In the final instalment of his ‘Vengeance Trilogy’, Park Chan-wook subverts his previously male-dominated tales with Geum-ja, a female protagonist played by Lee Young-ae. Released from prison after a thirteen-year sentence, Geum-ja executes her elaborate revenge on the man who is responsible for her wrongful conviction and separation from her infant daughter. Park deviates from a straightforward revenge story by turning his focus on a heartbreaking character study. Lee, a household name in Asia due to her breakout role in Korean television drama Dae Jang Geum (2003–2004), transcends her mainstream appeal to embody a complicated woman who must balance her genteel facade and dark impulses on her path to redemption.

Park Chan-wook (b. 1963, South Korea) studied philosophy at Sogang University in the 1980s. After working as a film critic for many years, Park made his directorial debut with The Moon Is... the Sun's Dream (1992), followed by Trio (1997). His political thriller Joint Security Area (2000) received rave reviews and became the high-grossing film in South Korea at the time. Park then directed Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2001), the first of his ‘Vengeance Trilogy’, followed by Oldboy (2003), which was awarded the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival, and Lady Vengeance (2005). After the intense trio, Park directed the offbeat romantic comedy I’m a Cyborg, But That’s OK (2005). In 2009, he subverted expectations with the genre-bending vampire film Thirst. Park made his American debut with Stoker in 2013. Meanwhile, his streak at Cannes continued with The Handmaiden (2016) and Decision to Leave (2022), for which he was awarded Best Director.