Brought to the big screen by the Oscar-winning director behind Nomadland (2020), Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet (2025) explores Britain’s greatest playwright – William Shakespeare and his journey to writing Hamlet (1623) for the stage. Produced by big names in film, including Steven Spielberg and Sam Mendes, this film had every hope for success to gain Oscar nominations.
Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley lead this cast, playing William Shakespeare and Agnes Shakespeare. This is essentially Shakespeare’s life story, exploring his home life and how he raises his own family too. Particularly, the effect on his writing after the death of his 11-year-old son, Hamnet.
But we mainly follow the story of how the play, Hamlet was shaped. Chloé Zhao brings everything she can to Hamnet. It’s emotionally intense with a mostly overwhelmingly sad tone enveloping the story. Based on Maggie O’Farrell’s novel, Hamnet (2020), the script is adapted by O’Farrell and Zhao. As we expect, it’s written just like a Shakespearean tragedy.
Exploring Raw Emotional Pain
Jessie Buckley’s Agnes Hathaway is emotionally open as she experiences the highs and lows of motherhood. But as Will leaves the family home to write his new play, Agnes and the children – Judith (Olivia Lynes) and Hamnet (Jacobi Jupe) are left at home. The house seems much quieter without Will and so the family must fend for themselves.
But the plague is at its very peak and Judith begins to fall ill. Meanwhile, Hamnet believes he can save her. He wants to swap and asks death to take his place instead. However, as he nurses her back to health, he too becomes ill. So ill that when his mother discovers him, it’s ultimately too late.
William Shakespeare’s Journey
Agnes Hathaway suffers so much in this story. From a painful childbirth of twins and almost losing Judith during delivery to her son passing away. It’s really as much her story as it is about Will Shakespeare’s journey. At times it feels as if Jessie Buckley’s Agnes steals the screen and somewhat overshadows Paul Mescal’s distant William. Although there’s no denying that both are brilliantly cast in their roles.
Jessie Buckley’s emotional drive is felt so strongly that her character’s feelings feel as if they quite literally emanate off the screen. We feel her pain internally. Her screams are not only too realistic but feral too. When we are introduced to her character, she is surrounded in nature. She befriends and looks after a hawk, and the town mostly know her as a witch. A label which has followed her since her late-mother’s reputation too. But as we analyse her character, we understand how she is so misjudged. She is in actuality a loving wife and a caring mother. Agnes provides the much-needed peaceful and serene personality that Will is attracted to – compared to his hectic home life.
But his mother, Mary (Emily Watson) deeply disapproves of their romance. And their differing mindsets cross over – whilst Agnes’ first-born, Susanna (Bodhi Rae Breathnach) is born within the natural forest, her second childbirth comes with a problem. The heavy rainfall stops the family from allowing her outside. She believes the indoor birth to be the sign of a bad omen. Another hint to her ‘witchy’ vibes.
An Uphill Battle to Becoming a Renowned Playwright
However, Will’s father, John (David Wilmot) has a deep hatred for him and abuses him. And thus he stays and works at the family home to please him. However, whilst his father wants him to follow in his footsteps and join the glove-making business – Will has other plans and works as a Latin tutor for wealthy families to pay off his father’s debts.
As suited to the Tudor era of the time, the film follows extremely slow pacing. Alongside quite simply beautiful cinematography. It’s the natural English woodlands that adds to the dreamy and escapist world of William Shakespeare, despite the film having an intensely melancholic undertone. Filmed in London and Herefordshire, the locations may be dreamy like a romance, but the tone is quite the contradiction.
The cast showcases British acting talent including its main stars, alongside Joe Alwyn as the brother of Agnes, Bartholomew Hathaway, and Noah Jupe as the play version of Hamlet. Although we can’t help but think the effect of Hamnet’s death on Will caused him to write so many of his classic Shakespearean tragedies. The similar sad themes can be seen across many of his plays – from the ending of Romeo and Juliet (1597) to King Lear (1606). We see Will achieve his dream of becoming a successful playwright in London in 1592.
A Heartbreaking Romantic Tragedy
Will moves his family to Stratford-Upon-Avon in one of the town’s biggest houses whilst he continues to write in London. Heartbreakingly, Agnes watches the play, Hamlet in The Globe Theatre as her memories of little Hamnet come flooding back. If you’re looking for a heartbreaking romantic tragedy set in the Shakespearian era, then this is the emotional rollercoaster that you should be prepared to take on. Despite Paul Mescal missing out on an Oscar nomination, the BAFTAs made sure to nominate him for his quietly powerful portrayal of William Shakespeare.
Although, for Act One and Act Two, we’re mostly faced with a slow-paced drama which at times needed more power and conviction. However, even though the on-screen chemistry and romance between Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley was strong, it was not powerful enough to fully save this drama from complete heartbreak. Yet at other times slight dreariness too which leaves us soul-searching for more out of the story ourselves.
Rating: 3 stars
Hamnet (2026) is in UK cinemas now. You can read more reviews like this, including The Good Boy (2025) here.
