Love is a fickle thing. It can stir emotions of lust and hate in ways humans—and the supernatural—can barely comprehend. THE HOUSEMAID (CÔ HAÛ GAÍ), Derek Nguyen’s gothic tale set in Vietnam in 1953, takes a forbidden love and an angry spirit and turns a supernatural tale of a taboo romance.

Vietnam looks gorgeous—a breathtaking locale ripe for the gothic aesthetic. THE HOUSEMAID is more than just a supernatural love story; it also dives into the dark shadows of Vietnam’s colonial past.

This is Nguyen’s first feature in the director’s chair. THE HOUSEMAID stars Kate Nhung, Jean-Michel Richaud and Kim Xuan. THE HOUSEMAID comes to the U.S. February 16 thanks to IFC Midnight, hitting select theaters, VOD and digital platforms.

A forbidden passion awakens vengeful spirits within a haunted mansion in this bloodcurdling, erotic tour-de-force. Vietnam, 1953: Linh (Nhung Kate), a poor, orphaned young woman, finds employment as a housemaid in a crumbling rubber plantation presided over by the emotionally fragile French officer Sebastien Laurent (Jean-Michel Richaud). Soon, a torrid love affair develops between the two – a taboo romance that rouses the ghost of Laurent’s dead wife, who won’t rest until blood flows. Submerged in moody Gothic atmosphere, this stylish supernatural saga confronts the dark shadows of Vietnam’s colonial past while delivering heart-stopping scares.