Fans of The Handmaid's Tale should add the period drama Alias Grace to their must-watch list. The six-episode Netflix series, based on Margaret Atwood's 1996 novel, is set in 19th-century Canada and follows two timelines: one in 1843, when a notorious double murder occurs, and another 16 years later, as a psychiatrist evaluates whether one convicted killer should be pardoned on grounds of insanity.
True Crime Roots
The series centers on the real-life murders of Scottish gentleman farmer Thomas Kinnear and his pregnant housekeeper Nancy Montgomery. Housemaid Grace Marks and stablehand James McDermott were convicted; McDermott was hanged, and Grace received a commuted life sentence, with each blaming the other.
Critical Acclaim
Viewers have praised the show on IMDb, calling it "an outstanding series, so well told and brilliantly acted." Another described it as a "perfect balance of beauty and horror," while a third declared it "excellent" and "not to be missed." One fan said: "The way the story messes with your brain is sooo good. It's not even fast or dramatic in a typical way, but it just pulls you in slowly and suddenly you're completely hooked."
Cast and Adaptation
Sarah Gadon stars as Grace Marks, Edward Holcroft as psychiatrist Dr. Simon Jordan, Kerr Logan as James McDermott, and Paul Gross and Anna Paquin as the victims. Atwood said of the novel: "The book itself is 'pieced' like a quilt - with contrasting views - every faction at the time had their version of Grace. Demon or innocent? Even - tall or short? But in the gaps in the story - the places where evidence was not there or had gone missing - I felt free to invent."
Alias Grace is available to stream on Netflix.
