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I read Maggie O'Farrell's novel Hamnet and admired it a great deal. Then I saw the film, directed by Chloé Zhao, and I have to say: I liked the movie even more.

The acting is quietly astonishing. No one is pushing, no one is showing off. It's all deeply human, moment to moment, from the first frame to the last. This is one of those films where small things planted early on actually matter later - and when they finally come back around, they land with real emotional weight. You might want to have a box of Kleenex nearby. I'm not kidding.

There's a lot of patience here. The pacing is extremely slow - slower than almost any modern film I can think of - and that is very clearly a deliberate choice, not a mistake. Whether that works for you will depend on how willing you are to sit still and let a story unfold on its own terms. For me, it did.

What I responded to most was the humanity of it. Grief, love, endurance, memory - all handled without sentimentality or manipulation. The film trusts its audience, and that trust is rewarded by the time you reach the end, which is genuinely beautiful.

I gave it an 8/10.

It's not a movie for everyone, but if you're willing to slow down and really watch, Hamnet stays with you.

Watched at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival.

A beautiful, emotional, and raw tale about the tale of loss, romance, bonds, family, and the surroundings world of the Shakespeare family. I'm so happy Chloe Zhao is back to her roots as her direction on the atmosphere, writing, characters and tone is absolutely remarkable. On exploring the characters, their conflicts and movements, and emotions, within the gorgeous production designs, beautiful camerawork, sound designs and strong powerful direction on the themes and tone was balanced, creative and excellent. Zhao works well on exploring on the normal individuals lives revolving around social class, community and lives. While unlike focusing on the modern era, still, Zhao's approach with the classic era still remains powerful and effective.

The characters were interesting as observing the lives of a couple dealing with their problems, their goals, and the emotions gathering between is pretty good. Especially the performances as Paul Mescal, Jessie Buckley and the rest of the cast were fantastic. I'm so happy to see Buckley receiving more recognition as she is very talented and deserves it.

The dialogue is pretty good, the musical score is great, and the writing, although admittedly, certain writing concepts didn't fully work at some points, was engaging, interesting and offered some pretty great themes to explore. Coming out from my screening, I'd overheard some calling this Oscar Bait and I disagree, Oscar Bait movies are much more forced, pretentious and those trying so hard to be so grand and excellent. Hamnet doesn't feel forced, it feels genuine, raw, realistic and at times, a good neo-realism.

Overall, I'm happy for Zhao to be back in her roots for what she is very good with. Definitely one of the best movies from the festival so far.

Hamnet is my favorite movie of the year. What a beautiful script. This movie is a tearjerker. It's the most emotional I've been watching a movie in years. The performances from Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal are some of the best performances this decade. It also includes some of the best child acting I've ever seen. A film about love and loss that hits all the right notes perfectly. It even manages to have some really funny moments as well. The cinematography is beautiful, the editing is smooth, and the score is phenomenal. Chloe Zhao knocked it out of the park directing. It's definitely her best movie. No notes. 10/10.

What a beautiful movie from Chloé Zhao. The film follows the life of a regular family in a past era, focusing on their relationships and how they deal with life's challenges. It's about love, loss, and family bonds, but it doesn't hit you over the head with drama. Things unfold slowly and quietly - small gestures, looks, and silences speak just as much as words. The English countryside almost feels alive, quietly watching over the family, and the story shows that human emotions - grief, care, hope - are timeless, even across centuries.

It's admirable that Chloé Zhao had the courage and insight to write and direct this almost Shakespearian story. William and Agnes bring twin children into the world, and the loss of one puts them in an incredibly tragic situation. Yet they have to find a way to keep going - as much as humans can - despite the pain.

Hamnet captures both darkness and grace in one of the most unapologetically raw and profoundly moving films I've seen this year. It features career-best performances from both Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal, and it stands as Chloé Zhao's most accomplished work.

For me, it was a deeply emotional experience. The film doesn't scream its drama; it hints at it through tiny gestures, lingering looks, quiet moments, and family intimacy. You feel the characters' sorrow, hope, and concern - almost like you're living those moments alongside them. It's not an explosive movie; it moves you subtly and persistently, making you empathize with their loss and their struggle to carry on.

What do You see?

No words can fully describe the immense talent of Chloé Zhao.

Jessie Buckley Is an Absolute force of Nature,Her perfomance Amazing and Heartbreaking gut punch.

The screenplay,cinematography, and the music make for an incredible film about grief and acceptance.

