User reviews

I just saw the world premiere of Hedda at TIFF50. Hedda is very loose adaptation of the Ibsen play. Nia DaCosta takes Ibsen's themes and takes to new levels of feminism. She displays an assuredness in creating a new world for Hedda.

The overall aesthetic of Hedda is sumptuous and riotous. There is so much going on in every scene. The pacing varies from breakneck to brief respites of calm. Hedda ranges from the hilarious to the poignant. I'll be thinking about this film long after I finished seeing it. You can't ask more of any film.

As you may expect, the acting was superlative across the board. Hedda is a role made for Tessa Thompson. She embodies the fire and the grief inherent in this character. Nina Hoss inhabits her own role, embracing the messiness of Eileen.

I really hope that this film gets a theatrical run before it streams on Prime. Seeing the film on the big screen with an eager audience was absolutely the best way to view this film.

So glad I was able to get into a screening of Hedda at TIFF50. Set in an English Manor in the middle of the countryside in the 1950s, Dia DaCosta has crafted a cunningly wicked interpretation of Ibsen's Hedda Gabler that adds a razor-sharp edge. The stakes are delightfully high in this classic tale of jealousy. All of the actors fire on all cylinders, led by the unforgettable Tessa Thompson, who devours each scene she's in and leaves no prisoners. This adaptation slaps!

It's very predictable and formulaic, for a " Modernized" updated version with the queer spin, it's nothing more than just a spin, this movie could have been great but nothing really stood out, the soundtrack also so heavy handed, like they knew they needed to use it as a crutch and to manipulating the audience because none of the actors brought their A games, except for Nina Hoss.

The lighting is too muddy and the framing isn't great so it doesn't help either.

Hedda, a 2025 release starring Tessa Thompson, is a film that ultimately falls flat despite the talent involved. While Thompson has earned praise for bringing LGBTQ+ representation to her roles, this film leans so heavily on that aspect that it feels like it dominates the narrative rather than serving it. Audiences expecting a compelling story or engaging character work are likely to find themselves disconnected from the film's intentions.

The story itself is uninspired and struggles to maintain interest. The screenplay lacks depth, momentum, or emotional resonance, leaving the audience with little to invest in. Scenes drag without meaningful tension or development, and the dialogue feels flat and forced. Even Thompson's performance, which might have been the film's anchor, cannot fully salvage the lackluster material.

From a directorial standpoint, the film appears uncertain about its own identity. The director attempts to blend character exploration with broader narrative arcs but fails to establish cohesion. The pacing is erratic, and many scenes seem to exist without purpose, creating large gaps that disrupt the flow and engagement of the story.

Structurally, the film suffers from numerous plot holes and unresolved subplots. Characters behave inconsistently, and motivations are unclear, making it difficult for viewers to connect or empathize. The tension that a drama or character-driven film typically relies on is absent, leaving the audience detached throughout the experience.

Visually, the film does little to elevate the story. While technically competent, the cinematography and production design cannot compensate for the dull script and uneven performances. The film never creates a sense of atmosphere or immersion, which is crucial for drawing viewers into its world.

Overall, Hedda is a disappointing release that struggles on nearly every level. Despite Tessa Thompson's talent and presence, the film's poor storytelling, lack of focus, and weak screenplay result in an unengaging experience. It is not recommended, and it's unlikely to leave any lasting impression on viewers.

I know every Ibsen play and of course I know Hedda Gabler. I don't care that the film doesn't have the subtlety Ibsen had when he wrote one of his more important plays. What I'm more concerned about is that the film is a talkie in the best - or worst - sense? The dialogue pretends to be witty such as the leading actress is trying everything imaginable to create an awkward and strange character. But all this fails right in the beginning and is not getting any better. As annoying as all this is, so is the pretentious soundtrack. The film falls flat and is boring. Just that.

A total demolition of an Ibsen play, wrecked by a dreadful story and unconvincing acting. There's zero sense of escape or immersion, the kind of transport a period piece should deliver. Disbelief sets in from the first scene and never lets up. I've seen countless films win me over as they unfold, but this one never stood a chance.

I was genuinely excited for a bold reimagining, but like many modern "reinterpretations" of classics, this failed in every way. An extremely talented actress like Tessa Thompson is completely wasted, along with Imogen Poots in a minor role. This is perfectly on brand for Nia DaCosta, hyped as the next great filmmaker with no body of work to back it up.

