THE HOUSEMAID World Cinema

This remake of Kim Ki-young’s THE HOUSEMAID is far less claustrophobic than the original: the house is bigger, the family is wealthier and thus the boundaries between the family and the housemaid are even more stringent than they were in 1960. When the affair between the husband and the housemaid begins, the expression of its sensuality is bold and the couple makes no attempt at putting on a pretense of guilt – they flaunt their illicit liaison. Furthermore, this modern version of the story shifts the POV to that of the housemaid, who is less obsessive but far more unrealistic in her expectations and romantic illusions. And this time there is a cruel mother-in-law who will do anything to protect her daughter. Her actions will cause THE HOUSEMAID to tailspin into a climax of macabre theatricality that is as shocking and tragic as the original.