The long-awaited cinematic adaptation of Maggie O'Farrell's bestselling novel, 'Hamnet', has finally arrived in UK cinemas, offering a profoundly human portrait of William Shakespeare and powered by a career-defining performance from Jessie Buckley that is already generating major Oscar buzz.
A Stellar Production Team Brings Literary History to Life
Directed by Oscar-winner Chloé Zhao and produced by cinematic giants Steven Spielberg and Sam Mendes, the film boasts an undeniable pedigree. It reunites the acclaimed acting duo of Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal, whose raw vulnerability drives this moving exploration of grief, marriage, and artistic legacy. The screenplay was co-written by Zhao and O'Farrell herself, ensuring the soul of the beloved novel translates to the screen.
The film reimagines the domestic life of the famed playwright, focusing on his relationship with his wife, Agnes (historically known as Anne Hathaway), and the tragic death of their 11-year-old son, Hamnet, in 1596. It masterfully suggests a poignant link between this personal loss and Shakespeare's subsequent creation of his masterpiece, 'Hamlet'.
Buckley Commands the Screen in a Role of Primal Grief
While Paul Mescal delivers a brilliantly understated performance as a young Shakespeare struggling to prove himself, the film unequivocally belongs to Jessie Buckley. Her portrayal of Agnes—an enchanting, nature-connected oddball whispered about as a witch's daughter—is a revelation. The film's most devastating and powerful moments chart her struggle with the wedge driven between her and her husband by their son's death.
Buckley's performance of grief is startlingly raw, culminating in a scream of primal pain that stands as the most affecting moment in a film full of them. This is not just a standout role; it is a performance that redefines her already accomplished career. With a Critics' Choice Award already won and Golden Globe and SAG nominations secured, Buckley is the undeniable frontrunner for the Best Actress Oscar.
A Visceral Look at the Man Behind the Legend
'Hamnet' succeeds in making the literary icon relatable, presenting him not as a distant genius but as a penniless tutor, a struggling husband, and a grieving father. The film weaves in famous Shakespearean prose with varying success, sometimes risking the obvious, but it cleverly builds his rise from a glover's son dismissed as 'useless' to the renowned playwright who built the largest house in Stratford.
The supporting cast is uniformly excellent, with Emily Watson as Shakespeare's foreboding mother and Joe Alwyn as Agnes's kind brother. The young actors playing the Shakespeare children—including Jacobi Jupe and Olivia Lynes as the twins—are sweet and natural, convincingly building a family life from scant historical records.
While the film occasionally carries the whiff of a prestige 'Oscar bait' picture in its more ponderous sections, its emotional core remains devastatingly effective. 'Hamnet' proves there are still new, visceral ways to examine a well-mined historical subject, turning the lens on the remarkable woman beside the legend and the personal tragedy that may have fuelled his timeless art. Bring your tissues.
Hamnet is now showing in UK and Irish cinemas. It has a 12A certificate and a runtime of 2 hours and 6 minutes.
