The Handmaiden Trivia
The Handmaiden trivia highlights the craft and context behind Park Chan-wook’s 2016 erotic historical psychological thriller. Inspired by Sarah Waters’ 2002 novel "Fingersmith," the film shifts the story from Victorian Britain to colonial Korea and follows a Korean woman hired to serve a secluded Japanese heiress on a country estate.

Easy The Handmaiden Trivia
13 questions
These easy The Handmaiden trivia questions are great for beginners and kids around age 12 and under.
Question 1
In what year was The Handmaiden released?
Answer: 2016
The Handmaiden was released in 2016.
Question 2
The Handmaiden is a film from which country?
- A.China
- B.Thailand
- C.South Korea
- D.Japan
Answer: South Korea
The film is identified is a South Korean production.
Question 3
Who directed The Handmaiden?
Answer: Park Chan-wook
Park Chan-wook directed The Handmaiden.
Question 4
Which actress is one of the stars of The Handmaiden: Kim Min-hee, Bae Doona, or Jeon Do-yeon?
- A.Kim Min
- B.Bae Doona
- C.Jeon Do-yeon
Answer: Kim Min-hee
Kim Min-hee is one of the film's stars.
Question 5
Which performer stars in The Handmaiden alongside the rest of the main cast: Kim Tae-ri, Son Ye-jin, or Lim Ji-yeon?
- A.Kim Tae
- B.Son Ye-jin
- C.Lim Ji-yeon
- D.Kim Go-eun
Answer: Kim Tae-ri
Kim Tae-ri stars in The Handmaiden.
Question 6
Which actor is part of The Handmaiden's starring cast: Ha Jung-woo, Lee Byung-hun, or Yoo Ah-in?
- A.Lee Byung-hun
- B.Yoo Ah-in
- C.Ma Dong-seok
- D.Ha Jung
Answer: Ha Jung-woo
Ha Jung-woo stars in the film.
Question 7
Who is among the stars of The Handmaiden: Cho Jin-woong, Song Kang-ho, or Jung Woo-sung?
- A.Song Kang-ho
- B.Jung Woo-sung
- C.Sol Kyung-gu
- D.Cho Jin-woong
Answer: Cho Jin-woong
Cho Jin-woong is one of the film's stars.
Question 8
The Handmaiden was inspired by which novel?
Answer: Fingersmith
The film is inspired by the novel Fingersmith.
Question 9
What year was the novel Fingersmith published?
Answer: 2002
Fingersmith was published in 2002.
Question 10
Who wrote the novel Fingersmith, which inspired The Handmaiden?
Answer: Sarah Waters
Sarah Waters wrote Fingersmith.
Question 11
The film shifts the story from Victorian Britain to what setting?
Answer: Korea under Japanese rule
The adaptation changes the setting to Korea under Japanese rule.
Question 12
In the story, the handmaiden is hired to serve what kind of woman?
Answer: A Japanese heiress
The plot includes a Korean woman hired is a handmaiden to a Japanese heiress.
Question 13
What is the name of the handmaiden played by Kim Tae-ri?
Answer: Sook-hee
Kim Tae-ri plays the handmaiden Sook-hee.
The Handmaiden Family Trivia
12 questions
These family The Handmaiden trivia questions are built for mixed-age game nights, classrooms, and groups.
Question 1
At Cannes, The Handmaiden competed for which top prize?
- A.Grand Prix
- B.The Palme d'Or.
- C.Golden Bear
- D.Golden Lion
Answer: The Palme d'Or.
The film screened in competition at Cannes for the Palme d'Or.
Question 2
What is the Korean title of The Handmaiden?
Answer: Agassi.
The film’s Korean title is Agassi.
Question 3
The story of The Handmaiden takes place in which decade?
Answer: The 1930s.
The story is set in the 1930s.
Question 4
Where does the heiress Hideko live?
Answer: On a secluded countryside estate.
Hideko lives on a secluded countryside estate.
Question 5
Who owns the secluded estate where Hideko lives?
Answer: Her uncle, Kouzuki.
The estate is owned by Hideko’s uncle, Kouzuki.
Question 6
Count Fujiwara introduces himself as what kind of person?
Answer: A Japanese nobleman.
Count Fujiwara presents himself is a Japanese nobleman.
