New film "Hamnet" reimagines Shakespeare's tragic tale, tracing its roots to the playwright's own devastating loss of his young son, Hamnet, in 1596. Director Chloé Zhao and co-writer Maggie O'Farrell have crafted a movie that is both audacious and impassioned, even if its narrative misreads Shakespeare as we know him.
The film opens on Agnes (Jessie Buckley), William's wife, wandering through the forest near their home in Stratford-upon-Avon. This scene sets the tone for the rest of the movie, which explores the intense emotional turmoil that followed Hamnet's death. O'Farrell delivers a beguiling performance as Agnes, imbuing every look and smile with piercing significance.
As William (Paul Mescal) grows up, struggling to come to terms with his father's abuse and his own artistic ambitions, he becomes increasingly drawn to his mother. However, their relationship is complicated by Mary's deep unease about the family's future. When Agnes gives birth to her second child – twins Judith and Hamnet – it sets off a chain of events that will ultimately lead to tragedy.
Zhao takes her time to develop this narrative, slowly building up to the devastating climax. The film imagines Agnes giving birth in the forest, followed by the twins' death, which is said to have sparked Shakespeare's tragic play Hamlet. While it may seem like a far-fetched coincidence, Zhao and O'Farrell suggest that Shakespeare's grief and trauma are at the heart of his masterpiece.
The performances by Buckley and Mescal are indeed absorbing, making the film move despite its contrived and speculative elements. The cinematography is beautiful, with Łukasz Żal capturing stunning landscapes and a haunting score from Max Richter adding to the emotional impact.
Ultimately, "Hamnet" reimagines Shakespeare's tragedy as a deeply personal tale of loss and creative inspiration. While it may not solve the mystery behind Hamlet's origins, Zhao and O'Farrell have deepened our understanding of this classic play and its author. As such, it will undoubtedly captivate audiences with its thrilling act of creative audacity.
The film opens on Agnes (Jessie Buckley), William's wife, wandering through the forest near their home in Stratford-upon-Avon. This scene sets the tone for the rest of the movie, which explores the intense emotional turmoil that followed Hamnet's death. O'Farrell delivers a beguiling performance as Agnes, imbuing every look and smile with piercing significance.
As William (Paul Mescal) grows up, struggling to come to terms with his father's abuse and his own artistic ambitions, he becomes increasingly drawn to his mother. However, their relationship is complicated by Mary's deep unease about the family's future. When Agnes gives birth to her second child – twins Judith and Hamnet – it sets off a chain of events that will ultimately lead to tragedy.
Zhao takes her time to develop this narrative, slowly building up to the devastating climax. The film imagines Agnes giving birth in the forest, followed by the twins' death, which is said to have sparked Shakespeare's tragic play Hamlet. While it may seem like a far-fetched coincidence, Zhao and O'Farrell suggest that Shakespeare's grief and trauma are at the heart of his masterpiece.
The performances by Buckley and Mescal are indeed absorbing, making the film move despite its contrived and speculative elements. The cinematography is beautiful, with Łukasz Żal capturing stunning landscapes and a haunting score from Max Richter adding to the emotional impact.
Ultimately, "Hamnet" reimagines Shakespeare's tragedy as a deeply personal tale of loss and creative inspiration. While it may not solve the mystery behind Hamlet's origins, Zhao and O'Farrell have deepened our understanding of this classic play and its author. As such, it will undoubtedly captivate audiences with its thrilling act of creative audacity.
his loss of hamnet is just devastating... like, imagine being a new dad and then having to watch your kid die 
it's so tragic and it makes me wonder how he was able to create something as beautiful and powerful as hamlet from that pain 
the film does such a good job of capturing the emotional turmoil and grief, it gives me chills every time i think about it... and jessie buckley's performance is just incredible 
I'm so down for a film that dives into the emotional depths of Shakespeare's tragic tale. Chloé Zhao and Maggie O'Farrell have done an amazing job in reimagining "Hamnet" as a deeply personal story of loss and creativity 
. The way they've woven together Agnes and William's complicated relationship is so poignant, it had me right there with them feeling every beat of their emotions 
. The cinematography was also a work of art – Łukasz Żal really captured the beauty of those English landscapes 
. Now I'm off to watch this film and soak up some inspiration for my own mindfulness practice 
And can we talk about Paul Mescal's performance? He's so talented! I'm not gonna lie though, some parts of the plot felt a bit far-fetched to me... but that's what makes it so bold and daring right? 
The acting's nice, Jessie Buckley's got some great looks and Paul Mescal's decent too, but sometimes I feel like they're trying to force a connection between the events in the movie and Hamlet. It's all pretty dramatized, if you ask me. And that ending with Agnes giving birth in the forest? It feels like they just threw it in there for dramatic effect. But hey, if it gets people talking about Shakespeare and his plays, I'm good with that 
. And don't even get me started on how it's gonna affect our understanding of the Bard's actual works... 
Maybe I'm just too skeptical, but I'll be watching this one with a grain of salt 
. Like, Agnes giving birth in the forest and the twins dying? It's a bit too far-fetched for me 
. And don't even get me started on how it tries to tie everything back to Hamlet 
, and the cinematography was pretty on point 
. But overall, felt like it missed the mark for me 
but seriously can anyone explain to me how they linked agnes giving birth in the forest to hamnet's death in hamlet? it felt kinda far fetched even for a historical drama 
I'm loving how "Hamnet" dives into the emotional depths of Shakespeare's story! It's crazy to think about his tragic loss inspiring one of the most iconic plays of all time 
. I do wish they'd been more careful with the timeline, though – it gets a bit jumbled in some spots 
. Still, the result is mesmerizing, and I love how the director's passion for Shakespeare comes through on screen 
. It's always fascinating to see new takes on classic stories – "Hamnet" is definitely one for the ages 
!
It feels like a bit of a stretch to me. The performances are indeed strong, Jessie Buckley shines as Agnes, but some parts feel a tad too convenient 
. I also wish they'd explored the historical context a bit more - it's 1596, after all! 
Still, Zhao and O'Farrell have clearly poured their hearts into this film, and that comes across on screen 
she's like wowww wif that intense look on her face 
but dey took some liberties wif shakespeare's timeline & events...idk if its supposed 2 b a historically accurate retelling or somethin 
! The way they tie Agnes' grief and trauma to Shakespeare's masterpiece is quite thought-provoking, reminds me of how some folks try to rewrite history to suit their own agenda 
. Overall, "Hamnet" is a wild ride that will keep you guessing until the very end 
!
I loved how they showed Agnes's pain and struggle to cope with the loss 
Her character's emotions were so raw and real 
Paul Mescal was great too as William 
He brought a sense of vulnerability to his performance 
It reminded me of when I watched the sunrise over the ocean 