The last 20 minutes are faithful to the book and so powerful.

Keep your Heart Open.

For the second time this year, I sat down in the theater convinced that I was going to be emotionally devastated by a film everyone was talking about, and I ended up feeling....not much at all.

The first was "Sentimental Value." It, like "Hamnet," had all the ingredients that on paper was sure to reduce a cry baby like me to a puddle. But neither movie clicked with me.

I was an English major, so it embarrasses me to say that I don't care much for Shakespeare. Not caring for him is different than recognizing his genius and the fact that dramatic storytelling as we know it is due almost completely to his influence. I concede all of that. But it's rare that I ever actually enjoy watching his works, especially when captured on film. So right off that bat I'm not the best audience for this movie. I did appreciate the film's message about the healing nature of art and how it allows us to feel catharsis and process complicated emotions we might not otherwise have the vocabulary to articulate. And the ending sequence, where that message is most clearly brought home, is the part of the movie I liked the best and the one that came closest to moving me. The rest tested my patience with its repetitiveness, and more than once it felt like a slog. Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal, both actors who I've loved in other things (Buckley in "Wild Rose" and "Women Talking" and Mescal in "Aftersun") give BIG Oscar-baity performances here, so of course everyone thinks they're great. And I suppose they do what they're asked to do. But neither ever brought this story alive for me, or made me feel like they were ever doing anything other than playing period dress up. Mescal especially gets hammier as the movie goes on.

This is a huge disappointment for me, because Chloe Zhao has made two of my favorite films from the last decade, "The Rider" and "Nomadland." I love those movies for how natural and unscripted they feel, so it's a surprise to me how unnatural and overly controlled "Hamnet" feels. I also hated the cinematography, which is another aspect of the film people seem to be lauding. Yes, I get that it's meant to capture natural light and the way these locations would have looked at the time, but it makes for a murky and dingy viewing experience.

Every year there's at least one movie that seemingly everyone on the planet but me thinks is a masterpiece, and I guess "Hamnet" is that movie this year.

Grade: B.

Paul Mescal gives a breathtaking performance in Hamnet. His acting is powerful, emotional, and so natural that every moment feels real. The film itself is beautifully directed, visually stunning, and full of heart. It's a deeply moving story that stays with you long after watching. A masterpiece - one of the best films of the year!

The performances across the board here are really great. Buckley, Mescal, and J. Jupe are the standouts. The cinematography of the pastoral is sublime. The premise is moving, and the use of the arts as a way to work through trauma, as displayed in the film, was poignant.

That being said, I couldn't help but feel that this film felt rather hammy and ham-fisted at times. I could not connect with it in a way that I probably should have. While I understand intellectually and academically that this should have brought me to tears, the way some scenes unfurl and play out felt stilted and contrived. Agnes as a character felt a tad too anachronistic and modern for the time period. She just felt far too outspoken and forthright. And the scene where Shakespeare is formulating and verbalizing the famed "To be or not to be" speech for the play inspired by his son, which comes to be known as Hamlet, felt strangely inorganic. And the use of Max Richter's song "On the Nature of Daylight" really sullied the immersion and felt tacked-on. I love Richter's music in general, but here in this context it felt weirdly commercial and plasticine which, juxtaposed with the subtle, quietly powerful sentiment of the film, didn't work.

But I can see how this film can be really cathartic and affecting for many people.

This movie lacked enough plot and character development to even say there was a story. It felt like watching two people in an acting class receiving random scenarios from their teacher.

Teacher: "Ok...your father hates you and doesn't believe you have any potential and your mother doesn't want you to marry a complete stranger...go!"

(extreme melodrama ensues)

Teacher: "Ok...now you both whine incessantly about how miserable you are on a farm, but only one of you can leave because the other has had premonitions from the forest...go!"

(way too much extreme melodrama ensues)

Etc, etc, etc...

I award this movie only 3 stars for the strong ending, which leaned heavily on Shakespeare's actual words from the Hamlet. Wait for it on streaming, then just fast forward until the last 45 minutes...or maybe 20-30 depending on your tolerance for pretentious art films.

Hamnet is a film that feels almost unbearably intimate, as if we've been granted access to a private grief that was never meant for our eyes. The lead actors deliver performances so raw and tremulous they feel lived-in rather than acted, turning every glance and hesitation into something quietly devastating. Each scene unfolds with the fragility of a memory you're afraid to touch and so close to melodrama and melancholy that it threatens to tip over, yet always pulls back into something truer. The film's restraint becomes its greatest power, allowing quiet ache to bloom where spectacle could have easily taken over.

