Alias Grace (2017) User Reviews

A Powerful Novel Brought to Life

[DiddleMeThis · 9/10 · 1 November 2017]

Those who have read Margaret Atwood's amazing book, Alias Grace, already know of its layered and nuanced treatment of the story of convicted maidservant Grace Marks.

With that complexity in mind, the six-part mini-series had massive shoes to fill. The various editions of the landmark Canadian novel often exceed five hundred pages, making an on-screen adaptation that much more challenging.

Enter director Mary Harron from stage left. She, with fellow producers Sarah Polley and Margaret Atwood, has put together a drama that captures Victorian-era issues of femininity in a gripping and engaging story of passion, murder, and deceit.

The tale focuses on a retelling of the events leading up to the real-life murders of Thomas Kinnear and Nancy Montgomery just outside of Toronto. The imprisoned Marks is questioned, decades following her conviction, at the Kingston Penitentiary by ambitious psychoanalyst, Simon Jordan. The young doctor listens intently as she stitches together the events that preceded the dreadful killings of Kinnear and Montgomery. Grace, along with stable-hand James McDermott, was convicted of murder, but doubts surrounding Grace's guilt (and sanity) remain. As Dr. Jordan delves deeper into her psyche, he becomes more obsessed with what really happened. His efforts to determine her culpability persist, and truth and falsity become dizzying motifs in the story. What isn't said becomes as crucial as what is said and, as the narrative continues, certainty retreats into the shadows.

Sarah Gadon's casting as Grace Marks is, without question, marvelous. She manages to simultaneously convey purity and malevolence with a single glance, and the dynamic between she and Dr. Jordan is laden with wonderful tension. Supporting characters are all played capably (though notable renderings from Paul Gross and Anna Paquin emerge), but their solid performances are continuously, albeit unintentionally, overshadowed by Gadon's understated portrayal of Atwood's complex protagonist.

Whether or not you've read Alias Grace is of little consequence. It's a fantastic book, but the mini-series can be thoroughly enjoyed regardless.

Margaret Atwood's involvement in production clearly enhanced this magnificent mini-series. By the end, viewers are left to question fact, fiction, and everything in between.

Thoughtful and Deliberate Storytelling

[Wanderlust024 · 8/10 · 16 March 2018]

I found this to be a beautifully told, riveting story. It is certainly a slow burn so if you require fast-passed action this may not be what you are looking for.

Alias Grace is an example of thoughtful and deliberate storytelling. It presents the life experiences of Grace Marks (Sarah Gadon) as she shares her story with Dr Simon Jordan. Throughout the six-part miniseries, you are meant to consider whether she is culpable for the murders for which she was accused. Sarah Gadon gives a powerful, understated performance that draws you in. Her nuanced portrayal made me more interested in watching the development of her character than learning whether she had committed the murders.

I have read some reviews in which Alias Grace was criticized for being feminist propaganda which presented the male characters as predatory and the society in which Grace lived as patriarchal. I certainly agree that the series provided commentary on sexism and classism. But I think one should keep in mind that it's a historical piece set largely in 1840-1850.

A little history of Ontario, Canada: * In 1884, married women received the same legal rights as men to enter into legal agreements and buy property. * In 1917, women were granted the right to vote. * In 1928, the Supreme Court determined that the term "persons" in the British North America Act did not include women. This was appealed in 1929 and women became people under the act.

So ... Personally, I'm quite comfortable with the series' commentary on sexism and the presentation of the experiences of the female characters. If you aren't considered a person under the law, naturally it will reflect how you are treated in society.

Great storytelling but disappointing end

[paradajzlost · 7/10 · 18 April 2021]

The series is great until the very end, when they rushed it and pretty much ruined everything by leaving no satisfactory conclusion nor resolution. I loved the main character, she makes such a great psycho on moments with her comments. Her storytelling is compelling, like Scheherazade she's buying her time seducing the listener. Pity the ending was not a bit more meaningful.