Question 7
Sook-hee is brought into the story to help with what?
Answer: A con aimed at Lady Hideko.
Sook-hee is recruited for a con aimed at Lady Hideko.
Question 8
How many parts does The Handmaiden use to tell its story?
Answer: Three parts.
The Handmaiden tells its story in three parts.
Question 9
Who composed the score for The Handmaiden?
Answer: Jo Yeong-wook.
Jo Yeong-wook composed the film’s score.
Question 10
Who was the cinematographer for The Handmaiden?
Answer: Chung Chung-hoon.
The cinematographer was Chung Chung-hoon.
Question 11
Which crew member handled the production design on The Handmaiden?
Answer: Ryu Seong-hie.
Ryu Seong-hie was the production designer.
Question 12
Two editors teamed up on The Handmaiden. Name one of them.?
Answer: Kim Sang-bum or Kim Jae-bum.
The film was edited by Kim Sang-bum and Kim Jae-bum.
Fun The Handmaiden Trivia
13 questions
These fun The Handmaiden trivia questions highlight surprising moments and playful facts for game-night groups.
Question 1
Which BAFTA did The Handmaiden take home?
- A.Best Adapted Screenplay
- B.Best Director
- C.Best Film Not
- D.Best Costume Design
Answer: BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language
The film won the BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language.
Question 2
For which actor was The Handmaiden a feature film first?
- A.Cho Jin-woong
- B.Kim Tae
- C.Kim Min-hee
- D.Ha Jung-woo
Answer: Kim Tae-ri
Kim Tae-ri made her feature film debut in The Handmaiden.
Question 3
The dialogue in The Handmaiden switches between which two languages?
- A.Korean and Japanese
- B.Korean and English
- C.Japanese and English
- D.Korean and Mandarin
Answer: Korean and Japanese
The film mixes Korean and Japanese language in its dialogue.
Question 4
That grand estate isn’t picking one design lane. What styles does it combine?
- A.Korean and Art Deco styles
- B.Victorian and Gothic styles
- C.Japanese and Brutalist styles
- D.Japanese and Western styles
Answer: Japanese and Western architectural styles
The estate in the film combines Japanese and Western architectural styles.
Question 5
What occupation stays front and center in the movie’s English title?
Answer: Handmaiden
The Handmaiden’s English title keeps the occupation at the center of the plot.
Question 6
The Korean title Agassi can mean what?
- A.A countess
- B.A young lady or miss
- C.A servant or maid
- D.A widow
Answer: A young lady or miss
The Korean title Agassi can refer to a young lady or miss.
Question 7
Before making The Handmaiden, Park Chan-wook’s previous feature was what film?
- A.Oldboy
- B.Decision to Leave
- C.Thirst
- D.Stoker
Answer: Stoker
Park Chan-wook returned to feature filmmaking with The Handmaiden after Stoker.
Question 8
If the movie’s set design had a favorite indoor hobby, what space would it probably haunt?
- A.Reading rooms
- B.Ballrooms
- C.Kitchens
- D.Train compartments
Answer: Reading rooms
The film’s visual design relies heavily on books, scrolls, and reading rooms.
Question 9
Hideko enters the story with what social position?
- A.Opera singer
- B.Housekeeper
- C.Heiress with a large inherited fortune
- D.Schoolteacher
Answer: Heiress with a large inherited fortune
Hideko is introduced is an heiress with a large inherited fortune.
Question 10
Count Fujiwara’s title is basically a costume. What is he really?
- A.A magistrate
- B.A swindler pretending to be aristocracy
- C.A retired soldier
- D.A real count
Answer: A swindler pretending to be aristocracy
Count Fujiwara is a swindler pretending to be aristocracy.
Question 11
Sook-hee’s résumé before domestic service would best fit which line of work?
- A.Merchants and tailors
- B.Nurses and cooks
- C.Thieves and pickpockets
- D.Librarians and tutors
Answer: Thieves and pickpockets
Sook-hee comes from a background of thieves and pickpockets.
Question 12
Kouzuki’s relationship to Hideko is what?
- A.Guardian
- B.Her brother
- C.Her fiancé
- D.Her lawyer
Answer: Her guardian
Kouzuki is Hideko’s guardian in the film.