By its final act, Hamnet reveals why this story had to be told at all. Everything, the lingering looks, the muted sorrow, the tension between love and loss, suddenly locks into place with heartbreaking clarity. If you know Shakespeare even a little, the film reshapes him entirely, reframing pieces of his legacy you didn't know were fractured. It is deeply moving in a way that feels personal and unguarded, the kind of emotional honesty that reaches in and gently breaks something open inside you. You will cry. Not because the film demands it, but because it earns it. It's slowly, intimately, profoundly.

This movie is about remembrance, dedication, love.

I came in knowing almost nothing and only fully realized this was about Shakespeare near the very end of the movie. In a sense, I wish I knew more about Shakespeare's history and the story of hamlet. However, I feel coming in with nothing actually added more to the film and its emotion; not fully understanding what was happening till the very end made it so much stronger going into that last march. To be honest I wasn't fully convinced with the first half of the film, but the last part brought it all back making everything make sense again.

The introduction of the theater is crucial to prepare the audience for the scene that's about to unfold. The camera and angles from the beginning of the theater scene builds the suspense: the feeling of who Will has become, and the meaning of this play combined with the tension between them two.

The acting is also incredible with paul and jacobi's performances truly making the movie - raw, authentic, and full of emotion. Particularly Paul's "again" scene. It might be worth an award.

The costume design is well thought out and the blonde hair paint and blue costume really stands out. The attention to detail with the ghost's white clay...

The final scene of the crowd reaching out and Hamnet turning away was the most heart wrenching and beautiful of the film and did bring me to tears.

Hamnet is my favourite film of the year so far in almost every aspect of filmmaking.

The writing is absolutely perfect. The characters are layered, lovable, relatable and they feel like reel human beings. When things get revealed about them, it's shown, not said and it's also subtle, basically they don't push it in your face, but if you look, you'll definitely see. The dialogues fit the medieval (I know it's set in early modern aged) environment and still feel natural, which is a combination I find to be very rare. The story is an emotional roller coaster. That's probably the main reason this is my favourite of 2025 so far above Sinners and One Battle After Another.

The directing is great, it's amazing how the tone of this film isn't messed up despite the range of emotions this film wants the audience to experience. The cinematography is absolutely incredible. The cameras used here are not as exclusive as the ones used in the previously mentioned films, but boy is it a visual feast. I don't know how long it's been since I've seen such long takes and to achieve the long takes the camera movement and angles have to be perfect. The lighting is mostly natural or part of the scene, which I love. The editing is great, I would naturally think a movie like this would bore me, but this didn't drag at all. The production design and the visual effects create a perfectly believable medieval environment. The casting perfectly balances fame and talent, while everyone fits their role too. The acting performances carry the movie to Best Picture level. And not just the leads, everyone and I have to note that the long takes enhance the already amazing achievements.

Hamnet would be my vote for Best Picture so far if I was a member of the Academy.

Hamnet is a film that genuinely surprised me. It took quite a while before I finally made the decision to see it in theaters, largely because it never felt like a priority viewing. On paper, it seemed like one of those historical dramas that might be beautifully made but emotionally distant or even dull. I fully expected a slow, academic experience rather than something that would truly resonate.

That expectation could not have been more wrong. From the moment the film begins, Hamnet reveals itself as a deeply intimate and emotionally devastating story. Rather than functioning as a traditional Shakespeare biopic, the film focuses on the quiet, personal tragedy behind the legend-specifically the love between William Shakespeare and his wife, and the unbearable loss of their son. This grounding approach makes the story feel raw, human, and painfully relatable.

What works especially well is how the film explores grief as something corrosive and isolating. Shakespeare's absence during his son's death becomes a wound that never heals within the marriage. His wife's resentment feels earned and heartbreaking, not exaggerated for drama. Their relationship slowly fractures under the weight of loss, and the film never tries to soften that reality or provide easy forgiveness.

The structure of the film is also surprisingly accessible. While Shakespearean language appears during the stage performances, the film itself avoids drowning the audience in heavy dialogue. This "play within the film" approach allows viewers to appreciate the artistry without feeling alienated or lost. It keeps the emotional focus on the characters rather than the language.

