The 8 most horrifying moments from ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’

The 8 most horrifying moments from ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’

The first three episodes of Hulu’s incredible adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s novel are now streaming, and while viewers have been quick to draw comparisons between the fictional dystopia of Gilead — which treats women as objects and denies them agency over their own bodies (hmm!) — and the current political climate in America, the painful truth is that many of the issues central to the series have plagued humanity from the get-go.

In fact, what made Atwood’s novel so potent when it was published in 1985 — and what makes it so relevant today — is that the author didn’t have to invent much of the narrative at all…

Here are the eight most horrifying moments from the first three episodes of The Handmaid’s Tale, titled “Offred,” “Birth,” and “Late,” which will be giving us nightmares for months. Spoilers ahead!

MORE: The 8 most horrifying moments from ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’