The Handmaiden ★★★★★

2016 film

Watched 9 December 2016

What an awe-inspiring juggling act. Not just in terms of story, but (more impressively) in structure, characterization, and tone. And yet, not a single ball is dropped. This film is excitingly original and delightfully well executed.

About star ratings

My ratings are subjective. I’m not aiming for a perfect ranking of comparative artistic merit, just trying to represent how I feel about stuff. Here’s what they mean:

★★★★★: Personal favorite. I simply love it, warts and all.
★★★★☆: Something special. Highly recommended.
★★★☆☆: Good, but unremarkable. I’ll probably forget about it.
★★☆☆☆: A waste of time. Not recommended.
★☆☆☆☆: Practically insulting. Soulless garbage. (Rare!)