Hamnet

Director: Chloé Zhao

Hamnet introduces us to the early lives of William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal) and his wife, Agnes (Jessie Buckley). They are drawn together immediately, and their marriage and the birth of their first child. There is love and happiness, twins follow. Agnes encourages Will to go to London to build his future. As his success grows, their lives are ripped apart by the tragic loss of their son. The impact is profound, and the film explores the loss’s effects on Agnes and William and how it leads to the creation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

Hamnet is not really a film about the creation of Hamlet. It’s not really even a film about William and Agnes, it is a touching study about grief, its impact and how people process it very differently.

For the first 30 minutes or so, I wasn’t sure this was working for me. People looking into the distance, along with the language and tempo. But by the end, I was totally won over by this incredible film.

It is a stunning portrait of life, grief and raw emotion. From the thrill of a new relationship, the growth of a family and the desire to see those you love succeed. But over time, it becomes hard, separated by work and distance. And when the most horrific tragedy strikes, the contrast in how William and Agnes respond exacerbates the pain they both feel.

The final act is a flawless piece of cinema, as Agnes heads to The Globe to see her husbands tragedy, “Hamlet”. And there she sees it, her husband’s hurt and grief on show for all the world to see. All done without a word between the main characters, with only the dialogue from those on stage, it’s all said through the facial expressions and eyes of Buckley’s Agnes.

Hamnet is Buckley’s film. Mescal is a perfect foil as the thoughtful and seemingly distant Shakespeare and Jacobi Jupe as Hamnet, gives a powerful performance, especially as the film takes its darkest turn. But it is all about Jessie Buckley, every moment of love, sadness and grief writ large across her face. 

A stunning portrait of life, love, and grief.