Well, I definitely did cry.

Agnes is considered to be the daughter of a witch to everyone except William. Will’s unorthodox personality and desire to write makes the two of them instantly connect. The joys of family and creation are theirs. But are these strong enough to weather the worst of tragedies?

Hamnet is based off of the historical fiction novel of the same title by Maggie O’Farrell. It is rooted in theories about playwright William Shakespeare’s personal life and early career, the real life tragedy that befell him and how it may have influenced him. The movie adaptation is directed by Chloé Zhao (Academy Award winner for Nomadland, and we don’t talk about Eternals) and stars Jessie Buckley (Wicked Little Letters) and Paul Mescal (Gladiator 2) and Emily Watson. Everyone is on their A-game. This Steven Spielberg / Sam Mendes production released December 2025 in the US, and January 2026 in the UK.

I could probably say that the only negative is the minute fact that this story is only based on “theory,” and not truth. But considering its impactful result, it is extremely easy to respond: “Who cares?”

The story follows Agnes (old English the same as Anne) who would rather be alone with nature and a pet hawk than becoming a wife. While this frustrates her family, she catches the eye of a neighbour’s hired tutor, William. William is also tired of the crushing pressure of his family, and the two are quickly in love. The story unfolds through their lives as they build up their family, with the joy and struggles that that brings.

It is quite difficult to talk about a movie that does practically everything right. Even as someone who did not study Shakespeare (and has only seen the 1996 movie Hamlet) Hamnet was still immensely captivating. While it could be condensed down to “the Shakespeare movie”, this story is about Agnes (played by Buckley) and it is surprisingly mystical.
For me, this was a blessing. Early doors we learn about Agnes’s upbringing with her mother. The two sharing a bond with nature, herbal remedies, and even foreseeing the future. Couple that with William’s initial “chat-up line” being the story of Orpheus and Eurydice. Already the mystical tone is overwhelming the period-drama nature of this story.
Director Chloé Zhao knows how to keep the camera steady; to linger on moments and allow the audience to settle in. It is a moody, surprisingly dark, tale.

It certainly isn’t just a romantic period-drama. In fact, I would say that description does it disservice. Like the play of the same name, this is a tragedy. If you don’t cry during this film, I’m not sure that you are human. With the setting, comes a contemporary pain – the plague backdrop hits close to home since the Covid pandemic. However, the story isn’t simply about life and death, it speaks about indomitable spirit and the creative heart. From what seems to be weakness, comes overwhelming strength. Agnes might well be the main character here, but when Shakespeare’s titanic work emerges, it is an emotional freight train. Barrelling through the audience.

This is all captured affectionately from the performances. Jessie Buckley gives a raw and emotional performance, while Mescal delivers a quiet, awkward, yet impassioned version of the playwright. Their wider family, too, are very well realized. Making for some excellent chemistry between them. We have three main child actors, and they are all very good. The soft interplays between child and parent are rendered affectionately here.

I wasn’t sure about going to see Hamnet; with my lack of Shakespeare knowledge. But the film soared above my expectations and affected me deeply.

Additional Marshmallows: I’d like to thank 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple for being so uninteresting to me that I saw this instead.