Hamnet

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.

Days ago at a film screening hosted by the Asia Society, I met a veteran Hollywood producer and Oscar voter. She excitedly brought up Chloé Zhao's new film Hamnet, asserting with confidence that it will walk away with two to four major Awards next year.

Almost at the same time, I saw my friend, educator Dr. Baiyan Yang, praising the film on social media: "This not only proves Zhao's artistic mastery and humanistic depth, but also stands among the most emotionally powerful works of our time."

With such "preloaded" expectations, I began to look into the details. Indeed, the film is scheduled for a limited U. S. release on November 27, while its Telluride Film Festival premiere has already set critics abuzz: a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, a stellar 95 on Metacritic. The Playlist even declared it "another masterpiece from Zhao."

Adapted from Maggie O'Farrell's acclaimed novel, Hamnet diverges from works that traditionally focus on Shakespeare's career, choosing instead to center on his wife Agnes (Jessie Buckley) and their young son who died prematurely. It portrays a family torn apart by plague yet striving for renewal. Zhao's documentary-like aesthetic and use of natural light make 16th-century rural England almost tangible-you can feel the dew on Agnes's fingertips and hear the sound of her breaking heart. The climax is especially moving: when she watches "Hamlet" performed at The Globe, the name of her lost child overlaps with the title character, and art fuses with life in a moment of profound poignancy.

Reports from the premiere noted many audience members were in tears. Critics called it "the most devastating film in years," emphasizing that it not only depicts a family tragedy but also reframes the emotional roots of Shakespeare's Hamlet. Performances by Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal have been hailed as career-defining turns.

What intrigued me further was Zhao's own comment earlier this year. Reflecting on her Marvel experience with Eternals, she said it gave her insights into world-building, but Hamnet brought her back to the intimacy of contained storytelling: "When resources are limited, everything becomes more meaningful." That line has stayed with me.

From the heights of Nomadland, through the divisive reception of Eternals, and now to the triumphant acclaim of Hamnet, Zhao's work has always carried her signature: an empathy for outsiders, a reverence for nature and humanity, and a gift for transforming individual grief into universal emotion. In an era saturated with superhero blockbusters, a film with this kind of literary depth and emotional resonance feels like a breath of fresh air.

Personally, I am deeply looking forward to its official release in November. Hamnet is poised not only to be a heavyweight contender in awards season, but also to show us a director returning to her roots with greater maturity after navigating both commercial spectacle and intimate art. Perhaps this is what cinema ultimately exists for-to find rebirth in the fragile balance between love and loss.

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.

This movie is about remembrance, dedication, love.

I came in knowing almost nothing and only fully realized this was about Shakespeare near the very end of the movie. In a sense, I wish I knew more about Shakespeare's history and the story of hamlet. However, I feel coming in with nothing actually added more to the film and its emotion; not fully understanding what was happening till the very end made it so much stronger going into that last march. To be honest I wasn't fully convinced with the first half of the film, but the last part brought it all back making everything make sense again.

The introduction of the theater is crucial to prepare the audience for the scene that's about to unfold. The camera and angles from the beginning of the theater scene builds the suspense: the feeling of who Will has become, and the meaning of this play combined with the tension between them two.

The acting is also incredible with paul and jacobi's performances truly making the movie - raw, authentic, and full of emotion. Particularly Paul's "again" scene. It might be worth an award.

The costume design is well thought out and the blonde hair paint and blue costume really stands out. The attention to detail with the ghost's white clay...

The final scene of the crowd reaching out and Hamnet turning away was the most heart wrenching and beautiful of the film and did bring me to tears.

What a beautiful movie from Chloé Zhao. The film follows the life of a regular family in a past era, focusing on their relationships and how they deal with life's challenges. It's about love, loss, and family bonds, but it doesn't hit you over the head with drama. Things unfold slowly and quietly - small gestures, looks, and silences speak just as much as words. The English countryside almost feels alive, quietly watching over the family, and the story shows that human emotions - grief, care, hope - are timeless, even across centuries.

It's admirable that Chloé Zhao had the courage and insight to write and direct this almost Shakespearian story. William and Agnes bring twin children into the world, and the loss of one puts them in an incredibly tragic situation. Yet they have to find a way to keep going - as much as humans can - despite the pain.

Hamnet captures both darkness and grace in one of the most unapologetically raw and profoundly moving films I've seen this year. It features career-best performances from both Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal, and it stands as Chloé Zhao's most accomplished work.

For me, it was a deeply emotional experience. The film doesn't scream its drama; it hints at it through tiny gestures, lingering looks, quiet moments, and family intimacy. You feel the characters' sorrow, hope, and concern - almost like you're living those moments alongside them. It's not an explosive movie; it moves you subtly and persistently, making you empathize with their loss and their struggle to carry on.