Based on the 2002 novel "Fingersmith" by Sarah Waters, "The Handmaiden" is a psychological thriller set in the 1930s. The film tells the story of a con man named Count Fujiwara, who is determined to marry a wealthy Japanese woman named Izumi Hideko to obtain her fortune. His plan involves hiring pickpocket Nam Sook-hee to become Hideko's handmaiden and encourage Hideko to marry him. If his plan succeeds, Fujiwara will send Hideko to a psychiatric hospital so he can get her money. However, his plan proves to be more difficult than anticipated.