Hamnet tells an imagined story of Shakespeare’s family life, focusing on what is usually mentioned only in footnotes – his wife and children, including the death of his son Hamnet during childhood. 

Shakespeare has been a fixture of culture for literally hundreds of years. His works have been remade, adapted over and over again. He’s been portrayed on screen by Tim Curry, Kenneth Branagh, Rupert Graves, Colin Firth, Joseph Fiennes, Rafe Spall, among others. Seldom has Shakespeare’s wife, Anne Hathaway (yep, that’s really her name) been given as much due. There was the 2019 Broadway show & Juliet in which she’s a central figure and now we have Hamnet.

Jessie Buckley is Agnes (which Hathaway was sometimes referred to as), a young woman that local rumor suggests is the daughter of a forest witch but was probably just a woman who knew more than one use for rosemary. Agnes meets Will, a new tutor at the school. Will is instantly ensorcelled by Agnes and the two are making out in secret until Agnes’ pregnancy forces them to reveal their relationship to their families. Despite neither family being Wignes shippers, they are wed and Agnes gives birth to Susanna. Prone to visions, Agnes always saw herself with two children so she’s elated when she’s pregnant again a couple years later, even though Will spends most of his time in London prepping to become history’s greatest writer. Surprisingly, Agnes gives birth to twins, first is son Hamnet, and then Judith. At first, Judith appears stillborn, but Agnes saves her.

Years later, Agnes is mother of three, doting especially on Judith, who she fears for, given her visions of only having two children. Will still spends most of his time in London, but he wants to move the family there. Eventually. When tragedy strikes, and young Hamnet becomes a victim of the plague (the movie is named after him, you kind of have to expect something bad), Agnes blames absentee dad Will. Will, in turn, throws himself into his new play, a drama titled Hamlet.

As flippant as this review is, Hamnet is a deeply thoughtful exploration of grief and the struggle to maintain existing when you lose someone as central to your life as a young child. Writer-Director Chloe Zhao (Oscar-winner for Nomadland) has crafted a beautifully stunning movie, where even small scenes and establishing shots are breathtaking. Her ability to pull out the best performances from her actors results in a star-making turn from Jessie Buckley (Women Talking, The Lost Daughter) who commands every moment on screen. Buckley is a force when she has to be loudly emotive, but even in her quiet moments, the last twenty-some minutes of the movie she doesn’t have a single line of dialogue, but the entire climax is reflected through her character and the expressions on her face. Mescal also is wondrous, carrying Will’s heaviness, weariness, and entire struggle through every scene. All of the young performances are special – Olivia Lynes as Judit, Bodhi Rae Breathnach as Susanna, but especially Jacobi Jupe as the ill-fated Hamnet, who who is so effortlessly natural and engaging to boot. Jupe’s brother Noah (who stunned as a child actor in Ford vs. Ferrari, Honey Boy, and Wonder amongst other roles) has to carry the last chunk of the movie, performing as Hamlet on stage.

I’ve always been drawn to explorations of grief and love the new and intriguing ways that something we deal with every day can be uncovered. Hamnet is a beautiful, thoughtful and, yes, gut-wrenching story that I was honored to witness.

Jonathan’s grade – A