The mystical undertones involving the wife's lineage as the daughter of a forest witch add an eerie, poetic layer to the story. These elements feel symbolic rather than fantastical, reinforcing themes of fate, intuition, and unresolved sorrow. It gives the film a distinct identity, separating it from more conventional Shakespeare adaptations that often feel repetitive or overly theatrical.

Ultimately, Hamnet stands out because it refuses to follow the familiar rhythms of Shakespeare-centered films. Instead of spectacle, it offers intimacy. Instead of reverence, it offers vulnerability. It's a haunting, powerful experience that lingers long after the credits roll, proving that even well-trodden historical ground can feel fresh when approached with honesty and emotional courage.

You know about half way through this movie I pulled my beanie down over my eyes and thought to myself "I must be a really great husband for going to this movie with my girl." Clearly this movie is about grief and loss and how we cope differently. But man, this was painful. It was really well done but not an enjoyable experience. Paul Mescal is a beautiful man. He acts with masculinity and vulnerability. Also where did they get these child actors. Phenomenal emotion and innocence. Especially the little boy.

Lastly I know I'm an adult, but I was reminded that I still dont understand Shakespearean language.

In the end very good but never rewatching this again.

I was really looking forward to this movie. Couldn't wait. I don't think I have ever been so disappointed in a movie in my life.

My wife fell asleep.

I didn't expect history but it was so far off Shakespeare's life. The performances were good and I always like seeing Emily Watson, but the story was very slow. I never felt a connection to the characters. I do not recommend.

So, I finally watched the film Hamnet. It's directed by Chloé Zhao, who made Nomadland and won an Oscar, and produced by big names like Steven Spielberg and Sam Mendes. I've been seeing the trailers for about two months whenever I went to my favorite movie theater. And today, I finally watched it.

It really feels like Hollywood has returned to its traditional roots. This is already the second masterpiece after Train Dreams. I really liked this film. I'll try to keep it spoiler-free.

The film is amazing - it captures the atmosphere of the late 16th century. We see young Shakespeare teaching Latin in a village not far from London. He falls in love with his future wife - a hardworking country woman who can shovel manure and milk a cow. Shakespeare himself is shown as a guy who isn't really good with physical labor. And there is a strong scene (a small spoiler) showing how he struggles with manual work, which was extremely important for people at that time.

The nature is shown beautifully - the rustling trees, the wind, the damp air. All of it is delivered through the camera. And of course, life is a tragedy. Now it's clear that great art, music, paintings or cinema are born only through the contrast of love and suffering. Either great, powerful love, or loss and grief. Only then masterpieces appear.

And I'll add this - the film is very easy to watch. You don't feel like you're sitting through a history lecture or being overloaded with heavy dialogue. Everything feels human. Simple life, simple relationships, no pretentiousness. Nothing looks fake or polished. It's real, like you're actually there. I liked that there's none of that modern Hollywood noise. Everyone acts calmly, without shouting or trying to impress with special effects. Just the story of a family, a small village, ordinary people with their joys and sorrows. And the film is warm, despite the tragedy. You leave the theater not drained, but with the feeling that you watched something genuine. Something that stays in your head all day.

I really liked this film, a lot. I want to point out, without spoilers, the childbirth scene - in my opinion, it's one of the best. Not in the whole history of cinema, but for films about the 16th century for sure. It's incredibly realistic and emotional.

And Jessie Buckley - she was unbelievable. She put all the pain, all the emotions, all the suffering into her role. It really feels like she's not from this world. I'll be rooting for this film and for her at the Oscars.

A viewer's reaction to this film will likely depend heavily on what they're hoping to get from it. If strong acting capable of evoking powerful emotion is enough, this is a very good film. If, however, you're looking for a story built around richly developed characters, it comes up short.

There's no question the performances are strong. Jessie Buckley, in particular, delivers what may be the most authentic portrayal of maternal instinct I've seen on screen. At the film's climax, her connection to her children is palpable: every word, breath, scream, and expression carries genuine emotional weight. Unfortunately, her performance is restricted due to her character written to be very one-dimensional. The brief backstory provided is underwritten and, frankly, unengaging. Paul Mescal is solid as well, but his performance never quite moves the needle enough to significantly alter my overall view of the film.

Visually, the film offers some striking camera work and checks all the expected "artsy" boxes. But as suggested above, the story itself is lacking in meaningful ways. For much of the runtime, the viewer is simply watching trauma-well-acted trauma, but trauma nonetheless. Personally, I don't find that especially entertaining or compelling without deeper insight into the characters' inner lives than was offered here. The post-trauma conversations feel surface-level and emotionally shallow. Perhaps stronger character development early on would have allowed the audience to fill in the gaps, but that groundwork isn't sufficiently laid.