Superbly made true crime story and Sarah Gadon is luminous

[phd_travel · 10/10 · 13 November 2017]

What a well made, superbly acted and completely fascinating series this turned out to be. A true life murder is always interesting but the details here are not too well known like Lizzie Borden's story. An Irish maid emigrates to Canada but gets caught up and convicted of the murder of her employer and housekeeper. The psychological and emotional insights are so well incorporated they ring true. The dialog is such that you listen for every word though some of the accents are a bit thick.

Acting is superb. Sarah Gadon is luminous and perfectly cast. Deserves an Emmy. Her facial expressions are just right for the complexities of the role. Anna Paquin is good too in a difficult role. Zachary Levi is kind and surprisingly not out of place in the time period. The supporting cast are good too.

The directing is precise and shows you what you need for the story. The horrific and painful parts of the story are such that it could not have been shown in such detail if it was adapted many years ago. What a perfect balance of beauty and horror.

The series is 6 episodes. Just the right length - neither too long to have any draggy moments or too short to feel short changed in any way. This series shows CBC more than matching the best BBC can produce.

Truly Excellent Period Piece Filled With Human Drama & Intrigue

[zkonedog · 10/10 · 18 November 2017]

"Alias Grace" is a show that, normally, would not necessarily come across my radar as something to watch. I started it after a recommendation from a family member, who very interestingly told me "it looks like a period piece, but it's done very well". That was telling to me. Often, when one thinks of "period piece", they think of stuffy dramas that look old and outdated even when they are new. A few really rise to the surface ("John Adams" a while back comes to mind), but many just reside in that "muddy middle". Fortunately, "Alias Grace" is a period piece done absolutely perfectly, as it creates and advances great characters, is at the same time a commentary on more contemporary times, and features writing/acting that is top notch.

For a basic plot outline, "Alias Grace" follows the story of Grace Marks (Sarah Gadon), who is held in prison for the charged murder of Nancy Montgomery (Anna Paquin). A psychologist, Dr. Jordan (Edward Holcroft), takes an interest in her case, and decides to interview her to determine if her conviction is legitimate or based on faulty confessions/evidence. Through these interviews, Grace reflects back on much of her past, filling in the backstory until getting to the day of the murder itself.

The main reason "Alias Grace" works so well is because it is just an incredibly written show. What's funny is that the main conceit (Grace being interviewed by Dr. Jordan) might lead one to think that this was a "nuthouse" or prison-centric type of show. While perhaps nominally the guiding path for the show, the real "meat" comes in the story of Grace's life and the events that happen to her over the course of a lifetime, really. Using Margaret Atwood's text, the filmmakers here really paint a visceral picture of what life likely consisted of for women (and men) of that time period. As I said previously, period pieces often have the tendency to "soften around the edges" a bit, but "Alias Grace" pulls no punches. It can be happy and cheerful, but also disturbing and dour.

Another highlight is Gadon's performance as Grace, which is probably award-worthy. While the auxiliary characters are great too, this is Gadon's show to carry, and carry it she does! One can't help but get swept away in her saga, as she displays such a wide range of emotions and actions from beginning to end.

I won't spoil any details here, but let me just say this: For the first five episodes, "Alias Grace" is an 8-star, "very good" type of show. The final (sixth) episode vaults it into 10/10 "excellent" status. That finale is one of the best single episodes of television I've seen since "The Leftovers" left the airwaves. It literally had me on the edge of my seat, with my jaw ajar when the final credits rolled.

Final verdict: Another step in the right direction (and a big one!) for Netflix Original programming, on the heels of "Mindhunter" and "Stranger Things S2". Netflix has show in the past year that it can "play with the big boys" when it comes to original programming, and that's a net win for appreciators of quality scripted television as well.

Nice, but slow and not clear ending

[manhesr · 7/10 · 8 August 2018]

A little bit slow and not really clear ending. Acting is good and I really like the characters

Gripping.

