Review of The Handmaiden (2016) by Ben L — 13 Feb 2017

I like the twisty plot and the way that they reveal loyalties and alliances a little bit at a time. It certainly makes for an intriguing story and keeps you guessing. I did not predict a single one of the plot twists and that is something I appreciate.

Now let's talk about what I didn't like. Someone recently asked how much we watch movies for the sake of voyeurism, and I said a zero out of five would have been the best answer for me. Well, The Handmaiden is a hair's breadth away from being porn. I mean, there is virtually nothing left to the imagination.

I'll admit that I skipped several sections of the film. I thought it was going to just be one scene that was done with at least a little bit of subtlety, but then they doubled-down and it gets progressively more graphic. Watching it made me feel skeevy as if I was the perverted old uncle. That's not how I want to feel when watching a movie.

I think if it were just the skippable scenes then I could have found a way to get past my discomfort. However there's a point where sex becomes one of the driving themes of the entire film, so I could no longer enjoy what I was watching. I'm a prude, I'll admit it, so this is a personal issue that I don't expect would bother other people as much as me.