Set in 1930s Korea during Japanese colonial rule, "The Handmaiden" tells the story of a young pickpocket named Sook-hee, who is hired by a conman, Count Fujiwara, to become the handmaiden of a wealthy Japanese heiress, Lady Hideko. The conman plans to seduce and marry Hideko, then commit her to an asylum to steal her inheritance. However, as Sook-hee gets closer to Hideko, the plan begins to unravel in unexpected ways, revealing hidden desires and betrayals that twist the narrative into a complex tale of love, deception, and revenge.