The Housemaid (1960)

Set in the heart of 1960s Gimcheon, South Korea, we meet the Kims - an industrious middle-class family striving to balance work and their aspirations. Mr. Kim, a music teacher and composer, runs the music club at a local factory and gives piano lessons on the side, capturing the romantic daydreams of many women along the way. His wife, Mrs. Kim, despite being pregnant with their third child, tirelessly works as a home-based seamstress. Their pursuit of material comfort - a larger house, a new piano, and a dream of owning a television - leaves them no room for quality family time. As Mrs. Kim's pregnancy progresses and exhaustion sets in, the Kims decide to hire a housemaid. Relying on the recommendation of Miss Cho, a member of Mr. Kim's music club and a piano student, they employ a young woman from the factory, new and with an air of mystery. However, the once peaceful household soon becomes a stage for a gripping tale of secrets, seduction, and scandal. An unexpected incident at the factory and an alarming revelation from Miss Cho set the stage for an impending storm. The housemaid's strange behavior and her growing interest in Mr. Kim's private piano lessons lead to a scandalous affair that shatters the family's harmony. When she falls pregnant, she uses her condition to manipulate Mr. Kim, threatening to expose their illicit relationship. As the pressure mounts and the stakes rise, each member of the Kim family, along with the housemaid, must navigate this treacherous situation, doing whatever it takes to preserve their emotional well-being. What follows is a tense and gripping narrative that threatens to unravel the very fabric of the Kim family, and forever alter the life of the housemaid. The Housemaid (1960) is a haunting exploration of desire, deceit, and the lengths one might go to protect their world from crumbling.

The Housemaid is a crime movie featuring Kim Jin-kyu.

The Housemaid is currently streaming on Criterion Channel.

It is also possible to buy The Housemaid on Amazon Video and Apple TV.