The Handmaid's Tale (2017)

Kernel Score: 83% · 3,131 ratings

Genres: Drama, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Action & Adventure

First aired: 2017-04-26

Seasons: 6 · 66 episodes

Is The Handmaid's Tale worth watching?

Worth watching. A bleak drama about a woman in a future America ruled by a harsh religious regime. The first season is tense, frightening and superbly acted, though later seasons are grim and slow.

Watch it if you

  • like serious dystopian drama
  • want a story about power and resistance

Skip it if you

  • dislike bleak, distressing subject matter
  • want quick plotting

Best for: Serious binge

Fresh Kernels verdict, AI-assisted from our scores, audience reviews and the official rating.

Where to watch The Handmaid's Tale

  • Stream: Hulu
  • Buy: Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play, Fandango At Home

US availability, updated 2026-10-23.

Overview

Set in a dystopian future, a woman is forced to live as a concubine under a fundamentalist theocratic dictatorship.

The Handmaid's Tale parents' guide: ages 15+

Parents need to know that The Handmaid's Tale is a dystopian drama depicting rape, slavery, and totalitarian oppression.

  • Violence & scariness: Intense — Depicts torture, tyranny, and violent oppression within a totalitarian dystopia.
  • Sex, romance & nudity: Strong — Central plot involves rape and forced surrogacy under a fundamentalist regime.

Fresh Kernels AI-assessed from the official TV-MA rating, publicly documented content. A guide for families, not an official rating.

Shows like The Handmaid's Tale

If you liked The Handmaid's Tale, these are the shows we'd watch next.

  • Silo (2023) — 95%: Dystopian drama about a closed society and its secrets
  • See (2019) — 89%: Post-collapse world with a strange social order
  • The Walking Dead (2010) — 91%: Survival drama in a harsh, broken world
  • Impulse (2018) — 83%: Tense drama about a young woman with a hidden power

Cast

The Handmaid's Tale FAQ

Is The Handmaid's Tale worth watching?

Worth watching. A bleak drama about a woman in a future America ruled by a harsh religious regime. The first season is tense, frightening and superbly acted, though later seasons are grim and slow.

Where can I watch The Handmaid's Tale?

In the US you can stream The Handmaid's Tale on Hulu and buy it from Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play and Fandango At Home.

Is The Handmaid's Tale OK for kids?

The Handmaid's Tale is rated TV-MA. Fresh Kernels suggests ages 15+. Parents need to know that The Handmaid's Tale is a dystopian drama depicting rape, slavery, and totalitarian oppression.

What shows are like The Handmaid's Tale?

If you liked The Handmaid's Tale, try Silo, See, The Walking Dead and Impulse.