[elsieclements · 8/10 · 11 November 2017]

The main actress was superb in this gripping drama. It was so good, I watched all the episodes back to back. (all in one night) A very entertaining mystery, thriller, did she do it? who knows.

Since it was based on truth, from 1843 the research on this must have been difficult.

Superb series with a worse ending than GoT

[daylive · 6/10 · 7 January 2020]

So I write this from a viewpoint of someone who hasn't watched the Novel, so I'm not gonna rate this in how well it follows the original script.

The series overall is exquisite, slow - compelling storytelling. Interesting, realistic characters which make you fall in love with them. Realism, the world makes sense, no weird jumps or "un-canon" behaviour.

I like this until the last 2-3 minutes - I assume that's how it's supposed to be, ending "good, but bad." Again, it must follow the the source material until the very end - I presume. But the very, very ending lacks... Anything, really.

She didn't get killed, as she was "possessed/had a split personality" - so she "wasn't guilty, from a moral standpoint" - thought that never was explained to the committee that should've pardoned her, as the doctor couldn't wrap his head around the nature of the hypnosis incident.

She didn't get to experience true happiness, as she might not "deserve" it, depending on your moral viewpoint - is she guilty? She wasn't herself, yet it was technically a side of her/someone within her body that would've even felt punished, as Mary Whitney (or the persona she assumed) herself said - as she felt like it was her, not Grace that did the terrible thing.

She also lied again, and proceeded to live with the - once - little boy, who loved her but betrayed her and couldn't forgive himself.

She didn't get to experience true love with Dr. Simon Jordan whom she actually had feelings for - and so did he. She didn't get punished for what she did either, her story, then, is a sad story of a girl who only experienced hardship, with no real moral message and neither a happy nor a really sad ending.

Good stories can have a extremely sad ending, it doesn't have to be a happy ending at all cost - but this ending was.. lack luster.

The Show without the last 3-5 minutes gets a 9/10 - hell, maybe a 10/10. But this ending is just.. ruins the experience - the story deserved a real ending, a good one - a tragic one - a surprising one.. This, feels like the ending was some kind of bad FanFiction of the actual ending.

A great novel makes an excellent mini-series

[steiner-sam · 8/10 · 17 June 2021]

The mini-series is based on Margaret Atwood's 1996 novel by the same title.

Grace Marks (Sarah Gadon) is an Irish immigrant who arrived in Canada around 1840 as a teenager with four younger siblings. Her mother died in the ocean crossing, and her father was abusive. The story is mostly done in flashbacks, done in interviews with Dr. Simon Jordan (Edward Holcroft), an early modern practitioner of psychiatry. The interviews take place 15 years after Grace has been convicted in the murders of two persons in 1843, though the level of her involvement in the murders is uncertain, and she claims no memory of the exact time of the murders.

Soon after arriving in Canada and thrown out of the house by her father, Grace is a servant in a substantial Toronto household and has a close relationship with Mary Whitney (Rebecca Liddiard), a slightly older servant. She also becomes acquainted with Jeremiah the Peddler (Zachary Levi), a charismatic man with sleight-of-hand skills. Mary Whitney becomes pregnant by one of the sons in the household and dies after a botched abortion. Grace feels guilt for Mary's death.

To escape the son who turns his eyes towards her, Grace becomes a low-level household servant at a remote farm north of Toronto in Richmond Hill owned by a single man, Thomas Kinnear (Paul Gross). The other household staff includes Nancy Montgomery (Anna Paquin) who is a combination servant/mistress, and James McDermott (Kerr Logan), the ill-tempered stableman. Grace also has a friendship with a slightly younger neighbor boy, Jamie Walsh (Stephen Joffe).

After becoming pregnant by Thomas Kinnear, Nancy turns on both Grace and James and dismisses them from service while Kinnear is in the city. Nancy is murdered first, and Thomas Kinnear is murdered on his return home. James and Grace flee, taking clothing, money, and valuables, but are soon caught. At trial, James claims Grace instigated him to commit the murders; her memories are vaguer. James is executed by hanging, and Grace is imprisoned for life.

