This fresh take on Shakespeare’s Hamlet drops the whole thing into modern-day London, right in the middle of the city’s wealthy South Asian community. They stick with the original Shakespeare dialogue the whole way through, kind of like the ’90s Romeo + Juliet with Leonardo DiCaprio.
I’ll be straight with you: it takes some work to get used to the language. Throw in the English accents on top of that, and I had a heck of a time following what was being said at points. My ears already struggle with accents, so double whammy. Hamlet (Riz Ahmed) also mumbles in a few scenes, which definitely didn’t help the situation.
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Now, I’ve never seen any version of Hamlet before, but I knew the basic story going in. That saved me. I could follow the plot just fine even when the words got fuzzy. I think most people who know nothing about the play will still be able to track what’s going on, especially once things start spiraling.
The performances are strong across the board. Riz Ahmed is fantastic as Hamlet — mumbling aside, he delivers those ancient lines like they’re everyday speech. It feels raw and real.
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The whole movie has this heavy, moody vibe that really works. There are several long stretches with almost zero dialogue that crank up the tension… and, conveniently, give you perfect windows for a bathroom break if you need one.
Overall, I really enjoyed it — even on the lines I only half-understood. If you can catch an open-caption screening in theaters, jump on it!
Grade: B
About The Peetimes: Read a synopsis of first 3 minutes of this movie.
There are no extra scenes during, or after, the end credits of Hamlet.
| Rated: | (R) Suicide | Brief Drug Use | Some Bloody Violence | Language |
| Genres: | Drama |
| USA release date: | 2026-02-06 |
| Movie length: | |
| Starring: | |
| Director: | Aneil Karia |
| Writer(s): | Michael Lesslie |
| Language: | en |
| Country: | US |
Plot
Shakespeare’s most enduring tragedy is reimagined in a bold, modern adaptation set within London’s elite South Asian community. When Hamlet (Riz Ahmed) returns for his father’s funeral, he is stunned to discover his uncle Claudius is marrying his newly widowed mother. Visited by his father’s ghost, Hamlet learns his brutal murder was at the hands of Claudius – and spirals into a quest for vengeance that exposes the rot at the heart of the family’s empire and threatens his own sanity.