Adapted from a work of historical fiction by famed author Margaret Atwood, Netflix's "Alias Grace" is more interested in the stories that enable us to make sense of a crime than in solving the crime itself. If you were fascinated by Jonathan's attempts to control the narrative in "The Undoing," you'll enjoy watching the way convicted murder Grace Marks (Sarah Gadon) does the same throughout "Alias Grace."
When we meet Grace in Canada in 1859, she's already spent 15 years in prison for the murder of her employer (Paul Gross) and his housekeeper (Anna Paquin), although she claims to have no memory of the crime. She's become a minor celebrity and has drawn a group of supporters who would like to see the unassuming young woman pardoned, so they call in a doctor (Edward Holcroft) to question her, hoping he will uncover a reason for her exoneration.
Grace tells the doctor her life story, including her immigration from Ireland to Canada, the abuse she endured at the hands of her father, her first job as a maid, and how she became a servant in the house of the man she eventually murders. Grace may or may not be calibrating her story to garner sympathy and favor from the doctor, and we're never really sure if Grace is genuine or just an excellent liar. Either way, the yarn she spins is fascinating and will draw you in, no matter what conclusion you come to.
