Hamnet (2025) Film Review: A deeply moving portrait of grief and mortality

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Hamnet (2025) tells the story of a 16th-century family grappling with grief following the tragic death of their eleven-year-old son, Hamnet (Jacobi Jupe), to plague, which inspired the classic play, Hamlet.

Based on the 2020 novel by Maggie O'Farrell, who co-wrote the screenplay, the film is directed and written by Oscar-winning filmmaker Chloé Zhao (Nomadland, 2020; Eternals, 2021).

The movie stars Irish-born actors Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley as William Shakespeare and Agnes Hathaway, respectively, with supporting roles from Emily Watson and Noah Jupe.

Fittingly, Noah, the real-life older brother of young Jacobi, plays the stage play version of Hamnet.

January is typically known as a misfire month for movies, with studios releasing lesser quality pictures which could not make the December slot; however, this year, cinema-goers may be pleasantly surprised by its offerings.

Hamnet is, quite simply, an outstanding piece of filmmaking to welcome us into 2026, and certainly raises the bar high for upcoming releases to aspire to.

The Shakespeares, consisting of William, Agnes and their three children, Susanna (Bodhi Rae Breathnach), Hamnet and Judith (Olivia Lynes), are depicted as a loving, openly affectionate family

A beautiful, life-affirming experience, this is arguably Chloé Zhao's most impressive achievement to date, exploring how creative individuals channel their immense emotions like love and bereavement into an artistic form. Revelling in the simplistic nature of the narrative, Zhao directs with a thoughtful, inquisitive lens, allowing scenes plenty of breathing space and quiet contemplation.

Despite being a piece of speculative fiction which dramatises the marriage and family life of William Shakespeare, the film's remarkable attention to detail in its recreation of the period setting, speech, costumes, and general way of life feels admirably authentic and completely convincing.

This is a gorgeous-looking movie which exhibits a certain tactile, visceral quality to its locations and sets, resulting in what feels like a real, lived-in world. There is a large focus on the transcendent, tranquil quality of being surrounded by nature, which is a particularly significant part of Agnes' identity, who grew up in the forest.

This engagement with nature also includes many visual motifs related to the movie's core themes of the fragility of mortality, with recurring imagery of a dark tunnel at the base of a tree symbolising the foreboding death of Hamnet, which greatly emphasises the tragedy of the story.

The film establishes this engrossing, all-around sensational experience from the very beginning, allowing Max Richter's delicate score, Maximillian Behrens' unobtrusive sound design and Łukasz Żal's inviting visuals to guide its meditative mood and emotive tone.

The slow-burn first act, which presents Will and Agnes meeting for the first time, falling in love (much to the disapproval of their families) and conceiving their first child, allows audiences to become well acquainted with the historic setting.

The film features real-life siblings Noah and Jacobi Jupe playing different versions of Hamnet; the latter particularly impresses with his believable naturalism and ease in front of the camera

Zhao's inspired choice to place Shakespeare's wife, Agnes, in the spotlight certainly makes for a fresh interpretation of events. The wonderful Jessie Buckley is extraordinary in this role, giving a truly Oscar-worthy performance which has the power to render any viewer speechless with the sheer haunting rawness of her talent.

This spectacularly stirring leading performance is absolutely gut-wrenching. The unimaginable grief following the loss of a child, especially one so innocently angelic like the little blonde Hamnet, is captured in all of its harrowing agony and spiritual suffocation.

The sequence in which the child eventually succumbs to illness in his mother's arms is a truly stunning moment which cannot be overstated. It is a genuinely jaw-dropping scene as the frantic intensity reaches its breaking point, with the haunting silence and then heartbreaking scream of pain from Buckley, which soon follows, lingering in the memory long after the film finishes.

Praise must also be bestowed on Jacobi Jupe, a young star in the making just like his older brother. He handles every scene like a pro, effortlessly conveying a childlike innocence and purity where one easily feels and misses his absence when he is gone. All of the child actors give impressive performances with their natural ability to convey difficult emotions.

Paul Mescal is reliably fantastic; however, his role does take a backseat in favour of Buckley, and he does disappear into the background on occasion. However, he was awarded a couple of scenes to really showcase his emotional vulnerability and raw grief once he discovers his son's passing, inspiring him to process these feelings through writing his play.

The film also examines the cathartic experience of healing from huge loss, as demonstrated through its final set piece of Hamlet being performed to a live audience and Agnes discovering her husband's masterpiece for the first time.

Jesse Buckley's starring performance as Agnes Shakespeare, a grieving mother, has received widespread critical acclaim and is, in this critic's humble opinion, truly one for the ages

This is an incredibly touching, tear-jerking way to end the movie and provides some much-needed therapy for the Shakespeare family as well as viewers, offering some light in the heavy despair which is still fresh in everyone's minds.

One does not need to have been exposed to the play to be emotionally invested in the story, although it may be more beneficial for those who have and can fully understand the Shakespearean dialogue used.

All in all, Hamnet provides audiences with an absorbing, profound cinematic experience which is equally as devastating as it is rewarding. Zhao's tender direction enhances this intimate, character-driven drama piece, which is rich in universally relatable human experiences of love and loss, life and death.

Led by an astonishing, nuanced performance from Jesse Buckley and featuring captivating supporting roles all around, whilst exhibiting an immersive look and feel for its period setting, Hamnet is a pure masterpiece of cinematic storytelling which is definitely one not to be missed.

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Check out the trailer for Hamnet (2025) below, and please let me know your thoughts in the comments!