I found this film so disappointing - so much potential was wasted on modernizing it.

With one of the finest pedigrees of directors and, especially, actresses playing the leading role, I was so excited for for this film. Ingmar Bergman once directed this play with Maggie Smith as the lead. Some of the best actresses of the last 100 years have played the title role, more modern adaptions with Ruth Wilson and Cate Blanchett.

I feel it's wasted on Tessa. I love her, especially in Westworld, but this iconic role on stage deserved someone with a fantastic pedigree and longer career would've been significantly better. As I mentioned, Ruth Wilson and Cate Blanchett have done productions as Hedda. Gillian Anderson spoke of wanting to play her. When I first read the play, I thought Anne Hathaway would have been great (like she was in Les Mis and Rachel Getting Married), though I think it may have been wasted on her at this point at her career during this production and release.

I hate that they changed the Elliott character to a female, Eileen. I think this modernization isn't effective, and distracts from this fantastic material.

I also hate the ending. Without giving it away, I hate that the ending was changed from its original source material. I always thought it was a beautiful, poetic, and stunning ending for a stage production, and was excited to see it on screen and how it'd be filmed/directed and interpreted. The play gives such a, for lack of better terms, point blank ending that is devastating, but satisfying in all the best ways. This film ruins that, changing it completely.

The film is beautiful, especially the costumes. And I feel like changing the setting/timeline to be all in one night is a fascinating change that works quite well. The supporting cast does well, but found Tessa as lead, as well as the modernizations the film takes liberties with from the play distracting. I honestly would've loved to see an older actress play the role, and feel it could've been a more established, potentially iconic actress that would've been riveting and exciting.

I know Tessa produced as well, but maybe this adaption was turned down by many actresses for the changes the film makes from the play?

Overall, I would say lovers of the play should skip this one. Maybe people not familiar with the source material will love it, like how people loved the most recent "A Star is Born", without seeing or knowing about its previous (vastly superior) adaptions.

3/10 1 out of 5 stars.

Can't recommend.

Hopefully there will be another production or another adaption soon - one that does justice to the play. However, I feel this film may discourage producers and directors from trying to make this magnificent play into another film. Highly unfortunate.

Every movement by every actor in this movie felt forced and amateur almost as if there had been no rehearsals. With all the glitz and glamour this movie could have been good, but seriously bad acting, poor lighting and a shaky frame turned this into a 15 minuted movie for me. So disappointing. Don't waste your time.

Hedda Gabler (Tessa Thompson) is throwing a party at her mansion. By the end of the night, someone is getting shot and she gets interrogated.

I don't know anything about the play. Director Nia DaCosta has done some good-looking functional work. This is a costume drama. It looks good. Tessa is solid. Nina Hoss is excellent. I wouldn't mind an Altman-like drama. I am distracted by the opening reveal of the shooting. I kept treating this like a murder mystery when I should be enjoying this as a chaotic one-night character drama.

There would be so much to say but it doesn't deserve so much attention, but unfortunately it certainly deserves the many negative votes it is receiving, the impression I had from the beginning that the protagonist was a sensitive human being while all the other characters were puppets who only served as a frame for the protagonist who consequently manages to do what she wants without any effort, so! Let me explain better, would you watch a Rugby match where out of 22 players only 1 is alive and sensitive while the others are all maniacs? Why would I watch a game like this where would the fun be? Because this is what we saw in this film, a person who does what he wants because the others are totally absent and without a minimum of intellect.

Absolutely awful. The lead actress who played Hedda. A poor choice with casting. The rest of the cast unremarkable. This adaption from the original play is shamefully amateur. I watched it all the way through. Like watching a train wreck. Do yourself a favor give yourself permission to stay clear of this stinker.

I enjoyed this quite a bit. But it seems it's a very polarizing movie.

I liked Hedda. She's got that subtle sexy femininity going for her, and a definite badass energy that works for this century, probably more than it did for hers. She's gorgeous, manipulative, ambitious, ruthless, probably empty. But we don't care about these things that much these days. They're not necessarily negative attributes. And after all she play's people's weaknesses to appease her own. It takes a while to understand what she's up to but it was delightful watching her. Tessa Thompson really makes her captivating and mysterious enough. She keeps us guessing to the very end. There's always something more to Hedda. She asserts her right to choose her fate and her story even when cornered.

