Plot summary

The film opens on a view of a desolate snow covered mountain scape with 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), her husband, and their child (Blair Struble) are driving up the mountains in their car towards the border of the Republic of Gilead. They approach the border on foot as they get nearer, but are spotted by guards from the Republic before they can cross. Kate's husband is shot while trying to distract the guards so his family can escape, and she is captured and separated from her daughter.The scene cuts to a city street, where women (including Kate) are being unloaded from a back of a large truck and herded into a building. Other trucks are unloading as well, although some are full of men or black people (note: the term African American is not entirely appropriate in this context as this is not "America"). The people are organized by race, gender, and among white women, their fertility. As the women's fertility results are read aloud, one "negative" women protests and is forcefully carried away. The infertile women are forced into a large truck with the original label "livestock" crossed out and "116 female" written over top. As the truck pulls away presumably headed for the colonies, the women's arms can be seen waving for help through the slats. A group of blacks attempt to escape but are stopped and led away.The fertile women are met by Aunt Lydia, (Victoria Tennant) one of the "rulers" of the Handmaids, per say, and board a bus headed for the Red Center. The windows are painted over, but Kate can see women wearing face masks and gloves shoveling dirt and rocks (presumably contaminated) along the route through a scratch in the paint. The woman Kate sits next to, Moira (Elizabeth McGovern) asks her how long she was "in", but Kate replies she doesn't know. Kate and Moira briefly exchange reasons why they were imprisoned and we learn that Moria is lesbian, an offense which could mean being sent to the colonies, but as Moira puts it "They don't send you to the colonies if your ovaries are still jumping." The bus stops at a convent, where several nuns are forced to board as they plea with the guards that they "can't make me break my vows."At the Red Center, 3 bodies hang from the wall for crimes unexplained: one handmaid and two men. Inside the Center (which is really a converted school), the fertile women are preparing for bed in the old gymnasium by singing a hymn ending with the words "leave us empty to be filled." The women pray for God to make them fruitful, and one of the women resists by throwing her cot at one of the Aunts. She is dragged from the room screaming while the rest of the women continue the prayer. Once in bed, the women are constantly watched by cameras and patrolling Aunts. They quietly whisper their names and Kate has a flashback to the last time she saw her daughter. The next morning at breakfast the women are given a cup of pills, but Moira encourages Kate to dump the pills down her sleeve rather than take them. Later, they are banded with metal bracelets with a bar code on them. The women are given "history" lessons of their country. Aunt Lydia explains that the air was too full of chemicals and as a result only 1% of women can still bear children and those who choose not to were "lazy women, sluts". The next scene is night in the gym again, and two aunts approach the cot of a woman and escort her out. The following morning at breakfast, her screams are heard as she is led into the dining hall. Kate sees that her feet have been badly beaten (in the book it was explained that this beating was done with metal cables). Aunt Lydia says that she "hate(s) to punish her, but she abused her body." It is implied that this women masturbated, because Aunt Lydia explains that "men can't help it, but we are different. We have self control." Kate is riding in the back of a car with Aunt Lydia through the city to a potential Handmaid assignment. Aunt Lydia explains that Kate should not think of herself as equal to a Wife and it would be a great honor if she is chosen. A truck full of blacks drives past, offering a Holocaust-like scene of the rounding-up of "filthy" people. Kate is introduced to Serena Joy (Fey Dunaway) who explains the relationship between Wives and Handmaids. Serena tells Kate that she has to truly want to have a baby in order for the situation to work and that they "could help each other."Back at the Red Center, the women engage in a cruel pseudo-therapy session. Aunt Lydia asks Janine (Traci Lind) to explain why the past was horrible. Janine recounts a story of how she was gang raped at a party at the age of 14 and had an abortion as a result. The women gasp in shock/ horror at the thought of an abortion and Janine explains that "it wasn't my fault, my mother wouldn't let me have the baby." It is evident that the women have already been at least partially brainwashed to believing the Republic of Gildead's philosophy on pregnancy and abortion. The Aunts ask the group of women who's fault it really was, and who led the boys on to which they respond "her fault!" and "she did!". Those few in the group who are not already adamant in assigning blame to Janine (including Kate and Moira) are prodded until they agree. At the end of the session Janine breaks down into tears and says she "didn't mean to do it" and that she "deserves the pain." Kate observes that she's "going crazy" and Moira says they're "in a loony bin."Kate and Moira meet in the bathroom, where Moira reveals she has a plan to escape by pretending to be sick and bribing the ambulance attendants with sexual favors. Kate and the other women receive their official Handmaid clothing: red dresses with black socks and a red veil. While they are dressing, Janine believes she is back in her old life as a waitress and keeps asking if anyone would like coffee. It isn't until Moira physically slaps her that