Hamnet

Agnes (Jessie Buckley) and William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal) fall in love in Hamnet (Distributed by Focus Features)

Hamnet is historical fiction as intimate, profound, tragedy. Based on the celebrated 2020 novel by Maggie O’Farrell, it imagines a section of the life of William Shakespeare, with a focus on his wife, Agnes, and how the tragic loss of their son led to the creation of Hamlet. While it is as much of a tearjerker as it sounds, oddly, their grief isn’t as powerful as it should be. The lyricism in this movie is beautiful for the first half, yet slightly detaches it from the emotions in the second half. It appears to be more interested in reframing Shakespeare’s work into a personal context than it is in seeing what this time period did to Agnes. She is essentially the main character here and the way her feelings are punctuated by the ending is somehow both moving and forcibly contrived.

Director/cowriter Chloé Zhao is a wonderfully meditative and poetic filmmaker. This is another example of how effective her style can be. Hamnet (118 minutes, minus the end credits) soars highest during its quieter moments, when there is no specific narrative to worry about and we just watch as this family lives their lives. Seeing Agnes walk through the forest as if she is a part of it, her pet hawk perched on her arm, says so much more about her than the dialogue or story possibly could. It is enchanting before the plot kicks in. After that, some of the transportive magic slips away.

It is a very well-made movie, with excellent performances. I will be genuinely surprised if Jessie Buckley does not win Best Actress at the 2026 Academy Awards. She will definitely deserve it. However, the production, while still good as a whole, is missing that gut punch it really needed to make it great.

William Shakespeare is working as a Latin tutor to pay off his father’s debt. He meets Agnes, who prefers being alone in nature to being with people. They fall in love, despite the immediate disapproval of their families. They make their own life together, with three kids, then William goes off to Stratford to jumpstart his career as a playwright. When the worst happens, they must figure out how to keep going.

A lot of the discussion surrounding Hamnet will be driven by its acting. Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal will be getting praise and heaps of awards. They are both fantastic. Buckley is undoubtedly one of the best actors working today. She brings passion and authenticity to every role she takes. Agnes is no exception. She falls for Shakespeare because he truly sees her and loves her for who she is. There is a touching genuineness to their relationship. Buckley is so raw in her portrayal, even when she is happy. That can be difficult to watch when she is in agony. There was actually a moment where I had to close my eyes because it was too much to bear.

Paul Mescal is also really good as William Shakespeare. His emotions, whether it be joy or anguish, are kept inside. While Agnes displays everything, William struggles to articulate it outside of his writing. Their conflict comes from his need to work, which takes him away from his family. He is not there when she needs him most. Mescal does a terrific job of showing a man who loves his wife and children beyond all measure, but has to bury himself in his work, alone in the city, to let those feelings out. The screenplay is tremendous at making it clear how painful this is for both Agnes and William, without reducing it to expository conversations.

I appreciated Hamnet a little more than I liked it. It is like one of those “great” pieces of literature you are assigned to read in school, that you know is important, and you tell people how great it is because that is what you are supposed to say, yet it wasn’t very enjoyable. Hamnet is insightful, smart and lovely to look at. That is what I will tell people when they ask me about it once it starts getting a ton of Oscar buzz. I am not sure how much I enjoyed it, though.

3¾ out of 5

Cast:

Jessie Buckley as Agnes

Paul Mescal as Will

Emily Watson as Mary

Jacobi Jupe as Hamnet

Olivia Lynes as Judith

Bodhi Rae Breathnach as Susanna

Directed by Chloé Zhao

Screenplay by Chloé Zhao and Maggie O’Farrell