Did you ever wonder what the domestic life of William Shakespeare might have actually looked like? Spoiler: it’s not the Bard you met in your high school English class. Forget the feather quill in the candle-lit study — this Shakespeare is knee-deep in a messy marriage, tending to sick children, managing long-distance fatherhood, and proving that even the greatest playwright in history couldn’t master work-life balance.
Based on Maggie O’Farrell’s bestselling novel, Hamnet wisely focuses not on Shakespeare, but on his wife, Agnes Hathaway. She is the film’s emotional center — a strong, intuitive woman trying to run a household in plague-stricken Stratford-upon-Avon while her husband frequently disappears to London to pursue his burgeoning theater career. Whenever Will does return home, the visits oscillate between fiery arguments with Agnes and tender, restorative moments with his children — including young Hamnet himself.
Join the PERA (Personal Entertainment Research Assistant) waitlist.
The World's Most Indispensable Movie App
The RunPee app tells you the best times to
run & pee during a movie
so you don't miss the best scenes.
Download the RunPee app.
100% free (donation supported)
As a lifelong devotee of all things Shakespeare, I was more than eager to attend this screening. I’ve visited the reconstructed Globe Theatre in London and made my own pilgrimage to Stratford-upon-Avon. While the movie is set in both locales, it was actually filmed elsewhere in the UK — though you’d hardly notice. Still, I would have welcomed a bit more balance between the Stratford domesticity and the London theatrical world. But the film’s intent is clear: this is Agnes’s story, not William’s.
And like many acclaimed indie films, Hamnet lives or dies on its performances. Fortunately, the acting is its beating heart.
What people are saying
about the RunPee app.
Single best investment
By and far best investment Ive made. I used to drive my husband nuts because Id be a fidgeting mess the last half hour of the movie trying not to miss important parts. Now I just turn this app on and *bam* I can actually focus on the movie the whole time. Even puts alerts to my watch so even better. Also I can guarentee all the 5 reviews arent fake as one person accused - its just that so many of us movie-goers had the same problem and this fixed it. Yes, it is paid but jeeze its expensive to keep watching movies and updating an app for every movie. And if you read more about the creator he mentions he has several people contributing - so yeah its paid but omg worth every cent. 10/10
Developers note: the RunPee app is now, and always will be, 100% free. Donations are optional.
View all reviews
Apple App Store | Google Play Store
Download RunPee app
Jessie Buckley delivers a fierce, emotionally raw Agnes — part mystic, part healer, part exhausted mother battling plague, loneliness, and marital distance. Many viewers will relate deeply to her exhaustion and resilience. If Hamnet gets any Oscar buzz, acting-wise, it will be because of Jessie.
Paul Mescal, as Shakespeare, gives a thoughtful performance as a brilliant but distracted husband — the kind of man who might forget to take out the trash because he’s lost in a metaphor. His pivotal monologue (which eventually echoes in Hamlet) is beautifully delivered and showcases real range.
Finally, the child actor playing Hamnet brings a tender emotional weight that elevates the film’s final act. His performance is subtle but affecting — and yes, it may bring more than a few audience members to tears.
My final verdict? A solid B+. Hamnet is beautifully acted, gorgeously constructed, and emotionally resonant — particularly, if you’re already a Shakespeare devotee. Legend has it that its TIFF premiere earned a four-minute standing ovation. I understand the enthusiasm — I’d have been standing too.
But here’s the truth: those of us applauding were already “in the congregation.” For broader audiences, the film may feel slow, dialogue-heavy, and emotionally draining. This is not Shakespeare in Love (1998), which captivated the masses. Hamnet is more meditative, more somber, and far less mainstream.
You’ve been advised.
Choose wisely.
Grade: B+
There are no extra scenes during, or after, the end credits of Hamnet.
| Rated: | () NA |
| Genres: | Drama, Romance |
| USA release date: | 2025-11-26 |
| Movie length: | |
| Starring: | |
| Director: | Chloé Zhao |
| Writer(s): | Chloé Zhao, Maggie O’Farrell |
| Language: | en |
| Country: | US |
Plot
The powerful story of love and loss that inspired the creation of Shakespeare’s timeless masterpiece, Hamlet.