she realizes where she actually is. At the church, the Handmaids stand while the Wives sit. The clergy man tell the Handmaids that they are going out to "fulfill their lives for the greater glory of God." He recounts the "widespread folly of womenkind" including "sexual promiscuity, widespread abortion, birth control, test tube babies, and genetic engineering" Moira turns around to look at Kate, then collapses to the floor, apparently unconscious. As the Handmaid's are covered with their red veils, the clergy man says "the Old Testament shall be our sole and only constitution." Here Kate has another flashback to the moment her husband was shot.In the car on the way to her placement, Kate makes eye contact with the Commander's driver, Nick (Aidan Quinn), though she is not supposed to look at other men. At the house, Kate is shown her room, and Serena explains that Kate's new name is Offred (Fred is the name of the Commander (Robert Duvall), so her name is "of Fred") In the room, the lower plates of window glass have been painted over, and the mirror in the bathroom is as well. Once again, Kate sees her daughter searching for her in the snow at the border.Kate and Serena watch the news while waiting of the Commander to come home. The news explains how the war is going, and that fertile women are the Republic's "most precious resource." The news anchor says "we are weeding our the traitors. We are weeding out the Godless. We are winning God's fight."The Commander arrives and performs the ceremony with Serena and Kate/Offred. He reads from the book of Genesis chapter 30. It is here that the true purpose of Handmaids is revealed; husbands have sex with them in an attempt to conceive where they could not with their own wives. Kate lies on a bed between Serena's legs while the Commander has sex with her. (The idea being that a husband is not being unfaithful to his wife if she is present) The actual sex is emotionless for the Commander, painful for Kate, and emotionally difficult for Serena.Once back in her room, Kate strips off her clothing and splashes water on herself in the bathroom. She climbs on a chair so that she can see out of the un-painted part of the window. Nick, who lives in the carriage house across the way, sees her naked body in the window and warns her to "get out of there."Kate goes shopping of the household with Ofglen who lives nearby. The food is purchased with ration cards, and Ofglen is excited to see oranges at the store. Apparently getting food from California and Florida is difficult due to rebel interference. On the street, a Wife and her pregnant Handmaid Ofwarren (formally known as Janine) are applauded.One night Kate finds it difficult to sleep and goes downstairs, where she find a pair of scissors in Serena's knitting basket. Just as she picks them up, Nick comes into the room. The two begin to kiss earnestly, but then Nick tell her that she is supposed to go to the Commander's office the next night and abruptly leaves. The next morning, Kate passes Nick as he is washing the car. He greets her pleasantly, but she doesn't say anything to her. Kate asks Ofglen what happened to the previous Offred, but Ofglen never met her.The Commander asks Serena how Kate is working out, and tells her that he wants her to be happy. That night, Nick escorts Kate to the study, where surprisingly the Commander explains that he only wants to get to know her better by playing Scrabble. It is revealed that Kate was a librarian in the time when women were still allowed to work. The Commander then says that he'll be gone for a week in which time Kate will return to the Red Center.Serena says she could find out what happened to Kate's daughter, under the implication that Kate successfully conceive. On the drive back to the Red Center, Kate and Nick make eye contact in the review mirror again. Kate is examined to see if she's pregnant and the doctor suggests that the Commander is sterile and offers his help to get her to conceive. It is also revealed that the ceremonies haven't been occurring during the time when Kate is most likely to get pregnant. She is told that she has one more month before she is up for reassessment.In the gym, Janine talks about her pregnancy (she is now called Ofwarren). Kate sees Moira, who's plan to escape didn't work. That night, Moira tells Aunt Lydia that one of the toilets is overflowing and she overpowers Aunt Lydia while Kate helps her steal her clothes and bind, gag, and blindfold her. Moira ties Aunt Lydia to a toilet puts on her clothing, and walks away. Aunt Lydia never actually saw Kate, so she isn't blamed for the kidnapping.Back at the Commander's house, Kate beats Fred at cards and he gives her Vogue and Cosmopolitan magazines. Kate is confused as to why the Commander has them, seeing as they're banned, but he says that he's "mature" enough as to not be "confused" by them. Kate asks him for lotion for her hands, and he agrees. At the next ceremony, the Commander acts affectionate towards Kate, leading Serena to be suspicious. Kate later pleads with the Commander not to put her in danger, but he doesn't seem to care for her situation even though they've been spending time together. The Commander reveals that the last Handmaid couldn't conceive so she hung herself.Serena suggests that Kate try to have a baby with Nick. Kate goes to Nick's room above the carriage house that night, and they joke about how she's "come to do her duty for the fatherland." Nick kisses her and carries her to the bed where they undress each other and have, for lack of better words, far more passionate sex than the sex in the ceremony. Meanwhile, Serena watches an old video of herself singing on a television program. Kate tells Nick her real name (he only knew her as Offred).The next morning, Kate is in a happy mood for once. She greets the maid Rita (Lucile McIntyre) with "Good morning" and says "it's a beautiful