I liked the debauchery of it. Of the house, the party, the decor, the insatiableness, the madness. Quite a feast visually.

How many bad movies do you have to make before you stop getting opportunities to ruin another one? Well, for Nia Decosta the ride is still open. It was not enough to make the worst Marvel movie of them all, it was not enough to destroy one of the most popular horror movies, she needs to destroy something that she does not understand like Ibsen. I don't know, but there are so much of talented directors who can't get a chance and someone with completely surgically removed talent is getting all the chances in the world. Miss.

Hedda (2025) is a drama movie based on Henril Ibsen's 1891 stage play Hedda Gabler written and directed by Nia DaCosta and it follows a woman who finds herself torn between the lingering ache of a past love and the quiet suffocation of her present life. This is a movie that I only watched because of the actors and filmmaker and I got to say that it was really good.

Positives for Hedda (2025): From a technical standpoint, this movie is amazing with the cinematography and editing as you can the person behind the camera is a master of this art form. The costume and set design looks fantastic and it feels like you're transported into a different era and time. The acting from the entire cast is awesome from Tessa Thompson, Imogen Poots, Tom Bateman, Nicholas Pinnock and Nina Hoss just to name a few. The pacing is really good and you get to spend time with these characters as they talk about stuff. You get these nice transitions into different acts of the movie that felt unique and it stood out. And finally, I like the epic atmosphere to this story even though it isn't an epic.

Mixed for Hedda (2025): This movie definitely feels like a stage play as you get scenes that you would see in a stage play and that could bother some people, but it didn't bother me too much even though I noticed it.

Negatives for Hedda (2025): While I did enjoy the movie, this isn't one that I will be in a hurry to rewatch anytime soon and it is one of those movies that I respect more for the acting and technical aspect than the story.

Overall, Hedda (2025) is a fantastic drama movie from a filmmaker who is on the rise to greatness with a cast I like and I can see fans of the play getting more enjoyment than I did.

Director Nia DaCosta returns to the stage writing and directing her own version of Henrik Ibsen's play, giving a modern and daring approach to the classic theatrical piece.

Starring Tessa Thompson, Tom Bateman, Nina Hoss and Imogen Poots, the story follows a general's daughter living in a house she hates, trapped in an unhappy marriage, while a former lover reappears in her life.

Hedda is a solid film that confirms Nia DaCosta as one of the best directors working today, showcasing her talent in delivering this intense, modern, and captivating adaptation. It's an interesting journey that rests primarily on the shoulders of an outstanding Tessa Thompson, who imbues Hedda with multiple layers, making her a character who is both captivating and cruel.

The cast is one of the film's greatest strengths. Not only does Thompson dazzle, but the German actress Nina Hoss captivates with her intensity, and the always impeccable Imogen Potts completes a trio of women who fascinate in every scene. The director deconstructs Ibsen's precise mechanism and opens up space for a series of striking moments. A sensual and ingenious reinterpretation of Ibsen's classic, it respects the great theatrical tradition while transforming it into vibrant and ecstatic cinema.

With meticulous and carefully designed staging, where every corner tells a story and every light highlights what we need to see, accompanied by Hildur Guðnadóttir's evocative music that sets the pace and intensity of the narrative offered by its director. A brilliant artistic work that transports us to the essence of melodrama, representing the repression that persists to this day.

A well-made film that leaves a good impression, even if it's not perfect and may not appeal to everyone. It's entertainment worth appreciating and enjoying, especially thanks to a nuanced protagonist who dazzles with every decision her brilliant mind makes. A sensual journey that captivates without reservation.

In conclusion...

MGM presents an intriguing offering from one of today's most promising directors, achieving something unique and authentic. It's a solid film, not perfect, but perhaps it doesn't need to be. Sensual, seductive, and captivating, "Hedda" is a work worth seeing and appreciating, even with its imperfections.

Nina Hoss, as Eileen Lovborg, has the best material in this adaptation, and she makes the most of it. The queer love triangle at the center of this film develops her character the most and in some ways is more intense than the original play's treatment of the male character "Ejlert Lovborg." Unfortunately other aspects of the adaptation are not as successful or convincing, but I hope that Hoss, as Eileen, is recognized for making the movie worth watching and talking about.........I should also point out that reimagining the action at an all-night party created a dramatic arc that was clever. And that many of the other actors were good but simply didn't have enough material to do their complex characters justice.

