'Hamnet' film review: Emotionally raw summation of 'to be or not to be'
Towering, deeply resonant performances power one of the very best films of the year 'Hamnet' (opening in select cities on Nov. 26 and opening nationwide on Dec. 5).
In short: Based on the award-winning novel of the same name, 'Hamnet' follows the love and loss of young married couple Agnes (Jessie Buckley) and her aspiring writer husband William (Paul Mescal) in Elizabethan England.
First and foremost - yes this film features Mescal playing a young William Shakespeare. And yes this does matter to the fabric of this film, but 'Hamnet' is not laser-focused in chronicling the writer’s ascent from unknown to England's greatest poet. Although set against the backdrop of Shakespeare's burdgeoning career, the film almost entirely leaves most of Shakespeare's early years as young playwrite off-screen - freeing up 'Hamnet' to focus on the young family's life far away from London.
Writer-director Chloé Zhao's adaptation is an emotionally-driven journey following the intoxicating highs of courtship to the heart-rending agony of loss of the worst kind for William and Agnes. The film's pivotal turns are entirely defined by the way William and Agnes react to the events in their lives. 'Hamnet' lives in the hopes and anxieties that fill the hearts of the young Shakespeare family.
William Shakespeare is the 'hook' of the story, however, the film is very much carried by Agnes, as much of 'Hamnet' is primarly told from her perspective. And Jessie Buckley delivers one of the, if not the, standout performances of the year. The role demands everything of Buckley, who masterfully embodies Agnes's striking independence. She is a young woman in love, a young woman haunted by prophecy, a young woman effectively raising a family on her own, a young wife to a passionate artist and a young mother enduring the worst loss. The film demands everything of Buckley and Jessie Buckley gives everything.
A lesser film about William Shakespeare would have just let its actor revel in some wit and wordplay, but 'Hamnet' allows Paul Mescal to embody William Shakespeare as a husband and father. Mescal's grounded performance lets the audience almost forget that he's portraying the iconic writer - because Mescal is not just impersonating some historic charcter, he's allowed to play an actual character of emotional depth conflicted between his craft and his family.
From a filmgoing perspective, 'Hamnet' is a welcomed throwback to masterful period drama. With every other movie filled with all the CGI and green screen, 'Hamnet' is a beautifully crafted film from top to bottom. The cinematography is beautiful. The production design radiates texture. The editing elegantly strings together an emotional story told over the course of years. If nothing else, 'Hamnet' exists as proof that character-focused family dramas are still every bit as cinematic as any tentpole action-flicked filmed in IMAX.
While the first two acts are unimpeachably incredible - the final act is potentially where 'Hamnet' wins over or loses some viewers. Any viewer who is lucky enough to avoid any spoilers to this point, congratulations - however, the plot of 'Hamnet' is unsurprisingly connected to 'The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark.' This is a spoiler-free film review, but it's fair to say the real-life stage play directly intersects with this film's story.
The salient point of 'Hamnet' is that Anges has, to this point, mainly raised three children on her own while her husband works far away in London. The film lives in her emotions - from her joys of motherhood to her agony of heartbreak - but Agnes is demonstrative in her emotions. For his part, William is very absent (physically and emotionally) - yet the third act powerfully allows William to express his own heartache in the only way he knows how: with his writing. 'Hamnet' is powerfully affecting exactly because it rides the emotions of William and Agnes's experiences. This third act pulls everything together: William’s work in London, Ange’s despair and frustation and how all of these experiences are expressed in William’s love language: his prose.
Yes ‘Hamnet’ will rip the audiences heart of their chest. But this film isn’t just grief porn for the sake of fatalistic navel gazing - literally the entire first act is defined by love. And the second act is defined by the growth of love. This makes the heartache hit so much harder - the intended effect. Yes the film is at times emotionally brutal - it’s important and vital to note that the third act is … beautiful and cathartic.
Final verdict: 'Hamnet' is superbly romantic, exhilerating and devestating. This emotionally raw drama is an essential film of 2025.
Score: 4.5./5
'Hamnet' opens in select cities on Nov. 26. This drama has a runtime of 125 minutes and is rated PG-13 for thematic content, some strong sexuality, and partial nudity.
