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The Handmaid's Tale 2017 Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller MA 15+
Based on the best-selling novel by Margaret Atwood and winning the Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series, The Handmaid's Tale is set in a dystopian future, where a woman is forced to live as a concubine under a fundamentalist theocratic dictatorship. Title
Year released
Genres
Classification
Strong themes, Sexual violence, Sex scenes, Violence, Coarse language Synopsis
Seasons
Cast and crew
Novelist, poet, inventor and all-round marvel Margaret Atwood is no stranger to the realm of film and TV, having seen her novels The Robber Bride, Payback and Surfacing all make the jump from paper to the big and small screens. In 2017, Atwood added a third screen to that list, when her 1985 novel The Handmaid's Tale was adapted into a 10-part online series thanks to American streaming service Hulu.
In 2018, a second season was released that further explores the grim dystopia past the source material's original ending. A third season was also announced in May 2018. Season four is currently in production.
The plot
Starring Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men), Joseph Fiennes (American Horror Story) and Alexis Bledel (Gilmore Girls), the brutally dark series explores a near-future world where fertility rates have fallen so low women have been forced into positions of sexual slavery – "handmaids" in the insidious language of the world's totalitarian government.
Trailer
Is The Handmaid's Tale on Netflix?
No, The Handmaid's Tale isn't on Netflix. It's exclusive to:
- Stan - Season 1, 2, 3 and 4.
- Sbs - Season 5.
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The Handmaid’s Tale – Picture: MGM / Hulu
The Handmaid’s Tale has returned for its fourth season on Hulu but once again, many around the world still ask us whether or not seasons 1-4 of The Handmaid’s Tale will be on Netflix. Sadly, the answer continues to be no. Here’s why.
The Handmaid’s Tale is an American dystopian drama based on the 1985 novel of the same name by author Margaret Atwood. The series has captivated audiences for the past 3, seasons becoming one of the most and discussed dramas since the likes of Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad. It shattered award records back in 2017 and reportedly (without any numbers, unfortunately) set a record for its season 4 premiere for Hulu.
Season 4 of The Handmaid’s Tale is running on Hulu between April 27th, 2021 to June 16th, 2021.
Why The Handmaid’s Tale isn’t on Netflix US
If the trailer above isn’t already any indication as to why The Handmaid’s Tale isn’t on Netflix, then let us help.
The series is a Hulu Original therefore is exclusive to the streaming service Hulu in the same way that Stranger Things is exclusive to Netflix.
There is a remote possibility the show may come to Netflix much much further down the line given the show is distributed by MGM Studios (not owned by Disney who owns Hulu) but again we must stress how remote this is.
MGM itself is an acquisition target for the likes of Disney and Netflix so we’ll see what happens long-term but for the short to medium term, you’ll need Hulu.
Are other regions streaming The Handmaid’s Tale?
There is currently no region with Netflix that is streaming The Handmaiden’s Tale.
If you’re unsure where to watch the series in your country allow us to help with that.
In the United Kingdom, the series has been exclusively available to watch on Channel 4. With that said, in recent years, Amazon Prime has managed to pick up the streaming rights to the show with all three previous seasons currently available.
In Australia episodes of The Handmaid’s Tale are available to stream on Stan.
Fans in Canada have two separate services that can be used to stream The Handmaid’s Tale. Crave is your best bet with all previous three seasons available plus new episodes weekly for season 4.
If you want to see where the show is streaming in your region, head over to JustWatch.
Margaret Atwood fans aren’t completely out of luck on Netflix, however. Netflix is the home to Alias Grace which also adapts a famous title from Atwood’s large body of work.
Are you disappointed to not see The Handmaid’s Tale on Netflix? Let us know in the comments below.