The Housemaid
Infamous in his native South Korea for provocation and controversy, director Im Sang-soo’s prizewinning erotic thriller is a lethally intoxicating cocktail of sex, glamor, class and power dynamics. Iron-willed maid Eun-yi (Jeon Do-yeon) is hired to work for a superrich couple, businessman Hoon (Lee Jung-jae) and his pregnant wife, Haera (Woo Seo). But Hoon’s sexual advances toward Eun-yi ignite a war between servants and masters that spirals into an orgy of bloody revenge. THE HOUSEMAID is a loose remake of Kim Ki-young’s 1960 film of the same name, a Korean cult classic and key influence on Bong Joon Ho’s PARASITE.
Jeon Do-yeon, Lee Jung-jae, Youn Yuh-jung
- Notes From Kim GordonIn this South Korean film about the class divide, it was interesting to see the upper-class family be so enthralled with the Western world. It’s what modern-day luxury looks like. The little girl is surrounded by Caucasian-looking dolls—not one is Asian. Champagne is the go-to drink, along with expensive wine. The male protagonist plays classical music on the piano every morning. By the end of the film, they’re speaking in English. The beginning was predictable, but the end was surprising.
