Adapted from the classic novel by Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid's Tale is
the story of life in the dystopia of Gilead, a totalitarian society in what was
formerly the United States. Facing environmental disasters and a plunging
birthrate, Gilead is ruled by a twisted fundamentalism in its militarized
“return to traditional values.” As one of the few remaining fertile women,
Offred (Elisabeth Moss) is a Handmaid in the Commander's household, one of
the caste of women forced into sexual servitude as a last desperate attempt to
repopulate the world. In this terrifying society, Offred must navigate between
Commanders, their cruel Wives, domestic Marthas, and her fellow
Handmaids–where anyone could be a spy for Gilead–all with one goal: to
survive and find the daughter that was taken from her.
Critics Reviews for The Handmaids Tale
“Atwood's story may now be an artifact about an artifact, but it
retains its great power as a reminder of the thin tissue between the past and
the present.” – Emily Nussbaum New Yorker
“The Handmaid's Tale is brutally excellent; my binge-watch this week
was so unsettling that when I dashed out of the house to collect my
eight-year-old from a play date, I stopped for a moment under the cherry
blossoms, marvelling at my freedom.” – Marsha Lederman Globe
and Mail
“Offred is very much the center and Moss has never been more
compelling. As oppressed as Offred is, she's fully human and, unfortunately, a
character both of and for our time.” – Tom Long
Detroit News