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 captivating 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 leads us ever deeper into the abysses of the Christian fundamentalist theocracy of Gilead. June Osborne, played by Elisabeth Moss, has been fighting for survival here for five seasons. But she hasn’t had that name for a long time.
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 where environmental disasters are destroying the earth and disease is causing much of humanity to become infertile. The situation is tense and allows extreme groups to rise. The USA is turning into a totalitarian state patriarchal and military structures not to mention religious fanaticism.
You can watch the trailer for The Handmaid’s Tale here:
The Handmaid’s Tale – S01 Trailer (English) HD
In Gilead, men are in charge and women are systematically oppressed. The few women who can still have children leave as maids in the possession of a man over to father children. At this point they lose their identity. June becomes Offred. From now on she has to serve Commander Fred Waterford (Joseph Fiennes) and his wife Serena Joy (Yvonne Strahovski).
Political and social developments regarding gender roles are at the core of The Handmaid’s Tale. As with all great sci-fi stories, many of the series’ conflicts reflect our own present. However, the rise of Gilead is not shown in abstract images of the future, but rather seems frighteningly realistic. This makes the series just as gripping as Children of Men.
The Handmaid’s Tale feels frighteningly realistic and is extremely atmospheric
With Children of Men, Alfonso Cuarón (Gravity) brought a sci-fi thriller to the cinema in 2006, whose grim images from a near future seemed as if they were straight out of one today’s newscast removed. The first season of The Handmaid’s Tale in particular lets us experience the upheaval in drastic moments before a merciless fight for survival takes place in silence and silence.
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The Handmaid’s Tale
Eyes cast down to the ground and the constant fear of being further humiliated and robbed of any individuality: there are only a few series that are so constant oppressive atmosphere conjure up. The strong production since season 1 is one of the main reasons why The Handmaid’s Tale is so outstanding. In every picture we feel the gravity and severity of this cruel world.
It’s all the more poignant when a glimmer of hope shines through the veil of darkness that covers almost every place 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 appear until 2025. You can currently stream the first five seasons with a subscription on Amazon Prime Video and MagentaTV.
Even more science fiction recommendations: In the podcast we discuss the best representatives of the genre since 2000
We sat down in the Moviepilot editorial team and thought about the best sci-fi series of the 21st century. In the podcast we go through our big list and introduce you to many other excellent series in addition to The Handmaid’s Tale.
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The best sci-fi series of recent years include brain-twisting time loops, oppressive dystopias, devastating robot wars and more than just a fantastic epic that takes you into the infinite expanses of space.
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