Watched> Friday, 24th October, 2025 @ The ARC Backlot Cinema, Blackpool. Rated 3.5 * * * Good to Very Good < Cert. Would be a 15 > Drama about the Rich Society, played out in this couple's wealthy mansion, as their lifestyle deteriorates in to the downward spiral of decadence. A Watchable Picture, that would suit some and not others. Well made and well acted, though I wouldn't rush out to watch it again. Official UK Release on Wednesday 29th October, 2025. (ps)

Give me anything with Tessa Thompson. In this bold adaptation of Henrik Ibsen's classic play, director Nia DaCosta reimagines Hedda Gabler in a vibrant 1950s British setting. Tessa Thompson delivers a captivating performance as the complex and manipulative Hedda, who marries for wealth but struggles against societal constraints and her own desires.

While some dialogue may feel overly stylized, the film's exploration of desire, power, and societal expectations makes for a compelling watch. The score by Hildur Guðnadóttir adds an intense layer, though it can sometimes overshadow the narrative. Overall, "Hedda" is a daring interpretation that leaves a lasting impression, showcasing the scars of ambition and the intricacies of identity.

I recently watched Hedda (2025) on Prime. The story takes place in England, where Hedda has recently married, moved into a new home, and appears to have the perfect life. She hosts a party to celebrate, inviting a former lover, a current lover, old classmates, and a past professional rival. As the night unfolds, Hedda attempts to manipulate each of them in different ways-threatening to unravel the very life she's celebrating.

This picture is directed by Nia DaCosta (The Marvels) and stars Tessa Thompson (Creed), Nina Hoss (Tár), Nicholas Pinnock (Captain America: The First Avenger), and Imogen Poots (Vivarium).

I wanted to like this movie more than I did. The cast is excellent and delivers strong performances. It's a compelling period piece-the estate, costumes, makeup, hairstyles, and settings are all beautiful and very well shot. The dialogue is sharp and witty. However, the storyline and its twists weren't as engaging as I had hoped. I didn't connect with any of the relationships, and many of the characters felt more irritating than intriguing. Much of the film plays like a collection of "rich people problems," the kind that barely qualify as problems at all but are inflated because the characters have little else to occupy them.

In conclusion, Hedda is an average-to-above-average period piece with solid performances and strong production elements. I would score it a 6/10.

The entire thing seemed aimless and poorly structured, the acting was all over the place and made the characters difficult to read. Everything happened at random it was absolutely impossible to stay interested in what the end result would be. I was originally intrigued to see Tessa Thompson's performance but I very quickly stopped caring about the fate of any of the characters including Hedda.

Nia DaCosta has established herself as one of the most promising directors of the new generation, and Hedda reinforces this impression. The film is a reinterpretation of Henrik Ibsen's classic play Hedda Gabler, published in 1891, now revisited with a modern and thought-provoking perspective. With Tessa Thompson in the lead role, accompanied by Nina Hoss and Nicholas Pinnock, DaCosta presents a story about power, desire, and manipulation, led by a complex protagonist who is caught between social conventions and her own ambitions.

Still, Nia DaCosta's talent and courage are undeniable. Adapting a 19th-century play and transforming it into a contemporary narrative is a risky challenge, and she does so without losing the essence of the story. Her direction is confident, her aesthetic vision is striking, and her ability to explore the inner lives of her characters is what brings Hedda to life. Even if the script does not maintain the same level of strength from beginning to end, there is evident care in every detail-from the construction of the space to the way the characters' gazes meet.

Ultimately, Hedda is a film about imprisonment. Not only that of a woman trapped in an unhappy marriage, but also that of someone who tries to control the world around her and ends up being a victim of herself. DaCosta delivers a thought-provoking work, albeit an imperfect one. It is a film that starts strong, loses steam in the middle, but ends in a striking way. What remains is the image of a woman in conflict, a director coming into her own, and an actress in full command of her craft.

In Hedda, Nia DaCosta reaffirms her authorial voice and her view of female power - in all its beauty, contradiction, and destruction. Even without achieving complete balance, the film makes it clear that the director still has a lot to say. And if the path between the beginning and the end is uneven, what exists between these extremes is, above all, human.

