To be quite frank, I have never cried more at a movie in my life than I did at this film — and if you know anything about me, that is saying something.
Based on the 2020 novel by Maggie O’Farrell, “Hamnet” is a chest-tighteningly, heartrendingly, dizzyingly beautiful film. It primarily follows William Shakespeare’s wife Anne Hathaway — or Agnes Shakespeare, as she goes by in the film — who is played by actress Jessie Buckley and experiences young love, parenting, and grief at the loss of her 11-year-old son, Hamnet.
Buckley breathes life into this role like few I’ve seen before. She offers a brilliant portrayal of a complex woman, capturing all the stages of bliss in a happy young family and all the depths of despair one sinks to in grief. When she smiles, you smile with her. When she comforts her children, you are comforted. And when she cries the most resounding, aching cry imaginable, followed by what I can only describe as numb confusion, you cry with her. Her loss is ancient. It echoes from the beginning of time to the modern day, through and in all of us. After all, we all know what it is to grieve. It is a masterful performance, undoubtedly deserving of a place on a list of “the greats.”
There is another dimension of the film that must also be addressed. I’m sure many have noticed the similarity in the names “Hamnet” and “Hamlet.” Some might make a connection between these two stories. They’d be right to do so — many scholars believe that William Shakespeare wrote the play for his son. It’d be difficult to talk about “Hamnet” without talking about the notorious Shakespearean tragedy, and the film does not shy away from this task. “Hamnet” puts an unexpected spin on the play, turning it into a method for healing and understanding, particularly between the estranged couple, Agnes and William — played by Paul Mescal. “Hamlet”’s role in this film stands to show the power of art and theater and the persistence of love. Through “Hamnet,” the play remains a tragedy, certainly, but a cathartic one.
“Hamnet” is a masterclass in film adaptation and definitely the best movie I’ve seen so far this year. It is nominated for eight Oscars, most notably best picture, best director, and best actress. Come March 15, I urge all of you to root for this film — or at the very least, root for Buckley. And to finish out my review I give this film five out of five Big Oles, easily.
