Hamnet is not a story about Shakespeare. Sure, Paul Mescal plays the young writer before he found fame in the London theater circuit as he juggles his genius with having a family. We even see large portions of Hamlet being performed onstage at the infamous Globe theater. But to say Hamnet is about the most famous playwright in history does a disservice to the story Chloé Zhao set out to tell, one of creation, grief, and how both of those things interfere and interact with how we love.
We first meet Mescal’s Will when he is employed as a Latin tutor for the Hathaway family, his town’s sheep farmers as a way to pay off his father’s debts. There, he meets Anne (referred to as Agnes in the film, a reference to what she was called in her father’s will), an enchanting falconer who was taught natural healing methods by her deceased mother and is therefore thought of as a witch by the entire town. Zhao captures the excitement and anticipation of young love, accentuating Agnes’ desire for both her potential husband and her independence. You fall in love with them as a couple and root for them when their families (including Emily Watson and Joe Alwyn) oppose their union. We watch them grow as a young family, as Agnes insists that her husband go to London to pursue his writing and as she tramautically delivers twins Hamnet and Judith (Jacobi Jupe). When the twins are eleven, Judith becomes tragically ill and close to death. With his father away, Hamnet pleads to a higher power to switch places with his sister and he passes soon after. When Will arrives a little to late, the chasm between husband and wife becomes almost irrpearable.
If you were to write out Hamnet’s plot beat for beat, there’s a lot that seems to happen before the film’s pivotal moment: the unexpected death of their only son puts a strain on the Shakepeare’s marriage. Zhao is smart to spend an hour building out the couple’s life and relationship, giving the audience an emotional investment and something to hold onto until the film’s final act where we see the visual manifestation of William’s grief. The film’s greatest superpower is making you forget that you are watching Shakespeare onscreen. Both Buckley and Mescal do all they can to make this couple feel real and as relatable as possible and you forget that they are playing one of the most infamous and mysterious couple’s in history. Watching a staging of Hamlet in the film’s final minutes is a stark reminder of not only the power and richness of the source material but how Shakespeare was ultimately just a man who experienced one of the most painful yet naturally occurring life events that one can endure and by doing so created one of the most infamous and revered pieces of art in human history.
Jacobi Jupe gives one of the best child performances in recent memory, adding a wiseness and layered melancholy to the character that not even the most seasoned actor could pull off. Paul Mescal once again gives a confident and assured performance is both compelling on its own but at its best when he is acting with his castmates.
Adding to my argument that Hamnet is not about Shakespeare is the mere onscreen presence that Jessie Buckley brings to the table. Heartbreaking and captivating, she brings to life a woman that history has speculated and projected upon for years without truly knowing her. Because she is barely mentioned in historical record, many scholars believed that their relationship was forced and unhappy based on her being 8 years older than him and that his will dictated that she receive his “second best” furniture. Buckley defies those expectations, instead playing the free spirit as a dedicated and selfless partner, driven by her emotion and her beliefs of the world. Her interpretation feels modern yet still rooted in the reality Zhao has created. She is the heart of this film.
There’s no doubt in my mind that Hamnet will be heavily rewarded come award season, with Buckley becoming the front runner for the best actress Oscar. Zhao should at least be nominated for her immersive direction and moving script (co-written with Maggie O’Farrell who wrote the 2020 novel of the same name.) While I’m sure that would be nice for the filmmakers and the studio, Hamnet feels like a touchstone movie, one that will be shown in English classes and therapy offices for years to come. It’s a healing experience and a damn good piece of art.
Hamnet is scheduled for a limited release November 27 before releasing wide on December 12.