Reinterpreting a classic work of art - no matter what medium it might initially be grounded in - can be a tricky task. This is true when jumping from one milieu to another, such as stage to screen, as well when altering the nature or elements of the work, such as its setting, time frame and characters. And, if more than one of these qualities undergoes transformation simultaneously, the metamorphosis can become considerably challenging, if not problematic. Such is the task undertaken by writer-director Nia DaCosta in this reimagining of the time-honored stage play Hedda Gabler by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. When Ibsen penned this work in 1890, it represented a continuation of his examination of strong-willed women, an undertaking that some contend ironically made him a pioneer of feminist thinking. That initiative began with A Doll's House in 1879, a play in which he chronicled the life of a subservient wife and mother who courageously rose up to challenge her controlling husband. In Gabler, however, Ibsen wrote about a darker figure, an ambitious, manipulative trophy wife who sought a life of wealth and comfort and willfully did whatever it took to achieve it, no matter how questionable or menacing. In this current adaptation, the filmmaker advances themes launched in Ibsen's original production but with some adjustments to make it more contemporary - and more sinister. For starters, this version is set in the 1950s rather than the late 19th Century, complete with technology, musical styles and other aspects of everyday life that weren't in existence in Ibsen's time. Hedda (Tessa Thompson) has changed somewhat, too; she's still the insincere, conniving schemer she was in the original, though she's now Black, bisexual and more compellingly driven than ever. As before, she's married to an adoring but somewhat dull, overly cerebral university academic, George (Tom Bateman), who's bucking for a professorship that will compensate him handsomely, enabling him to dotingly support his beloved in the lap of luxury she craves, an effort she doesn't always appreciate. However, George's hopes for being promoted aren't guaranteed given the challenge posed by a rival peer, Eileen (Nina Hoss), who recently wrote a successful, high-profile best seller - and who also just happens to be Hedda's former romantic interest. These story threads all come together at a lavish soiree hosted by George and Hedda to help bolster his chances for promotion. And the evening initially seems to proceed well until Eileen makes an appearance, along with her literary collaborator and fawning would-be lover, Thea (Imogen Poots), a certified milquetoast who just happens to be a childhood friend of Hedda. As the party unfolds, Hedda deftly spins her little schemes to turn events to her favor but with consequences that turn out to be even more unexpected than she had anticipated. This web of intrigue is set against an uninhibited backdrop that echoes the unbridled celebratory self-indulgence seen in movies like "The Great Gatsby" (2013) and "Babylon," with dashes of "Eyes Wide Shut" (1999) thrown in for erotic good measure. In many ways, though, the narrative largely plays like a catty, vengeful, quasi-campy 1980s prime time soap (albeit one that, fortunately, manages to improve as it progresses into its later chapters). However, despite the film's efforts to convey a meaningful message about the virtues of pursuing what truly matters most in life, the story nevertheless becomes bogged down by deplorable characters who possess few, if any, redeeming qualities. In addition, most of the filmmaker's tweaks from Ibsen's original may be provocative in nature but are ultimately mostly cosmetic in terms of their contributions. Perhaps the most significant saving grace here are the performances, particularly among supporting cast members like Hoss and Poots. As for Thompson, though, as valiantly as she tries to capture the essence of one of the most demanding female roles in all of acting, she doesn't quite give Hedda the due that her character calls for, making it often appear as though the actress is struggling to tackle a portrayal that's still beyond her grasp. And that sentiment, for what it's worth, sums up how I see this offering overall - a commendable attempt at imbuing a true classic with a new vision on, one definitely worthy of applause but not the acclaim it so earnestly seems to seek.

Hedda is lush & full of life & decadence. Tessa Thompson plays Hedda full of emotion, and underneath it all is a calculating intelligence that drives the story as an old flame & her partner surfaces.

Yes, there are lesbians. Boo! There are boring conservatives and liberals, or should I say bohemians, smashing the status quo. But all of this is icing while the meat is the machinations of Hedda and others. At its core is humanity, intelligence, striving, envy, masks worn, cutting words that hatch schemes that plays out.

Nia DaCosta is a great film maker. Her first film, Little Woods, was intimate with cinematography & sound. This film's cinematography captures the beautiful house and surroundings while the framing of central characters enhances the film without any sense of it being staged. The voice/mixing is good as speech is easy to make out, unlike any Christopher Nolan film.

For me, the music for this film is so good. As the camera pans to another part of the house, music sets up the drama for the coming scene. All of the movie elements (scenes, lighting, customes, acting, cinematography & music) drive the cohesiveness of this film. Of course, all films should do this, but this film excels. Bravo. Well done!