day" rather than with an accepted Gilead greeting, as though having a normal (by our current society's standards) sexual encounter made her question other aspects in her new life. Her good mood is dimmed however, when she learns that her daughter is alive and well, but that she can never see her. That night, she goes to visit Nick and explains that she doesn't know what to do about her daughter, and he attempts to console her.Ofwarren is going into labor, so the birth mobile comes to take Kate and the rest of the Handmaid's to the birthing ceremony. At the ceremony, a band plays and the wives dance while the Handmaids do breathing exercises with Ofwarren. The wives talk rudely about the Handmaids, calling them tramps, and hoping the birth will hurry up because they "haven't got all night." Kate sees a group of young girls about her daughter's age and reveals to Ofglen that her daughter is "living with people like these." While Ofwarren gives birth, the Wife is sitting next to her and when the baby comes, the Wife hold Ofwarren down so that she can't see the baby. The Wife walks out of the birthing room with the baby while Ofwarren is left alone. Kate helps console her, as Ofwarren is clearly upset. Ofglen tells Kate that she isn't alone, and to study the Commander in order to find out more about him.Kate asks the Commander why he does what does, and he says that the country was in a mess because all the "garbage had risen to the top, blacks, homo, people on welfare, women. We had to clean it up because nobody knew how to feel anymore."The next scene is a "salvaging". A group of Handmaids get off a bus looking excited and walk towards a field in front of a church. The Wives and maids are there as well. A scaffold is across fro the church and the handmaids kneel next to a rope leading up to the scaffold. Aunt Lydia explains that the Handmaid on the scaffold has been found guilty of seduction and fornication with a member of the medical staff. A bag and then the noose is placed over the woman's neck and the Handmaid's pull on the rope, effectively killing her. The Wives and maids sitting in the bleachers nearby give a standing ovation. Aunt Lydia commands the Handmaids to form a circle and a badly beaten man is brought onto the field. Aunt Lydia explains that he raped the Handmaid, and the Handmaids become animal-like and literally tear the man apart. Neither Kate nor Ofglen take part, and Ofglen explains that the man was actually a political member of the rebel group. Ofwarren/ Janine walks by with blood on her face carrying a piece of the man's scalp. She has reverted to her waitress past once again, and tells the women to "Have a nice day." Ofglen reveals that she too is part of the political group and that Kate may be called on to kill the Commander.One night, the Commander gives Kate an old-time dress (seductive rather than religious) and a boa. He takes her to a club of sorts, where there is banned music and women dressed in far more seductive outfits than Kate's. The Commander orders drinks for Kate and himself (alcohol is supposed to banned as well). He says the women used to be professionals and that they chose to work as prostitutes rather than "the alternatives." Kate sees Moira and the two meet in the bathroom. Moira explains that she got caught at the border trying to escape and that she was given the choice of going to the colonies or working at the "club". She tries to pass it off that she doesn't find it there; free drugs, free booze, having sex with other women again, but Kate notices that Moira's left had is prosthetic. Moira explains that she was "worked over a little bit" and reminds Kate of Gilead's theory that women don't need their hands or feet. The Commander tells Kate that she's better as a "lucky ducky than a dead ducky." Then he takes Kate to a room where they have sex.Back at the house, Nick is mad with Kate for going with the Commander, but she explains that she didn't really have a choice. Kate tells him that she's pregnant with his child and begs him to run away with her, but he doesn't give her a straight answer. In her room, Kate finds a note that says "10 pm tomorrow" along with the switch blade, presumably from Ofglen. The next morning she finds that Ofglen has been replaced and she's not sure how to kill the Commander. Serena confronts Kate about the previous night because she finds the boa that Kate wore to the club. Kate knows Serena could have her sent to the colonies so she decides to go through with the plan of killing the Commander.Kate goes down to the Commander's study and begs him to help her, but he claims it's out of his hands. When he tries to kiss her, Kate slits his throat with the switch blade. As the Commander bleeds to death, Kate runs upstairs to her room but a van full of armed guards comes to the house. They escort Kate downstairs, but meet Serena in the hallway. She is slightly suspicious that they are they because she says she didn't call for them. Nick implies that Kate has killed the Commander and hauls her out of the house.In the van, he explains that the "guards" and he are actually part of Mayday, a rebel group. Nick removes Kate's tracking bracelet and tells her that the men will take her to a safe place. She wants him to come with her, but he says he has to stay. The scene cuts to a news broadcast, which explains that a 24 hour curfew is in effect and that door to door searches are being done to find the assassin (Kate).Several months later we see a very pregnant Kate living in a trailer in the mountains. Her voice over ends the movie "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. They bring me food and sometimes a message from Nick. And so I wait. I wait for my baby to be born into a different world. I still dream about Jill. About them telling her I don't exist. Or that I never existed. But I know we're going to find her. She will remember me."