The dystopian novel adaptation The Handmaid’s Tale with Elisabeth Moss is one of the 50 best science fiction series of the 21st century for us. You can currently stream it on Amazon and MagentaTV.
Get ready for an absolutely devastating story. Because The Handmaid’s Tale will take all your strength. Hardly any other science fiction series has such a dark mood as the film adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel The Handmaid’s Tale, which was published in 1985. For us, the gripping and harrowing film adaptation is one of the best sci-fi series since 2000.
Although the story of The Handmaid’s Tale is almost four decades old, it has lost none of its relevance. On the contrary: the adaptation by Bruce Miller (The 100) proves how timeless the material is and takes us deeper and deeper into the abysses of the Christian fundamentalist theocracy of Gilead. June Osborne, played by Elisabeth Moss, has been fighting for survival for five seasons. But she has long since ceased to bear that name
A sci-fi series that demands all your strength: The Handmaid’s Tale offers a dark look into the future
The Handmaid’s Tale is set in a near future in which environmental disasters destroy the earth and diseases cause a large part of humanity to become infertile. The situation is tense and allows extreme groups to rise. The USA is turning into a totalitarian state characterized by patriarchal and military structures, not to mention religious fanaticism.
Here you can watch the trailer for The Handmaid’s Tale:
In Gilead, the men are in charge and women are systematically oppressed. The few women who are still able to have children become the handmaidens of a man in order to father children. At this point, they lose their identity. June becomes Desfred. From now on, she must serve Commander Fred Waterford (Joseph Fiennes) and his wife Serena Joy (Yvonne Strahovski).
Political and social developments with regard to gender roles are at the heart of The Handmaid’s Tale. As with all great sci-fi stories, many of the conflicts in the series reflect our own present day. However, the rise of Gilead is not depicted in abstract images of the future, but is frighteningly realistic. This makes the series just as gripping as Children of Men.
Read on to find out more: Our series review of The Handmaid’s Tale
The Handmaid’s Tale feels terrifyingly realistic and is extremely atmospherically staged
With Children of Men, Alfonso Cuarón (Gravity) brought a sci-fi thriller to the cinema in 2006 whose grim images from the near future looked as if they had been taken straight out of a modern-day news program. Season 1 of The Handmaid’s Tale in particular allows us to experience the upheaval in drastic moments before a merciless fight for survival in silence and stillness
(The Handmaid’s Tale)
Gazes lowered to the floor and the constant fear of being further humiliated and robbed of any individuality: There are few series that conjure up such a constantly oppressive atmosphere. The strong production since season 1 is one of the main reasons why The Handmaid’s Tale is so outstanding. In every frame we feel the gravity and severity of this cruel world.
It is all the more poignant when a glimmer of hope flashes through the veil of darkness that covers almost every location in The Handmaid’s Tale. Or a rebellious song that confidently leads into the end credits. We don’t yet know how the story ends. The 6th and final season will not be released until 2025. You can currently stream the first five seasons with a subscription to Amazon Prime Video and MagentaTV.
