The Handmaiden, Park Chan-wook (9/10)

I've been hearing about the Handmaiden for years by all my lesbian friends. It's a lesbian cult classic, following a Japanese handmaiden to a rich Korean girl during Korea-occupied Japan. The reason I hadn't watched it is because it is pretty long at 2hr 25 minutes, but idk why that stopped me because it was 100% worth the time, and it's really gripping so it doesn't feel that long at all. It wasn't at all like I expected. I guess I was expecting a beautiful and straightforward forbidden love plot - but instead it's more of a psychological thriller full of plot twists. It's brilliant. So smart. Exactly has that je ne sais quoi that I thought was missing in Drive My Car -- something really satisfyingly smart about the way the plot unfolds. It's very sexual so don't watch with ur parents, but it's really really fucking good. The only reason I'm not giving it a 10/10 is because I don't think the cinematography took full advantage of the setting/is as beautiful as I think it could possibly be (where Drive My Car excelled). I also have a couple tiny issues with random plot things. But anyways, that stuff is all small - and it is still pretty visually stunning. I would definitely definitely recommend. Don't let the long run time dissuade you like it did me.