The Handmaid's Tale 1990

In a chillingly plausible dystopian America, Offred becomes a Handmaid, a pawn in a twisted game of power and control. Forced into reproductive servitude by the ruthless Commander and his wife, Serena, Offred must navigate her desires for Nick, the charming chauffeur, while fighting to survive in a society that dehumanizes women.

In a chillingly plausible dystopian America, Offred becomes a Handmaid, a pawn in a twisted game of power and control. Forced into reproductive servitude by the ruthless Commander and his wife, Serena, Offred must navigate her desires for Nick, the charming chauffeur, while fighting to survive in a society that dehumanizes women.

Does The Handmaid's Tale have end credit scenes?

No!

The Handmaid's Tale does not have end credit scenes. You can leave when the credits roll.

Meet the Full Cast and Actors of The Handmaid's Tale

Explore the complete cast of The Handmaid's Tale, including both lead and supporting actors. Learn who plays each character, discover their past roles and achievements, and find out what makes this ensemble cast stand out in the world of film and television.


Ratings and Reviews for The Handmaid's Tale

See how The Handmaid's Tale is rated across major platforms like IMDb, Metacritic, and TMDb. Compare audience scores and critic reviews to understand where The Handmaid's Tale stands among top-rated movies in its genre.


Metacritic

53

Metascore

tbd

User Score

Rotten Tomatoes
review

%

TOMATOMETER

review

0%

User Score

IMDb

6.0 /10

IMDb Rating

TMDB

61

%

User Score

Take the Ultimate The Handmaid's Tale Movie Quiz

Challenge your knowledge of The Handmaid's Tale with this fun and interactive movie quiz. Test yourself on key plot points, iconic characters, hidden details, and memorable moments to see how well you really know the film.


The Handmaid's Tale (1990) Quiz: Test your knowledge on the dystopian world of The Handmaid's Tale, exploring themes of oppression, resistance, and the human spirit.

Who is the protagonist of the movie?

Full Plot Summary and Ending Explained for The Handmaid's Tale

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Read the complete plot summary of The Handmaid's Tale, including all major events, twists, and the full ending explained in detail. Explore key characters, themes, hidden meanings, and everything you need to understand the story from beginning to end.


The film begins with a haunting view of a snow-covered mountain landscape, accompanied by the words: “Once upon a time in the recent future a country went wrong. The country was called The Republic of Gilead.” A woman, Natasha Richardson, along with her husband and child, navigates through the treacherous terrain towards the border of Gilead. When cornered by guards, her husband valiantly attempts to distract them, resulting in his tragic death as Kate is captured and forcefully separated from her daughter.

The narrative swiftly shifts to a city street scene, where groups of women, including Kate, are unloaded from trucks and herded into a facility. Trucks labeled with various oppressive terms also deliver men and people of color, all organized by categories such as race and gender. As fate would have it, the women are identified based on their fertility, and one woman, upon receiving a negative fertility report, protests and is brutally taken away. Infertile women are packed into a truck with a grotesque label of “116 female”, a chilling reminder of their grim reality as they desperately wave for help.

Upon arrival at their new prison, they meet Victoria Tennant, known as Aunt Lydia—a grim authority figure overseeing the Handmaids. The women are then transported to the Red Center, where windows are painted over to block their view of the outside world. During the journey, Kate converses with Elizabeth McGovern, who plays Moira, and they share their experiences leading to their imprisonment. Moira reveals her identity as a lesbian, a condition that could lead to execution in this oppressive regime. After arriving at the Red Center, the horror continues as they face punishment and brainwashing, learning lies about their bodies, and witnessing the devastating repercussions of rebellion.

At this infamous center, Kate has flashbacks to her daughter as she tries to grasp the new rules of her existence among the Aunts, who impose strict behavioral regulations. As night falls, Kate and Moira dream of escape and plot a rebellion. However, their hopes become increasingly dire as they are forced into rigid roles. Aunt Lydia’s cruel treatment and degrading education on womanhood weigh heavily on them, reminding them constantly of their loss and subjugation.

As time passes, Kate becomes Robert Duvall’s character’s Handmaid and is renamed Offred. Within the confines of the Commander’s home, she must navigate the precarious balance of power, surviving the oppressive Yoke of the Wives like Faye Dunaway while maintaining her humanity. Meanwhile, cable news broadcasts cheer about the Republic’s vision, casting Handmaids as the nation’s most valued asset.

Throughout her tenure as Offred, Kate yearns for her past. In moments of quiet, she shares passionate encounters with Nick, a driver played by Aidan Quinn. Their bond becomes a source of solace and rebellion against the regime’s oppressive structure. As she realizes the depth of her feelings for him, the story explores the morally gray areas of loyalty and survival amidst a heartless system, where individual worth is determined solely by one’s ability to reproduce.

The climax erupts during an emotionally draining “salvaging,” where Handmaids are coerced into carrying out violent penalties against transgressors. As Kate becomes increasingly rebellious, her resolve solidifies with each harrowing event around her, leading her to face difficult decisions that will determine not just her fate, but the destiny of her unborn child as well.

In a daring twist, the narrative veers toward resistance as the truth of Mayday—a rebel group—unfolds. Kate ultimately takes the last step toward liberation by killing her Commander. With the shocking revelation of the rebels coming to her aid, she escapes the clutches of Gilead.

The film closes with Kate, now highly pregnant, reflecting on her uncertain future as she finds safety with the rebels in the mountains. Her poignant voiceover captures a mixture of hope and despair: “I don’t know if this is the end for me or a new beginning but I’m safe here in the mountains held by the rebels…” “I wait for my baby to be born into a different world. I still dream about Jill…” The haunting reality of a mother separated from her child lingers, yet a glimmer of hope shines through her determination to reunite with her daughter, feeding a dream of love and freedom amidst a world that has tried to strip it away.

Uncover the Details: Timeline, Characters, Themes, and Beyond!

Watch Trailers, Clips & Behind-the-Scenes for The Handmaid's Tale

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Watch official trailers, exclusive clips, cast interviews, and behind-the-scenes footage from The Handmaid's Tale. Dive deeper into the making of the film, its standout moments, and key production insights.


The Handmaid's Tale (1990) - Official Trailer

Cars Featured in The Handmaid's Tale

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Explore all cars featured in The Handmaid's Tale, including their makes, models, scenes they appear in, and their significance to the plot. A must-read for car enthusiasts and movie buffs alike.


AM

General M-35

Chevrolet

1985

Astro

Dodge

1981

Aries K

Dodge

1985

Aries K

Dodge

1942

WC 52

Ford

1988

Aerostar

Ford

1983

Econoline

Ford

1943

M20 AUC

GMC

1951

M211

International

Harvester Loadstar

Movie Themes and Keywords

Discover the central themes, ideas, and keywords that define the movie’s story, tone, and message. Analyze the film’s deeper meanings, genre influences, and recurring concepts.


fundamentalist religiondystopiapantyhoseimpregnationtotalitarian statedystopian sci fisex slavebreastssex scenefemale nudityfoot torturesexual attractionhot footlesbianviolence against a womanchildrenyoungcheating husbandblack carsecret clubbomb attackdriversex clubdictatorshipsmugglingpsychological torturefutureescapefertilityslaverytitle same as bookapostrophe in titlethree word titlevisitopening a doorreligionfemale protagonisttheocracybible quoteslapped in the faceveilparanoiahusband wife relationshipbound and gaggedsurrogate mothersterilityseductionscrabblerebellionrape

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