'Alias Grace' Review: Netflix's Margaret Atwood Adaptation Rivals 'The Handmaid's Tale'

Hulu’s “The Handmaid’s Tale” basically screamed in giant red letters, “THIS IS ABOUT TODAY! THIS IS HAPPENING NOW!” So it’s no wonder Margaret Atwood’s vision of dystopia resonated so strongly.

“Alias Grace,” Netflix’s new miniseries based on an Atwood novel, is more subtle than its Hulu counterpart, but still deserves your close attention.

“How can I be all these different things at once,” Grace asks in the show’s opening monologue, and “Alias Grace” can be as light-hearted and pleasant a story as it is a probing, surreal and melodramatic character study.

Also Read: 'Alias Grace': Netflix Releases Trailer for Margaret Atwood Adaptation (Video)

“The Handmaid’s Tale” is a modern-day dystopia with shadings from the 19th Century, but “Alias Grace” is actually set there. Director Mary Harron and writer Sarah Polley manage to make 1850s Toronto a different sort of dystopia for women.

The newspapers refer to Grace Marks (Sarah Gadon) as a “celebrated murderess,” an Irish immigrant in Toronto incarcerated for 15 years after being convicted of murder. Now gossips gawk at her as she does housework, or quack doctors in an asylum strap her into bizarre contraptions to study her.

Grace gets some relief when she’s visited by Dr. Simon Jordan (Edward Holcroft), a handsome and nurturing American psychologist brought in to analyze her with the hopes of proving her innocence. But as she recounts her life story, we gradually doubt Grace’s sanity, her memory and her honesty. Is she an amnesiac or a calculating maniac? We’re never sure.

The quick, combative exchanges between Grace and Dr. Jordan are like gender-flipped scenes from “Silence of the Lambs.” Harron conveys jumps in Grace’s memory with snappy editing, and Polley’s dialogue sparks with talk of politics, feminism, economic inequality and more all conveyed in clever, period-appropriate idioms. “Men such as yourselves do not know the messes you make,” Grace says at one point.

Also Read: Sarah Polley Says Sexual Harassment on Movie Sets Is 'Every Single Day Experience'

There’s even a subtle love triangle and Harron uncovers sex in her Puritanical setting. As a director, she has a gift with taking the drama through some surprising turns. “Alias Grace” will make you crack a smile amid tragedy, or it’ll startle with how it builds the tension and danger in Atwood’s story. Further, Atwood’s ideas about Grace’s psychology grow into a spiritual, even supernatural parable about how men see what they want in women, and fail to understand them. The ultimate story is sure to polarize.

Anna Paquin, as a caretaker, manages to change her face quickly from sunny and welcoming to pale and sickly, and her personality erratically flits between friendly and spiteful. But her multi-faceted performance takes a backseat to a shocking one by Gadon.

“The Handmaid’s Tale” was great bingeing material because it was so bold, punishing and shocking. “Alias Grace” takes a slower burn, but its payoff is just as good.

17 Shows to Watch After 'The Handmaid's Tale,' From 'Lost' to 'Leftovers' (Photos)

Hulu's hit series "The Handmaid's Tale," which takes place in a dystopian future where women have virtually no rights, has its finale Wednesday. If you're desperately going to miss the series, have no fear. We've rounded up what you should watch while you wait for Season 2.
Various
"The Walking Dead"
AMC's cult favorite just finished its seventh season. The show follows a slew of characters as they try to survive the zombie apocalypse.
AMC
"Fear The Walking Dead"
Now in its third season, "Fear" is AMC's spinoff to "The Walking Dead." It acts as a prequel and takes place along the U.S.-Mexico border.
AMC
"Twin Peaks"
While Showtime's "Twin Peaks" doesn't necessarily happen in a dystopian future, there's plenty of argument that parts occur in another dimension. If you like the weird and bizarre, you'll like "Twin Peaks."
Showtime
"Battlestar Galactica"
After 1,000 years of war, the Battlestar Galactica carries the last few remaining humans to the elusive 13th colony.
ABC
"Lost"
If you were intrigued by the more mysterious aspects of "Handmaid's," then you'll be all over ABC's science fiction hit following the survivors of a plane crash and the island they inhabit.
ABC
"Black Mirror"
Alternatively, if you like the more "WTF?" moments of "Handmaid's," then "Black Mirror" is a solid choice. The BBC series is now on Netflix, and each episode tells stand alone stories imagining how part of our modern world could go terribly wrong.
BBC
"The Man in The High Castle"
Amazon's series reimagines the world as if Hitler and the Nazis won WWII. The show was recently renewed for Season 3.
Amazon
"Mr. Robot"
If you're paranoid about constantly being watched, then you'll resonate with Elliot (Rami Malek), a hacker living in NYC.
USA
"The Leftovers"
"The Leftovers" is HBO's series about how the people left on Earth cope after 2 percent of the globe's population vanishes.
HBO
"Orphan Black"
A con artist witnesses the death of her look-alike and assumes her life. If you like conspiracies, this is a show for you. This BBC America show is available on Netflix.
BBC America
"3%"
This Brazilian dystopian thriller focuses on extreme class divisions in the future, similar to "Handmaid's." People are given a chance to go to the "better side" of their world, but only 3 percent succeed.
Netflix
"The 100"
The CW series takes place 97 years after nuclear war destroys Earth, as 100 delinquent teens are sent back to the planet from the spaceship where the few survivors now live.
The CW
"Jericho"
CBS' show imagines a small town in the aftermath of nuclear bomb in a nearby city. With information cut off, the townspeople must figure out how to survive.
CBS
"Firefly"
Although only airing for one season, "Firefly" has become a cult favorite. It takes place 500 years in the future and follows a renegade space crew as they escape the authorities.
FOX
"Hunted"
CBS' competition series has nine teams of two in a real-life manhunt. The show looks at surveillance and how we leave digital footprints wherever we go.
CBS
"Humans"
AMC's "Humans" takes place in a parallel present day, where synthetic humans are the latest gadget.But the "synths," as they're called, might be just too realistic.
AMC
"The Expanse"
Syfy's series takes place 200 years in the future. In the midst of a war between Earth and Mars, a plague breaks out and humans must come together to save the species.
Syfy

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If the Hulu finale leaves you wanting more dystopia and mystery, these are for you

Hulu's hit series "The Handmaid's Tale," which takes place in a dystopian future where women have virtually no rights, has its finale Wednesday. If you're desperately going to miss the series, have no fear. We've rounded up what you should watch while you wait for Season 2.

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17 Shows to Watch After 'The Handmaid's Tale,' From 'Lost' to 'Leftovers' (Photos)

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