Question 13
Which craft got especially strong praise for The Handmaiden?
- A.Original score
- B.Costume design
- C.Sound editing
- D.Stunt choreography
Answer: Costume design
The Handmaiden was widely praised for costume design.
Funny The Handmaiden Trivia
13 questions
These funny The Handmaiden trivia questions highlight playful moments, odd facts, and inside jokes.
Question 1
In The Handmaiden, what is the awkward little problem with Count Fujiwara’s noble title?
- A.Not actually a real count
- B.He inherited the title from Hideko’s family
- C.He is a retired military count
- D.He gave up the title before the story begins
Answer: He is not actually a real count.
Fujiwara presents himself is Count Fujiwara, but the film makes clear he is not genuinely a count.
Question 2
When Sook-hee first arrives at the estate, what job does she take?
Answer: She enters as a servant.
Sook-hee begins the story by entering the estate in the role of a servant.
Question 3
Hideko’s uncle doesn’t exactly run a relaxed Airbnb. How is his household described?
- A.Loose rules and cheerful improvisation
- B.Military drills and fencing lessons
- C.Open salons and casual dinners
- D.Strict rules and rituals
Answer: It is run with strict rules and rituals.
Kouzuki controls the house through strict rules and rituals.
Question 4
What collectible obsession keeps Kouzuki looking like the world’s most menacing book club host?
- A.Ancient swords and armor
- B.Paintings and sculptures
- C.Jewelry and clocks
- D.Rare books and manuscripts
Answer: He is obsessed with rare books and manuscripts.
Kouzuki’s fixation is specifically on rare books and manuscripts.
Question 5
What is Hideko forced to do for male guests, turning hospitality into a nightmare performance?
- A.Perform piano recitals
- B.Serve formal dinners
- C.Lead poetry lessons
- D.Public readings
Answer: She must give public readings.
Hideko is made to perform public readings for male guests.
Question 6
What major feature of the estate basically deserves its own billing in the plot?
- A.Large library
- B.A chapel
- C.A greenhouse
- D.A ballroom
Answer: A large library.
The estate includes a large library that is central to the story.
Question 7
If The Handmaiden handed out trophies for fakery, what kind of thing would be on the plaque?
- A.Lost treasure maps
- B.Political speeches
- C.Secret military codes
- D.Forged identities
Answer: Forged identities.
The story repeatedly turns on forged manners, forged identities, and forged intentions.
Question 8
Early in the plot, what grim destination is planned for Hideko after marriage?
- A.Asylum
- B.A convent
- C.A boarding school
- D.A distant country estate
Answer: An asylum.
A key early scheme is to have Hideko committed to an asylum after marriage.
Question 9
The movie keeps reminding viewers of one delicious fact: the supposed victim can do what to the schemers?
- A.Forgive them immediately
- B.Ignore them completely
- C.Join them without question
- D.Outsmart the schemers
Answer: Outsmart them.
A recurring idea in the film is that the apparent victim can outsmart the people plotting against her.
Question 10
Why do later replays of major events feel like the film saying, 'Surprise, you missed a few things'?
- A.Because the scenes are dream sequences
- B.Because different actors replace the originals
- C.Hidden information
- D.Because the ending is changed completely
Answer: Because hidden information is revealed.
The film revisits major events and reveals hidden information in the process.
Question 11
Kouzuki’s house is built to project what kind of intimidatingly polished vibe?
- A.Cultured grandeur
- B.Rural simplicity
- C.Industrial efficiency
- D.Minimalist austerity
Answer: Cultured grandeur.
The house is designed to impress visitors with cultured grandeur.
Question 12
Count Fujiwara woos Hideko for romance, money, or a suspiciously convenient blend of the two?
- A.Money-making scheme
- B.To settle a family feud
- C.To protect her inheritance from her uncle
- D.To escape the country with no profit involved
Answer: He courts her as part of a money-making scheme.
Fujiwara’s courtship of Hideko is part of his plan to make money.
Question 13
At the start, what is Sook-hee actually supposed to help Fujiwara do with Hideko?
- A.Win Hideko
- B.Teach Hideko to read
- C.Convince Hideko to fire the staff
- D.Hide the family documents
Answer: Help him win Hideko’s trust.