As a general rule, if you leave a film thinking, "I thought this movie was already over," only for it to continue for another hour, it's probably not a film you're fully engaged with.

Films that prioritize mood and the human condition over plot demand significantly stronger character development to succeed. That balance isn't achieved here.

It's entirely possible, and even likely, that I simply didn't connect with the story. Still, there are other films where I've been indifferent to the plot yet remained deeply invested in the characters. That wasn't the case this time.

In summary, I hoped for a lot more.

Fictional stories about the life of William Shakespeare have been created for many decades, if not centuries. None other than George Bernard Shaw wrote a short play called "The Dark Lady of the Sonnets." I remember seeing William Gibson's play, A CRY OF PLAYERS, in the late 1960s with Anne Bancroft and Frank Langella as "Will" and "Anne." I read Anthony Burgess's novel, NOTHING LIKE THE SUN, about Shakespeare's alleged affair with the "dark lady of the sonnets" (who was an African in his version) a couple of years later. At the end of the 20th Century came Robert Nye's novel, THE LATE MR. SHAKESPEARE, about a homosexual actor in Shakespeare's troupe who played women's roles. In 1998 came Tom Stoppard's clever screenplay for the Oscar-winning film, SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE. I'm sure that there have been many others. The latest entry into the field is HAMNET, a best-selling novel (I have not read it) about the death of Shakespeare's young son, which has now been made into a movie. It is the weakest of the bunch.

I was expecting a great deal from this movie. It had a lot of positive hype: good reviews, film festival awards, fan buzz on the Internet. When I saw it yesterday, I was VERY disappointed. I found it to be a lot of cliches strung together in a rather lackluster way. I was surprised when I saw the credits that both Stephen Spielberg and Sam Mendes were the producers. If only one of them had actually directed it! The actual director, Chloe Zhao, has chosen to give every scene equal weight. There are no moments of heightened tension. It is all played at the same relentless pace. It is all flattened out into a uniform terrain. There is a lot attention paid to details. We get all the expected discomforts and gross visuals of childbearing and the deaths of close family members. It's all "this happens and then this happens" with no real cause-and-effect. The actors give it their best. I was unfamiliar with Jessie Buckley, who plays "Anne" nee "Agnes." She seems to have gone to the same acting school as Jessica Chastain, where they teach them to demonstrate what they're feeling. It grieves me to say that I felt sorry for that fine actor Paul Mescal. Any through-line for the character, he had to create for himself. It is especially grievous when it shows him playing the Ghost in HAMLET, which shows the Ghost's scenes with no context, just strung together. I'm sure that audiences unfamiliar with HAMLET were mystified or (more likely) bored. It doesn't help that the actor portraying Hamlet is just dreadful. I was very glad when this movie was over.

Hamnet (2025) is a historical drama movie directed by Chloe Zhao with a screenplay co-written by Zhao and Maggie O'Farrell based on O'Farrell's 2020 novel and it tells the story of the marriage between Agnes Hathaway and William Shakespeare and the impact of the death of their 11-year old son Hamnet on their relationship, which inspired Shakespeare's play Hamlet. This is a movie that I was torn on whether to watch it or not, but I just got done watching this movie and it was absolutely phenomenal.

Positives for Hamnet (2025): This movie has one of the best stories of the year especially given the source material that the filmmakers were working with. You can feel the impact of the story with our two lead as they are dealing with and at the core of the story are the lead performances from Jessie Buckley as Agnes and Paul Mescal as William. I knew that Paul Mescal was a star after seeing him in Gladiator II (2024) last year, but this movie reassures me that he has a bright future ahead of him because he is that damn good and I can say the same for Jessie Buckley. The production value is immaculate with the attention to detail on the movie sets and costume design. I like the slow burn approach to the story that takes its time on the character development and their relationship with each other. The score does an excellent job at capture the atmosphere of the story and makes it feel epic in some way. And finally, the ending of this movie is perfect for the characters and their story.

Overall, Hamnet (2025) is a movie that I am happy to have watched and it reminds me that Chloe Zhao is a top tier filmmaker and not just the director who gave us Eternals (2021). This is easily one of the best movies of 2025 and I can't wait to see what awards this movie will be nominated for.