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Hamnet Review
Image Credit: Agata Grzybowska / FOCUS FEATURES LLC
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Directed By: Chloé Zhao
Written By: Chloé Zhao and Maggie O’Farrell; Based on the novel by Maggie O’Farrell
Runtime: 125 minutes
MPA Rating: Rated PG-13 for thematic content, some strong sexuality, and partial nudity
Jessie Buckley – Agnes Shakespeare
Paul Mescal – William Shakespeare
Emily Watson – Mary Shakespeare
Jacobi Jupe – Hamnet Shakespeare
Joe Alwyn – Bartholomew Hathaway
David Wilmot – John Shakespeare
Olivia Lynes – Judith Shakespeare
Bodhi Rae Breathnach – Susanna Shakespeare
Noah Jupe – Hamlet
Oscar-winning filmmaker Chloé Zhao explores the whirlwind romance of Agnes and the legendary bard, William Shakespeare, in the dreamlike Hamnet. Although Zhao exhibits definitive artistry and quality onscreen with various elements, the film ultimately fails to forge a compelling emotional connection with the audience. Despite notable effort and strong performances, Hamnet is held back by its inability to fully invest the viewer in its exploration of grief and loss.
The film focuses on the meeting and courtship of William Shakespeare, serving as a Latin tutor to Agnes’ siblings, and Agnes, who possesses a mystical connection to the Earth.
William becomes instantly smitten by the wild and free-spirited Agnes. After consummating their romance, Agnes becomes pregnant, they are quickly wed, much to the chagrin of their proud parents. Agnes, under the tutelage of her late mother, possesses a unique connection to the Earth, and she exhibits seeress qualities, envisioning that she will bear two children.
Over the years, Shakespeare leaves his hometown for London to pursue his passions for writing and becomes a playwright for a theatre company. Meanwhile, Agnes tends to their family in Stratford. Despite her visions, she gives birth to three children, a daughter, and then a set of fraternal twins, a daughter and a son, Hamnet.
Over the years, William remains a loving father and husband, although his work requires him to constantly be away from his family. Hamnet purports how a tragic loss would inspire one of Shakespeare’s most celebrated works, Hamlet, showcasing the therapeutic power of art.
Hamnet features a strong foundation and building blocks of a powerful movie, but it never quite comes to life onscreen. Zao directs the actors with an almost improvised style of dialogue and blocking that comes off as inauthentic and at odds with the Elizabethan era setting.
Something about Paul Mescal’s energy appears off, and his version of William Shakespeare, a tortured poet and artist, never truly comes alive. Shakespeare in the film appears more as a performative caricature than a genuine human being who genuinely lived.
Mescal, like many of the other actors, puts visible effort into the role, yet his performance never quite connects on an emotional level. The film frequently relies on appropriating Shakespeare’s own text and monologues from the play Hamlet, which superficially undermines the role.
During a key moment in the film, a melancholy Shakespeare recites the “To be or not to be” monologue from Hamlet over a body of water, seemingly contemplating suicide. It’s an overdone moment that only succeeds in alienating the narrative and Shakespeare from the viewer, rather than drawing them in.
Jessie Buckley delivers the strongest performance as Agnes, and she effectively captures the genuine grief and emotions of a mother. It’s also interesting because so few movies are made about Anne Hathaway or her relationship with William Shakespeare. Unfortunately, Zao never quite captures the genuine love and passion between Agnes and William. It’s the most inauthentic relationship in the story, and yet, one of its most important.
Hamnet does excel with some wondrous production design and set work by Fiona Crombie and exceptional cinematography by Łukasz Żal. The sets magnificently realize late 1500s England, making it look like a genuine place. Żal’s cinematography similarly brings an authenticity to the period and setting, while also still presenting an eerie, dreamlike quality throughout key moments of the narrative.’
Hamnet certainly tries with its pursuit, showcasing the tragic weight of grief, along with the healing power of transcendent art. Yet, for all its raw emotions depicted onscreen, parts of Hamnet ring as gloriously hollow and overly performative.
Where To Watch Hamnet
Hamnet expands to a wide theatrical release in theaters in the U.S. on December 12. Ticket and showtime details are available at Focus Features’ website.