During interviews, Dr. Jordan falls in love with Grace but restrains his urges. Jeremiah the Peddler resurfaces as Dr. Jerome DuPont, a "neuro-hypnotist." In the last episode, Dr. Dupont hypnotizes Grace and appears to reveal a split personality that suggests some answers to the level of Grace's involvement in the murders. Dr. Jordan is blown away by this experience, returns to the U. S., enters the Civil War, is injured, and becomes an invalid. Eleven years later,

Grace is finally pardoned and finds peace in a marriage with an old acquaintance. The state of her involvement in the murders remains enigmatic.

This was a great novel (won the Giller Prize), and the mini-series is excellent. As one would expect, gender roles and power dynamics are at the center of the series. The main characters are historically based, though Dr. Jordan is entirely fictional. Grace Marks was pardoned after 30 years in prison and moved to the U. S., where she disappeared.

Pains me to give this a 6.

[neurocore · 6/10 · 5 May 2022]

Very well written and brilliantly acted. Sarah Gadon is amazing. The story was told in an interesting way, and Grace's journey made me uncomfortable and tense quite often. That is until the last couple of episodes. All tension went away, things all of sudden appear rushed/forced, especially the last episode.

Could have been a 10/10. Worth watching though.

Absorbing and thoughtful adaptation of the feminist classic novel

[danaelambros · 9/10 · 28 October 2017]

The quiet power of this television series caught me by surprise and I was hooked by the end of the first episode. It's also quite different from most mainstream TV series out there in terms of its subject matter. Yes - it's based on a real-life event, but more than that, it's a fantastic adaptation of the Margaret Atwood novel. it's provocative and will make you think about the nature versus nurture issue as well as the injustices women and girl must endure to live and survive in a man's world. That being said, you don't have to have read the novel to enjoy or understand this series.

There are multiple layers to this story: on one level Alias Grace is a psychological thriller and crime story, but also an examination of the injustices perpetrated by the ruling classes against the poor, immigrants and the downtrodden in 19th Century Canada. What struck me the most, though is Atwood's message about the treatment of women and girls at the hands of men and the male ruling elite. Although women and women's rights have made great strides in recent decades, on some levels, not much has changed. Women still suffer sexual harassment in the workplace - much like Grace and other servants do in the story.

The beauty of this series is that it doesn't hammer the viewer with any of these issues but rather lets the story interpretation speaks for itself. The topic is not only disturbing but there is a powerful aura of mystery surrounding both Grace and her story. You aren't sure what to believe and the director and script ensure this mystery and suspense are sustained throughout. Furthermore, this series is also thoughtful and realistic in its portrayal of an era and of the inequalities and suffering of the servant class.

I read the novel shortly after it was published and it's not surprising that this and Atwood's other novel, "The Handmaid's Tale" is currently a powerful and gripping TV series. While Atwood is a literary star in her native Canada, she does not have a large international following outside of literary circles. Like The Handmaids Tale, Alias Grace is about the injustices of being born female in a male-dominated society, whether the ruling classes hijack women's reproduction or their sexuality, a woman can never feel safe in a male-dominated world that is also enforced by females. (The character played by Anna Paquin comes to mind). The real theme in this story is about survival and what people will do in order to survive.

The story also examines some of the social trends regarding mental illness and trauma that were precursors to modern psychiatric medicine prior to Freud and Jung, such as the growing popularity and belief in seances to contact the dead, hypnotism and other forms of the paranormal practiced among the merchant and wealthy social classes both in Europe and North America. Juxtaposed with these trends is the character of Dr. Jordan, who is a forerunner of modern psychiatric medicine in terms of his approach. He gets Grace to talk about her life as a servant girl and woman - and he also encourages her to revisit the trauma of the murder itself. However, his goal is not to judge her - as he mentions several times throughout the series - but to determine from a medical standpoint, what was her state of mind that leads to the committing of the murder.