Sook-hee’s initial mission is to help Fujiwara gain Hideko’s trust.
Hard The Handmaiden Trivia
14 questions
These hard The Handmaiden trivia questions are for expert fans who want a real challenge.
Question 1
Which Cannes prize did The Handmaiden win for its technical artistry?
- A.Grand Prix
- B.Camera d'Or
- C.The Vulcan Award.
- D.Palme d'Or
Answer: The Vulcan Award.
The film’s Cannes recognition for technical artistry was the Vulcan Award.
Question 2
Ryu Seong-hie drew major awards attention on The Handmaiden for work in what area?
- A.20th Television
- B.Lionsgate Television
- C.production design
Answer: Production design.
Ryu Seong-hie was notably recognized for the film’s production design.
Question 3
Park Chan-wook and Chung Seo-kyung shifted Sarah Waters’s story to what historical setting?
- A.Japanese-occupied Korea
- B.Postwar Seoul
- C.Qing-era China
- D.Meiji-era Japan
Answer: Japanese-occupied Korea.
The adaptation relocates the plot from Britain to Japanese-occupied Korea.
Question 4
On what date was The Handmaiden released in South Korea?
- A.June 10, 2016
- B.July 1, 2016
- C.June 1, 2016
- D.May 14, 2016
Answer: June 1, 2016.
The film’s South Korean release date was June 1, 2016.
Question 5
What is the approximate theatrical runtime of The Handmaiden?
- A.About 160 minutes
- B.145 minutes
- C.About 118 minutes
- D.About 132 minutes
Answer: About 145 minutes.
The theatrical cut runs about 145 minutes.
Question 6
True or false: the extended version of The Handmaiden is shorter than the theatrical cut.?
Answer: False
The extended version runs longer than the theatrical cut, not shorter.
Question 7
The Handmaiden marked Park Chan-wook’s return to what kind of filmmaking after making Stoker in English?
- A.Korean-language filmmaking
- B.Silent filmmaking
- C.Documentary filmmaking
- D.Animation filmmaking
Answer: Korean-language filmmaking.
After making Stoker in English, Park returned to Korean-language filmmaking with The Handmaiden.
Question 8
For The Handmaiden, Kim Min-hee won Best Actress at which awards body?
- A.Baeksang Arts Awards
- B.Grand Bell Awards
- C.Asian Film Awards
- D.Blue Dragon Film Awards
Answer: The Blue Dragon Film Awards.
Kim Min-hee won Best Actress at the Blue Dragon Film Awards for this film.
Question 9
What kind of South Korean honors did Kim Tae-ri win for The Handmaiden?
- A.newcomer awards
- B.Lifetime achievement honors
- C.Best director prizes
- D.Screenwriting awards
Answer: Major newcomer awards.
Kim Tae-ri received major newcomer awards for her performance.
Question 10
Some international critics placed The Handmaiden in lists of what broad category?
- A.The best silent films ever made
- B.The top war films of the 20th century
- C.The greatest musical adaptations
- D.best films of the 21st century
Answer: The best films of the 21st century.
The film was named by some international critics among the best films of the 21st century.
Question 11
In the film’s colonial setting, which paired themes are especially sharpened?
- A.Luck and fate
- B.language and power
- C.Faith and science
- D.Nature and industry
Answer: Language and power.
The colonial backdrop intensifies the film’s themes of language and power.
Question 12
Kouzuki is ethnically Korean, but what identity has he adopted for status?
- A.An American identity
- B.adopted a Japanese identity
- C.A British identity
- D.A Russian identity
Answer: A Japanese identity.
Kouzuki is Korean by ethnicity but adopts a Japanese identity for status.
Question 13
Hideko was raised under Kouzuki’s control beginning after what family tragedy?
- A.after her parents died
- B.After her brother disappeared
- C.After the family lost its estate
- D.After a failed engagement
Answer: After her parents died.
The film states that Hideko was raised under Kouzuki’s control after the death of her parents.
Question 14
Fujiwara’s marriage scheme centers on Hideko for what primary reason?
- A.To gain political office
- B.To escape military service
- C.To settle a family debt
- D.seize her inheritance
Answer: To seize her inheritance.
Fujiwara plans to marry Hideko mainly so he can seize her inheritance.
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