The drama Hamnet reiterates the fact that I have zero interest in what inspired William Shakespeare to do the things he did—and yet Hamnet is good enough to almost make me care.
A tearjerker if you, unlike me, are prone to tearing up in large dark rooms filled with strangers, Hamnet is about Billy Boy meeting his wife and having kids, including a son with the unfortunate name of Hamnet. The movie’s main focus is actually on wife and mother Agnes (Jessie Buckley), who has some slight hippie witch qualities and a natural attachment to the forest that surrounds her home. If she were in an Evil Dead movie, she’d like the you-know-what scene most likely.
Chloé Zhao (Nomadland) flexes her directorial chops here, elevating what could have been a straightforward period piece into something much grander. With subtly striking visuals, a brooding score, and even elements that feel drawn from horror (no, not Evil Dead-type horror), Hamnet is a vibrant, emotional powerhouse.
Complementing the direction is the acting, which is phenomenal. Buckley gives an award-worthy performance, her every moment exuding raw, overwhelming emotion. Paul Mescal, who plays The Shakes, is terrific as well, his immense talent only overshadowed by what his co-star is putting on display.
What won me over was the climactic depiction of Hamlet’s first performance, inspired by Agnes and Will’s son Hamlet. While Agnes does her best to ruin things—seriously, where’s an usher when you need one?—Zhao thrusts Noah Jupe on stage and lets him bring the house down, tears and all (fun fact: the small but important role of Hamnet is played by Noah’s younger brother Jacobi Jupe). It’s an incredibly moving third act.
Hamnet’s sole sin: this just isn’t the kind of movie that gets me excited. An emotional, intimate period drama about joy, loss, and grief? Powerful for some, captivating for others. Another movie I’ll probably never watch again, for me. And yet it’s hard for me to completely push this one away, to get it out of my mind. Zhao has made something special here, even if it isn’t for me.
Review by Erik Samdahl. Erik is a marketing and technology executive by day, avid movie lover by night. He is a member of the Seattle Film Critics Society.