The main character, Grace, is a complex study in not only the human mind and its darker recesses but also the power of the survival instinct in all of us. Sarah Gadon plays her brilliantly: Grace is both modest but cunning; verbally witty but also withdrawn; traumatized but spunky. It takes a great actor to pull off this kind of character complexity and Gadon's performance is stellar. She also manages to create an aura of mystery surrounding Grace, which is a key element to her character and to the viewer wondering: is she really guilty or an unfortunate victim of gender, social class and circumstance?

I give this series a 9 out of 10. It's not often you find a great novel to film adaptation. This is one of them.

Wait for it, wait for it. Oh wait, nothing's going to happen.

[nickmorgenstern · 6/10 · 9 January 2018]

I am somewhat sate of all these flashy trailers that leave me breathing air through my mouth and then i realize i've fallen for the same old marketing trick.

Like many others that probably watched this show, i myself have not read the book, nor do i intend to because it just leaves me questioning so many different aspects of this book/show that i never thought i would be questioning.

What i expected was a psychologically disturbed pathological liar that got away with killing and manipulating more than five people in her favor, what i got was a bible study of the feminist mind and her hot 50 year old master. He is hot, stop denying it.

The last two episodes should or could have been so much more but they never culminated for me it just went up, up and then down down and flatlined.

I have the feeling we are probably missing a lot of backstory. Nevertheless i think the show was good...maybe. Let's leave it to god shall we?

Many good things until the end

[laragi · 5/10 · 24 November 2019]

There are many good things about this, especially in the first half. The characters are well played. In the end, however, I was unsatisfied. It was as if there was a rush to be done with it all. Not a lot of depth in the last couple of episodes.

An Amazing Story with An Amazing Cast

[lilacfieldsforever · 10/10 · 25 November 2017]

I found this wonderful series by accident on Netflix. When I saw that Sarah Gadon was staring in it I knew I had to watch it. I have loved watching her movies since I saw her in Cosmopolis. When I saw the great director David Cronenberg was acting in it too. I knew I had to watch. I was not disappointed.

The story was very compelling and kept my interested through out the series. I have to say I would recommend this to anyone that like a crime, historical, or mystery type movie.

The unreliable narrator genre, done great

[anaguiterres · 9/10 · 10 February 2019]

Grace is a deeply complicated and intelligent character played brilliantly Sarah Gadon who views life through a mind set she was born into and has long outgrown in some respects but shackled by in others. Keeping the audience guessing if the main protagonist is a victim or a villain is nothing new but in this story we are asked to guess along with Grace as to the quality of her own character which I thinks is where this series breaks new ground.

Good, but I wanted it to be better....

[corabelch · 7/10 · 19 October 2020]

Great atmospheric period piece. I stuck with all of the episodes, though it was a little slow at times in the middle section. Exploring women during the 1800s - what it means to be feminine, what constitutes mental illness, how a female may (or may not have) committed a murder and why - those are all very interesting topics. The series spends a lot of time in the psychology of it with conversations between Grace and the doctor charged with deciding if she's still a danger to society. But because Grace has reasons to hold back her feelings and memories, she's a bit of an unreliable narrator, and I do find that hard to feel things for a main character who may or may not be telling the truth, because you don't know what's genuine and what's not.

Great show!

[dawnfreese · 10/10 · 21 October 2017]

This is a great series about a young woman who is locked up for murder, she is treated by the guards and her bosses (working as a maid) very poorly, but she knows her place. She is young and naive, left alone to fend for herself at a young age. I love the accents, The show is gripping and keeps you waiting for the next episode. You are wondering if she is framed for the murder, was it self-defense or was it cold- blooded murder!

Well made, but dull and uninspired.

[kitellis-98121 · 7/10 · 9 July 2018]

Most of the seven stars I've given this are for the excellent period detail, cinematography, and production design, which helped keep me watching when the endless scenes of sewing started to become wearisome.

