The Handmaiden18
In 1930s colonial Korea, a young woman named Sookee is hired as a handmaiden to Hideko, a reclusive Japanese heiress living in a remote estate. But Sookee isn’t who she appears to be. She’s a pickpocket, enlisted by a con artist to help steal Hideko’s inheritance. As the plan unfolds, an unexpected bond forms between the two women, upending every assumption. From master filmmaker Park Chan-wook (Decision to Leave), The Handmaiden is a gorgeously crafted, erotically charged thriller based on Sarah Waters’ novel ‘Fingersmith’.
Our screening on Saturday 5th July will be introduced by curator of this classic season, Ella Dawson-Gorton.
Reviews
‘The Handmaiden is at once a superlative thriller and a deeply erotic character study, but it’s the intelligence, mordant wit and depth of characterisation that are the real turn-ons.’
★★★★★
Andrew Lowry, Empire Magazine
‘The result is a lush, silken, erotic, disturbing, beautifully photographed drama of betrayal and passion.’
★★★★
Kate Muir, The Times
Sorry - you missed it!
We showed The Handmaiden between July 5, 2025 and July 7, 2025.
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What else is on?
Today (Tuesday 10th February)
18:00
The Hotel of My Dream 18+
20:30
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple 18
Tomorrow (Wednesday 11th February)
14:30
The History of Sound 15
2h 8m17:30
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple 18
20:00
Heat 15
2h 51mPlan your visit
Our beautiful art deco inspired auditorium can be found just off East Oxford's Cowley Road.We are open 7 days a week. We open the cinema and box office 30 minutes before the scheduled start time of each film, and the Box Office then closes 10 minutes after the film starts. We only show a few adverts – less than most cinemas – and we only play a couple of trailers, so please don’t be late as the film itself starts very close to the advertised time!