Hamnet (2025) Review: Chloé Zhao’s Masterpiece of Grief and Artistic Alchemy
The story of William Shakespeare has been told a thousand times, but never quite like this. In Hamnet, the 2025 biographical drama directed by Academy Award-winner Chloé Zhao (Nomadland), the legendary playwright is not the sun around which the world revolves. Instead, he is a satellite to the true heart of the story: his wife, Agnes Hathaway, and the son whose death would change the course of Western literature.
Based on the 2020 award-winning novel by Maggie O’Farrell, Hamnet is a visceral, tactile, and emotionally shattering exploration of how private tragedy is transmuted into public art.
Film Overview: The Creative Powerhouse
| Feature | Details |
| Director | Chloé Zhao |
| Cast | Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal, Emily Watson, Joe Alwyn |
| Release Date | Nov 26, 2025 (USA) / Jan 9, 2026 (UK) |
| Runtime | 126 Minutes |
| Genre | Period Drama / Biography |
| Awards | Golden Globe Winner (Best Drama, Best Actress); 8 Oscar Nominations |
Full Plot Synopsis
Set against the rustic, mud-caked backdrop of 1580s Stratford-upon-Avon, Hamnet begins as a lyrical romance. Agnes (Anne) Hathaway (Jessie Buckley) is a woman of the woods—a healer and falconer who sees the world through an intuitive, almost mystical lens. She meets William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal), a frustrated Latin tutor with a restless mind. Their connection is elemental, and they marry despite family disapproval, eventually raising three children: Susanna and twins Hamnet and Judith.
The narrative takes a dark, inevitable turn when the bubonic plague arrives. In a sequence of unbearable tension, young Judith falls ill. Her twin, Hamnet, in a desperate act of childhood devotion, seemingly “trades” places with her, drawing the sickness into himself so his sister might live.
As Hamnet succumbs, William is away in London, chasing theatrical success. He returns to find a household fractured by a loss he cannot articulate. The film’s second half tracks the diverging paths of their mourning. While Agnes remains in Stratford, her grief rooted in the physical absence of her son, William retreats into the art of the stage. Years later, he produces a play with a title that is a variant of his son’s name: Hamlet. The climax brings Agnes to the Globe Theatre, where she witnesses her husband’s “resurrection” of their child, leading to a finale of profound catharsis.
Detailed Critique: A New Language of Loss
Direction and Cinematography
Chloé Zhao and cinematographer Łukasz Żal (Cold War) treat the 16th century not as a museum piece, but as a living, breathing ecosystem. Using natural light and intimate, handheld camerawork, Zhao avoids the “prestige” polish of typical British period dramas. The forest feels ancient and dangerous; the Shakespeare home feels claustrophobic and haunted. Zhao’s direction is patient, allowing the audience to sit in the silences where grief truly resides.
Performances: Buckley and Mescal
Jessie Buckley delivers a powerhouse performance that has already secured her place in the awards conversation. Her Agnes is feral yet tender, a woman whose “sight” allows her to feel the weight of the future. Buckley portrays grief as a physical ailment—a heaviness in the limbs and a hollowness in the eyes.
Paul Mescal offers a delicate, internal portrayal of the Bard. He avoids the “Great Man” tropes, playing William as a man who uses words to build a wall between himself and his pain. Their chemistry captures the friction of a marriage where one partner needs to remember and the other needs to create in order to survive.
Visuals and Sound
The visual language of Hamnet is deeply symbolic, often using soil, water, and wildlife to mirror the characters’ internal states. The score by Max Richter is minimalist but devastating, utilizing repetitive string motifs that evoke the cyclical nature of time and memory.
Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths
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Perspective Shift: By focusing on Agnes rather than William’s career, the film offers a fresh, feminist reclamation of history.
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Emotional Weight: The depiction of the bond between the twins (played by Jacobi Jupe and Olivia Lynes) is haunting and beautiful.
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The Finale: The final 15 minutes at the Globe Theatre are among the most moving sequences in modern cinema.
Weaknesses
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Deliberate Pacing: The first act is slow and atmospheric; viewers seeking a fast-paced biopic may find it languid.
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Historical Speculation: Purists may struggle with the “witchy” characterization of Agnes, though it serves the film’s internal logic perfectly.
Final Verdict
Hamnet is a triumph of empathetic filmmaking. It is a rare period piece that feels entirely modern in its emotional intelligence. Chloé Zhao has crafted more than just a “Shakespeare movie”; she has created a cinematic ritual for anyone who has ever loved and lost. It is a masterpiece that proves that while life is fleeting, art is the bridge that allows us to reach across the void.
Final Score: 9.5/10