This piece is slow-moving. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, if the dialogue is top-notch and the directing assured. Here, unfortunately, we are treated to scene after scene of two people sitting in a room while one talks (and sews, and sews, and sews) and the other listens. This gives way to a voice-over which narrates the central storyline in the form of flashbacks - an uninspired device which also tests ones patience after a while.

If the story was gripping, or at least told with more inspired directing, it would be a rewarding experience, as it is certainly very well made. Unfortunately, each flashback lasts just long enough to begin to arouse one's interest before lurching awkwardly back to the talking and the sewing - effectively destroying any build-up of tension.

Sadly, one thing that seriously challenged my ability to become immersed was the casting of Anna Paquin, whose facial gurning and increasing resemblance to Val Kilmer (as both their faces grow ever wider) was distracting, and her ill-fitting presence made the whole thing feel consciously like a TV show. Overall it's worth a watch, but could be so much better with more inspired writing and directing.

Amazing Grace

[lior2298 · 10/10 · 20 October 2017]

Very much like in her "Handmaid's Tale" Margaret Atwood's heroin Grace is an intelligent low class woman that know better what she should say or not for the sack of her survival. Truth is given in small doses, and with lots of compassion poured in to the naive Dr's ears .He who is so eager to help yet so blind to the exploitation and abuse of working class woman.

Grace inner voice is strong and true. Also she has no control over her life, she is not broken. I often think that is the greatest sin of woman of her kind in the eyes of society.

Loved all but the last episode

[raydenenberg · 6/10 · 26 November 2020]

The last episode ruined it for me - I loved the series otherwise - and it made me regret having wasted time watching it. I don't mind when a series leaves you guessing at the end - Sopranos for example. But this ending was so confusing, in so many respects. The doctor banging the landlady (on the hard floor, both fully clothed) and then horribly insulting her immediately upon conclusion - what did that have to do with anything, and what was the point. (I didn't mark this as a spoiler, because, as I said, it had nothing to do with anything.) And several other similar idiotic incidents which I won't cite, to avoid spoining.

Underrated

[alaa_biology · 9/10 · 10 July 2019]

Very underrated mini series Should be more than 8.5

Didn't like the ending

[libertyandunion-792-720520 · 6/10 · 26 March 2021]

Sarah Godon was wonderful, as were the interiors and overall photography. The story was riveting at times, and there were some excellent supporting characters. This just didn't stick with me. There are some rather slow parts, and the last episode seemed rather odd in presentation. The ending was very disappointing.

Started off good, but then dived off a cliff fast

[goodiegirl1707 · 5/10 · 31 December 2018]

It was good at first, captivating, kept you wanting more, especially a possible romance between the two lead actors. But then, towards the end, it just got worse and worse. The ending ruined the series so much so, I'm mad at myself for wasting so much time on it. Grace ending up with the boy who supposedly loved her but condemned her? Plot holes with Jeremiah and the hypnotism - was that an elaborate scheme? Then the doctor out of nowhere going into combat and then falling ill. It's as if the writer of the story went on a manic tirade himself, trying to throw off the audience in any which direction possible. Not too poetic for me. I would watch encourage others to not waste time on this.

wonderful so far

[yancovitch · 10/10 · 25 September 2017]

although they've much improved, i always was a bit disappointed in Canadian productions but this is first class...from my humble perspective...i'm impressed with it's sophistication and intelligence...lots of soul.... cheers to the actors and those built into the foundation of this lovely tapestry.....go Canada..........now please don't tell me it's really an American production :):)

beautifully told riveting true story

[nyobatusa · 8/10 · 15 October 2017]

you will get charmed and enchanted by the inner strength and beauty of the main character and you will want to know more details as to how she ended up in such unfortunate place all the way to the end. Story reminded me of Molly Flanders yet this one is no fiction and of course different. No cellphone will ring in this miniseries, how refreshing.