with no blood shown.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
35
Yes
0
No
31