Hamnet movie review by Movie Review Mom

MOVIE TITLE: Hamnet

This drama is now playing in theaters and on Fandango at home.

RATING: PG-13

LENGTH:
2 hours, 5 minutes

Movie Review Mom GRADE: A – I loved this for so many reasons.

Featured product about today’s movie review:

You can read Shakespeare’s classic novel Hamlet by grabbing a copy on Amazon at: https://amzn.to/4tdI7j8

IN A NUTSHELL:
Hamnet is a deeply emotional historical drama inspired by Maggie O’Farrell’s bestselling novel, imagining the life and death of William Shakespeare’s young son and how that tragic loss shaped the writing of Hamlet. Told largely from the perspective of Shakespeare’s wife, Agnes, the film beautifully explores grief, motherhood, marriage, and the fragile beauty of life in 16th-century England. This is a quiet, reflective film that lingers long after the credits roll.

The film was directed by Academy Award winner Chloe Zhao, who also co-wrote it with Maggie O’Farrell. If you look carefully, you can see the director playing an audience member at the Old Globe theater in Act 3! She is only the second woman ever to be nominated twice for “Best Director” by the Academy Awards. The movie received 11 nominations at the British Academy of Film and Television Awards (BAFTA), which is the most nominations for a female-directed movie ever!

Already, the film has been nominated for a whopping 278 awards, winning 60 of them! Oh, and did I mention that this film won BEST DRAMA MOVIE at the Golden Globe awards?!

Oh, and another thing…the incredible Steven Spielberg served as executive producer.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:
This is a thoughtful and mature film dealing with illness, death, grief, emotional trauma, and marital strain. Several scenes depict intense emotional suffering following the death of a child. While there is little graphic content, the subject matter is heavy and may be upsetting for younger viewers or sensitive audiences. Best suited for teens and adults who appreciate serious historical dramas.

Clothed intimate moment
Clothed birth scenes
Parents will feel a devastating loss.

THEMES:
• Grief and healing

• The pain of love and loss
• The power of memory
• Marriage and resilience
• Motherhood and parenting
• Faith and survival
• Love enduring tragedy

Courage
The power of art and creation

THINGS I LIKED:
• Jesse Buckley is such a young powerhouse of an actress. She absolutely crushes it in every movie I’ve seen her in. It doesn’t surprise me at all that she won “Best Performance by a Lead Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama.” That was, of course, after winning the “Best Actress” award just a week before at the Critics’ Choice Awards. She’s fierce and mesmerizing in this. I absolutely loved watching her face as she stood in the front row to watch her husband’s play for the first time. What was not scripted was when she reached her hand out to the actor on the stage. The rest of the cast was inspired and followed suit. Brilliant. Bring your tissues for that moment!

Paul Mescal was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role as William Shakespeare in Hamnet. The director told him to get drunk for the scene where Shakespeare was drunk, as an experiment. Paul Mescal said he thought it was fun, except for the real hangover he had the next day.
Many of the details in the film are true to the life of Shakespeare. He really did marry at age 18 to a 26-year-old. Their first child was born six months later. Their son’s name was Hamnet, and he did die at a young age.
It was common in those days in England to have more than one spelling for names. For example, Hamnet and Hamlet were considered to be the same name. Shakespeare’s wife was named Anne Hathaway, but her father called her Agnes, like in this movie.
There were quite a few impromptu moments that the actors improvised that were kept in the film. I love that.
The young actors in the cast were fantastic. Jacobi Jupe and Noah Jupe played Hamnet and Hamlet. Eva Wishart and Zac Wishart played Agnes’ step-siblings.
The stunning cinematography captured the beauty and harshness of rural England.
• A number of years ago, I got to watch Othello in the replica of the Old Globe theater in Stratford-upon-Avon in England! It was very cool to imagine what it would have really looked and felt like when it was at its peak in England! Thank goodness, we had seats in the theater, unlike how it was shown in the film with the audience standing.
There is a powerful element within the story that illustrates well the push and pull of men and women in marriage, how wives want their husbands home to be a part of the daily family life, yet how husbands sacrifice that in order to provide for their families and find their place in the world’s work. The ending reveals how wives don’t often fully appreciate that their sacrifice is required in order for the husband to do extraordinary things. Both are important. Both are needed. It’s a dance of competing, yet complementary values.
• There is emotional depth without manipulative storytelling.
• The setting creates a rich, historical atmosphere where you can smell the dirt and almost feel the rain.
• The story offers a fresh perspective on Shakespeare’s personal life.
I was intrigued by the creative way that death was illustrated in a few scenes.
Fun fact: Because the film is so dramatic and heavy, the cast would take a “dance break” after filming especially emotional scenes, in order to lighten things up.
As an author myself, I’m always intrigued by what inspires other writers. The film takes a look at the tormented, creative soul, and the price his/her loved ones pay to grant time for them to create. Art can change minds, reveal hidden emotions, and provide a new lens through which to see the world. This is what cinema should do. In that, this film succeeds.
The ending is sublime. Agnes smiles and laughs because she finally appreciates her husband’s talent. She sees how his words can transform an audience, and how he was able to bring immortality to their beloved, dead son. So powerful.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:
• I acknowledge that Shakespeare is not easy viewing for many people.
The slow pacing may feel too meditative or even boring for some viewers.
• Minimal dialogue in places might frustrate audiences who prefer faster storytelling.
• The heavy subject matter makes this emotionally draining.
Those not used to hearing Old English might appreciate subtitles when they watch this on streaming platforms.

FUNNY LINES:
• None, really. This is a serious, dramatic film

INTERESTING LINES:
• “Grief does not fade. It becomes part of who we are.”
• “Every life, no matter how brief, changes the world.”

“He loves me for what I am, not for what I ought to be.” – Agnes (Jessie Buckley)
“I’ve lost my way.” – Will (Paul Mescal)
“What is given may be taken away at any time. We must never let our guard down. Never take for granted that our children’s hearts beat, that they draw breath, that they smile, argue, play. Never forget for a moment that they may be gone.” – Mary (Emily Watson)
“Keep your heart open.” – Bartholomew (Joe Alwyn)
“All that lives must die.” – actor in Shakespeare’s play
“Remember me.”
“The rest is silence.” – Hamlet

MOVIES LIKE THIS YOU ALSO MIGHT LIKE:
• Shakespeare In Love: Currently offered on Netflix and Amazon Prime for free! https://amzn.to/4kfIdTp

Hamlet: https://amzn.to/4cb4LSW
A Quiet Passion: https://amzn.to/4a2hZjP
• Bright Star: https://amzn.to/4kczzER

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