The first teaser for Netflix’s adaptation of Alias Grace is making a strong appeal to fans of the book by using words lifted directly from Margaret Atwood’s novel, a fictional account of the real-life accused murderess Grace Marks. “I think of all the things that have been written about me,” says Marks (Sarah Gordon) in a voice-over. “That I am an inhuman female demon. That I am an innocent victim of a blackguard, forced against my will, and in danger of my own life. That I am cunning and devious. How can I be all these different things at once?”
The real Marks was a maid convicted of murder in 1843 in connection with the death of her employer and his housekeeper. She was later exonerated. The timing of the new six-hour miniseries makes it a strong candidate to fill the void left behind after the end of The Handmaid’s Tale’s gripping first season. While Alias Grace is a historical narrative rather than a bleak portrait of a dystopian future, it explores many of the many of the same themes, including gender politics. “I’d rather be a murderess than a murderer, if those are my only choices,” says Marks.
Alias Grace is written and produced by Sarah Polley, the filmmaker behind Take This Waltz and Stories We Tell, and directed by Mary Harron. All six episodes will hit Netflix on Nov. 3.
