Hamnet (2025) –Film Review
Director: Chloé Zhao
Cast: Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal, Zac Wishart
Certificate: 12A
By David Reid
Over recent years, a pattern has developed whereby I have often seen what later became my film of the year in January. So, it was with a degree of anticipation that I took my seat for this one. From the advance publicity, it was clear that the film was based on Maggie O’Farrell’s book about the childhood death of William Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway’s son, Hamnet. Ms O’Farrell is also credited as a co-writer on the film. A written prologue informs us that the names Hamnet and Hamlet were interchangeable in Shakespearean times, and we learn that Anne Hathaway was also known as Agnes, as is the case in the film.
The picture opens with Agnes (Jessie Buckley) in the woods near her family home, expertly flying her hawk. William Shakespeare notices her from a window whilst working as a Latin tutor, and is drawn to wander outdoors to make her acquaintance. He is mesmerised by this woman and rendered almost speechless in her company. She appears very much at home in this environment and in tune with nature: storytelling, potions, and herbal medicine. They quickly bond, and these opening scenes set the tone for the film, with their relationship and, in particular, the ethereal qualities of Agnes at its centre.
Skilfully, director and co-writer Chloé Zhao, working with cinematographer Łukasz Żal, draws us into the story. Both are accomplished artists. Oscar-winner Zhao’s best-known work also featured the arid, harsh landscape of the western states of the USA as a backdrop to the action. Arguably, Żal’s work on the haunting Holocaust film The Zone of Interest (2023) admirably sustained the audience’s attention in the absence of the character interaction one might expect in that type of film, set as it is largely in the family home of the Auschwitz commandant Rudolf Höss.
“Visceral impact”
We are made familiar with William and Agnes’s family circumstances as they fall, inexorably, in love. Emily Watson portrays William’s mother, the straight-talking Mary, whilst the role of his, at times, violent father is taken by David Wilmot. William and Agnes go on to have a family and develop a happy home life together. Strong performances by the children, Bodhi Rae Breathnach (Susanna), Olivia Lynes (Judith), and Jacobi Jupe (Hamnet), help to convey an intimate family picture, anchored by Agnes and a doting, playful William, perhaps only sullied by the latter’s need to work away in London on an increasingly frequent basis.
Given the period in history in which the film is set, perhaps inevitably, early adult and childhood death feature. We experience the trials and tribulations of Elizabethan rural life largely through the eyes of Agnes. Her closeness to the natural world appears to exacerbate her feelings of love and loss as she carries the burden of grieving for a child. The power of Jessie Buckley’s performance leaves us in no doubt as to the visceral impact of this event, which will resonate with many viewers, especially those who have suffered in similar circumstances.
First coming to the fore in the 2008 I’d Do Anything TV search for Nancy, Buckley has since become known for playing troubled and challenging central characters, beginning with a memorable film debut in Beast (2017), before displaying a broader repertoire in Wild Rose (2018) and Women Talking (2022). She was most recently seen on the big screen in the comic caper Wicked Little Letters (2023). For his part, Paul Mescal delivers a tender, touching performance, very different from his portrayal of Lucius in Gladiator II just over a year ago, in what is, essentially, a supporting role here.
Special mention should be made of the musical accompaniment. The score by Max Richter, which accentuates playful and emotional scenes equally well, at times sweeps and soars like Agnes’s hawk, enriching the cinematic experience, much as it did previously in the atmospheric music he created to enhance Scorsese’s eerie, claustrophobic Shutter Island (2010).
“Emotionally resonant”
In reality, few facts are known about the life of William Shakespeare and his family during this period. Much of the content here is conjecture and, in that sense, this is a fictionalised interpretation, akin to the portrayal of our primary dramatist’s life in Shakespeare in Love. As that film was released over a quarter of a century ago, perhaps it is time to revisit the life and times of the Bard on screen once again.
What is admirably clever here is how the relevance of the timing and content of Hamlet, as a play, is re-examined in the light of Hamnet’s death. In an echo of Tom Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (play: 1966; film: 1990), we are invited to reappraise key scenes from the play through the prism of this film, including perhaps Shakespeare’s most well-known soliloquy. The film concludes, appropriately enough, at the Globe Theatre, where Agnes, accompanied by her supportive brother Bartholomew (Joe Alwyn), learns more about her husband’s life and work in London. It is a fitting ending, as Agnes desperately seeks closure for her overwhelming loss, and we see how her husband may have sought his own resolution separately.
In summary, this is a stunning and emotionally resonant piece of work, which richly merits the Golden Globe awards for Best Actress and Best Drama Film which it has just received, mirroring similar previous prizes for Nomadland. It will find a natural audience amongst Shakespeare aficionados. Yet, in my opinion, the scale and accessibility of this work mean it deserves a wider viewing on the largest available screen.
David’s passion for cinema began with his first trip to the movies during The Troubles in Northern Ireland, where a screening of Jaws was dramatically interrupted by a bomb scare. Growing up in such an environment made entertainment scarce, deepening his appreciation for film and the arts. Over 25 years ago, he won a national film review competition, earning free cinema for life. This experience has allowed him to explore a vast range of genres and storytelling techniques. His reviews aim to provide insightful commentary without spoiling key surprises, helping audiences decide if a film is for them. He believes great filmmaking is rooted in strong storytelling, engaging viewers through narrative depth and presentation.
