Hamnet
8 Oscar Nominations
Rent/Purchase
The powerful story of love and loss that inspired the creation of Shakespeare's timeless masterpiece, Hamlet.
What critics thought
Chloé Zhao's adaptation of Maggie O'Farrell's novel about Shakespeare's grief drew near-unanimous acclaim, with critics most animated by Jessie Buckley's performance — described in terms usually reserved for once-in-a-generation work — and Paul Mescal's quieter, searching portrayal of Will. The lone significant dissent came from those who felt the film's emotional and awards-friendly ambitions shaded into calculation, but that view was very much in the minority against a tide of critics calling it among the most emotionally shattering films in recent memory.
“It's Buckley who's giving one of those rare turns that simply beggars belief. She swings back and forth from cast iron to porcelain. The actress is thunderous, playful, grounded and ethereal.”
Johnny Oleksinski·New York Post
“the regularly superb Buckley is revelatory as a wild creature who experiences the exhilaration of motherhood as well as the heartbreak of loss”
Tim Grierson·Screen Daily
“devastating, maybe the most emotionally shattering movie I've seen in years”
Bilge Ebiri·Vulture
“with its quiet determination to say much about how art is affected by life, is unlike anything else”
Pete Hammond·Deadline Hollywood
“quintessential Oscar bait (highbrow foundation; maximal crying and emoting) but is dogged by intellectual anachronism”
Kyle Smith·The Wall Street Journal
Genres
Biography, Drama, History
Cast & Crew
DirectorChloé Zhao
StarringJessie Buckley, Paul Mescal, Emily Watson, Joe Alwyn, Jacobi Jupe
ComposerMax Richter
Hamnet
8 Oscar Nominations
The powerful story of love and loss that inspired the creation of Shakespeare's timeless masterpiece, Hamlet.
What critics thought
Chloé Zhao's adaptation of Maggie O'Farrell's novel about Shakespeare's grief drew near-unanimous acclaim, with critics most animated by Jessie Buckley's performance — described in terms usually reserved for once-in-a-generation work — and Paul Mescal's quieter, searching portrayal of Will. The lone significant dissent came from those who felt the film's emotional and awards-friendly ambitions shaded into calculation, but that view was very much in the minority against a tide of critics calling it among the most emotionally shattering films in recent memory.
“It's Buckley who's giving one of those rare turns that simply beggars belief. She swings back and forth from cast iron to porcelain. The actress is thunderous, playful, grounded and ethereal.”
Johnny Oleksinski·New York Post
“the regularly superb Buckley is revelatory as a wild creature who experiences the exhilaration of motherhood as well as the heartbreak of loss”
Tim Grierson·Screen Daily
“devastating, maybe the most emotionally shattering movie I've seen in years”
Bilge Ebiri·Vulture
“with its quiet determination to say much about how art is affected by life, is unlike anything else”
Pete Hammond·Deadline Hollywood
“quintessential Oscar bait (highbrow foundation; maximal crying and emoting) but is dogged by intellectual anachronism”
Kyle Smith·The Wall Street Journal
Genres
Biography, Drama, History
Cast & Crew
DirectorChloé Zhao
StarringJessie Buckley, Paul Mescal, Emily Watson, Joe Alwyn, Jacobi Jupe
ComposerMax Richter
Rent/Purchase