Fans of the acclaimed series The Handmaid's Tale are in for a treat, as another miniseries adapted from the work of author Margaret Atwood is currently available to stream on Netflix. The popular platform boasts an extensive selection of women-centred television programmes, ranging from Dolly Alderton's Everything I Know About Love and the widely watched BBC hit Amandaland, to the Judi Dench-led Crawford, as well as many others.
Those with a taste for darker storylines have been drawn to The Handmaid's Tale, the dystopian drama conceived by Bruce Miller and based on Atwood's iconic 1985 novel. Fans of the hugely successful series, which concluded in 2025, might want to turn their attention to the Canadian miniseries Alias Grace, which is likewise based on a Margaret Atwood novel; the 1996 historical fiction book of the same name.
A True Story Brought to Life
Comprising six episodes, Alias Grace originally broadcast on CBC on September 25, 2017, and by November of that year, it appeared on Netflix. Grounded in a true story, it centres on Grace, an Irish immigrant in Canada, who is found guilty of murdering her employer. When a psychiatrist is appointed to assess her mental state, events take a dramatic turn.
The drama fictionalises the notorious 1843 killings of Thomas Kinnear and his housekeeper Nancy Montgomery, which took place in Canada West. Kinnear household servants James McDermott and Grace Marks were both convicted of the murders. McDermott was executed by hanging while Marks received a life sentence.
Critical Acclaim and Dark Themes
Despite drawing from real events, Atwood introduced the fictional physician Simon Jordan, who encounters Grace while undertaking research into criminal behaviour. In time, he grows fixated on Grace and his projected beliefs in her character as a woman. The series boasts an impressive 99% rating on prominent review-aggregation platform Rotten Tomatoes.
One critic said: "In the show's best moments, it's about something darker and more complicated; about how there's things we'll do for the sake of ourselves and things we'll do for the sake of those we love, but when both are on the table, dangerous doors swing open." Another added: "The real power of the book and the Netflix series lies in the exploration of what it means to be a woman under the patriarchy."
A third wrote: "Alias Grace is a solid, well-made piece of television that doesn't hide its intelligence under a bonnet, as costume dramas can do. Nor does it attempt to keep your attention with soap opera style cliff-hangers." While a fourth simply said: "Alias Grace is a remarkable story." And another noted: "Alias Grace is a beautiful piece of work. Its every detail is rewarding in a way that's rare for television these days, especially on streaming platforms. On top of that, it's a narrative about women, made by women."
Alias Grace is streaming now on Netflix.
