Hamnet

“I see you grown, and very strong.  And I see you in London, working with your father. At the Playhouse.” - “What will I be doing?” - “What do you wish to do, Hamnet?” - “I should be one of the players, with the sword, and I shall clash it against the sword of the other player.” … “And who will win?” - “I shall, of course.” - “Of Course you shall.” Chloé Zhao is extremely brilliant, and simply put, Hamnet is a devastating but beautiful masterpiece.  Hamnet is the story of how William Shakespeare lost his son Hamnet, which influenced the widely famous play, Hamlet.  But Hamnet is so much more than that. It’s a sprawling story that makes you consider your life as a parent or as a sibling and the many different ways to experiences grief. Zhao's take on Hamnet is a journey of loss, grief, and love. Which come full circle to fuel a complex, yet emotionally available play.  Which obviously is Wills way to deal with grief.  Being a viewer who didn’t read the novel made Hamnet an emotional journey for me, as I truly didn’t know what to expect from the story. Zhaos script for Hamnet is so intimate, which is really shown throw so many different emotional expressions.  It’s not only a masterful adaptation in terms of its faithfulness in writing, but truly showcases some of the best acting I’ve beared witness to. Hamnet was bound for greatness with a director willing to make a stylistic statement and two actors at the peak of their careers in contemporary film.  Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal.  I’ll start with Jessie Buckley because her role as Agnes Shakespeare instantly stood at the tip top of my list for best performances from an actress. Buckley in Hamnet is right there with Gloria Swanson in Sunset Boulevard. Buckley was brilliant as Agnes, delivering an emotionally haunting display of grief.  The grief after loosing a child is a complicated territory to approach, yet Buckley and Zhao find a way to do just that in such a tender and intimate way.  Not only did Jessie Buckley steal the spotlight, she gave her career best role. And that’s saying a lot.  Paul Mescal was also emotionally brilliant as William Shakespeare displaying one of the most complex and thought provoking writers ever at a level that left me speechless. Everyone knows Mescal is one of the best actors at portraying raw and tragic emotions, he follows that for Hamnet in the same dominant fashion that you seen in Aftersun.  His on screen chemistry with Jessie Buckley feels incredibly real, and frankly, the chemistry between the entire cast is stellar. Hamnet displays what I believe to be some of the best displays of child acting in the history of film.  Jacobi Jupe as Hamnet and a Olivia Lynes as Judith are both two of the BEST acting jobs of the ENTIRE YEAR, not to mention that both of them are children acting at an unimaginable level.  Jupe as Hamnet displays experienced levels of hope and sacrifice, and Lynes as Judith portrays grief and yearning to a point that caused my lips to quiver as unstoppable tears ran down my face.   HAMNET IS PRIME CHILD ACTING.  Chloe Zhao is brilliant not only for the unforgettable screenplay, but also for presenting some of the best cinematography of the last decade. Hamnet is not only tragic and beautiful in story, but feels the same to the eye, and that’s largely due to Zhao and her cinematographers.  One scene that I will always remember in terms of sheer beauty is when the entire crowd reaches out to Hamlet. The entire playhouse scene is a symbolic gift to the rest of the film.  Continuing on the trend of perfect traits, the score is marvelous. The chaotic nature fills the film with melancholy or Happiness, whichever is needed, and that’s what makes a magnificent score. Hamnet feels full of emotion and a lot of that comes from the score on top of the emotional acting and direction.  The costume and set is simple, yet feels naturally fitting to the story of Hamnet. Chloe Zhao's vision feels immaculate, it truly feels so similar to the 14th century in my mind.  Hamnet is one of the best films of 2025, if not one of my favorite films of all time. Chloé Zhao truly created a masterpiece that will rob majority of viewers of thier emotional control.  Hamnet is tragic, yet hopeful, and found a way to make me cry for a good majority of the film. Probably the saddest film I’ve ever seen that finds its peace through grief and forgiveness.  Hamnet is a timeless masterpiece, and what I would consider a truly perfect film. Without a doubt, Hamnet is the most devastating film I’ve ever watched in my life, one that makes you feel every part of your life as you watch one of histories saddest adaptions.