Hamnet

Hamnet is my favorite movie of the year. What a beautiful script. This movie is a tearjerker. It's the most emotional I've been watching a movie in years. The performances from Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal are some of the best performances this decade. It also includes some of the best child acting I've ever seen. A film about love and loss that hits all the right notes perfectly. It even manages to have some really funny moments as well. The cinematography is beautiful, the editing is smooth, and the score is phenomenal. Chloe Zhao knocked it out of the park directing. It's definitely her best movie. No notes. 10/10.

Watched at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival.

A beautiful, emotional, and raw tale about the tale of loss, romance, bonds, family, and the surroundings world of the Shakespeare family. I'm so happy Chloe Zhao is back to her roots as her direction on the atmosphere, writing, characters and tone is absolutely remarkable. On exploring the characters, their conflicts and movements, and emotions, within the gorgeous production designs, beautiful camerawork, sound designs and strong powerful direction on the themes and tone was balanced, creative and excellent. Zhao works well on exploring on the normal individuals lives revolving around social class, community and lives. While unlike focusing on the modern era, still, Zhao's approach with the classic era still remains powerful and effective.

The characters were interesting as observing the lives of a couple dealing with their problems, their goals, and the emotions gathering between is pretty good. Especially the performances as Paul Mescal, Jessie Buckley and the rest of the cast were fantastic. I'm so happy to see Buckley receiving more recognition as she is very talented and deserves it.

The dialogue is pretty good, the musical score is great, and the writing, although admittedly, certain writing concepts didn't fully work at some points, was engaging, interesting and offered some pretty great themes to explore. Coming out from my screening, I'd overheard some calling this Oscar Bait and I disagree, Oscar Bait movies are much more forced, pretentious and those trying so hard to be so grand and excellent. Hamnet doesn't feel forced, it feels genuine, raw, realistic and at times, a good neo-realism.

Overall, I'm happy for Zhao to be back in her roots for what she is very good with. Definitely one of the best movies from the festival so far.

I love nothing more than a good movie cry. I was excited all day to go see this movie and have a good movie cry. Alas my eyes have never been dryer. Overwrought and self important to the point of self-parody. At some hyper-dramatic moments I did hear some laughter in the theater, so I wasn't alone, but my wife sobbed her eyes out pretty much beginning to end, so maybe I went in with too much expectation. Also I am a rabid fan of Chloe Zhao and could feel little of her extraordinarily unique voice in this movie - she seems to have been subsumed into the Spielberg/Mendes brainwave. Kudos all around to the craft -- design, music, wardrobe, lighting.

I enjoy these prequels where the novelists pretend they get into mindset of long dead authors and playwrights to figure out what inspired their masterworks. It looks suitably heartbreaking, and very realistic hygiene-wise; I like when you feel like you can smell the stank crevices of characters in pre-industrial dramas, unlike say the upcoming "Wuthering Heights" which looks cut together from leftover close-ups of Margot Robbie from her 2014 Tarzan and various Gucci commercials. Hopefully King Beer clarifies Will's greatest masterpiece. Brought to you by Irish Spring!

There's this 16th century guy named Will. He lives on a farm in England. Will meets a girl, knocks her up, they marry, and build a happy family. Will travels for work. Then the unthinkable happens.

The first half plays like Malick with steadier pacing, light and texture, before shifting into something heavier. That's when Will becomes Shakespeare.

Artists across eras reflect the best and worst of humanity. The rest of us may lack their tools of expression, but we're all shaped by tragedy.

You don't need to love Shakespeare or theatre to feel the power of art, how it helps creators wrestle with pain and how it helps audiences recognize one another.

It's that connection that makes us human.