By Lorelai Getman
*This Article Contains Spoilers*
The newest film by Chloé Zhao, Hamnet, explores grief, legacy, and the fragile threads that hold a family together, set against the backdrop of Shakespeare’s England, where his sonnets, comedies, and tragedies are woven into the narrative. As the film rethinks Shakespeare's life, it brings an intimate feel to the story. Instead of focusing on his literary genius, the film centers on the loss of his child and the family's grief. This gritty film is based on the idea that Hamlet was inspired by Shakespeare's son, Hamnet.
The film is an adaptation of the homonymous book by Maggie O’Farrell. The collaboration between O’Farrell and Zhao further blends lyrical prose and contemplative filmmaking to create a world that feels mythic yet grounded. The film was produced and backed by Steven Spielberg (Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones) and Sam Mendes (American Beauty, 1917, Skyfall). Hamnet is visually immersive; the film's use of lingering, slow, wide shots and claustrophobic close-ups is thanks to Polish cinematographer Łukasz Żal, best known for his work on Loving Vincent (2017) and I’m Thinking of Ending Things (2020).
The sound design by Maximilian Behrens also deepens this immersion, enveloping the audience in the film. The smallest brushstrokes of grass rustling in the wind, the creaking of wood, and the silence in heartfelt, intimate moments. The silence is then broken by sounds of anguish, fear, or tenderness. These contrasts further heighten the emotional stakes, in turn, cementing the harsh weight within the characters.
The sound design by Maximilian Behrens also deepens this immersion, enveloping the audience in the film. The smallest brushstrokes of grass rustling in the wind, the creaking of wood, and the silence in heartfelt, intimate moments. The silence is then broken by sounds of anguish, fear, or tenderness. These contrasts further heighten the emotional stakes, in turn, cementing the harsh weight within the characters.
The Shakespeare family, which includes William, his wife Agnes Hathaway, and their three children, is at the center of the movie. Each performer brings raw emotion into their performances. Paul Mescal is a frustrated, yet hopeful, artist who feels both the joys and the anguish of life as he navigates the ambitions of his art and the responsibilities of fatherhood and marriage. This is further evident as we watch Jessie Buckley as Agnes Hathaway, who seems to be the film's gravitational force, leading the audience's emotional reactions. Agnes goes from a feisty, free-spirited young woman to a protective, loving mother who will do anything for her children. Agnes drives the perspective and emotions; the audience sees the world through her eyes, from the opening shot of Agnes lying down, with her being the focal point of the scene. As the film progresses, the couple grounds it with their chemistry, allowing us to see both their joys and fractures.
After watching such deeply moving performances not just from Buckley and Mescal, but also from the young actors and actresses. The young actresses featured are Bodhi Rae Breathnach, who plays Hamnet’s eldest sister, Susanna, alongside Olivia Lynes, who is Judith, Hamnet’s twin. The actor playing the character Hament, Jacobi Jupe, delivers a contrast between childlike joy and wonder, and devastating vulnerability. Hamnet’s presence within the story lingers both physically and emotionally, as in the final scene, his tragedy is presented to the whole of the Globe Theater. By the end of the film, Zhao has crafted not just a historical drama, but also a reflection on how art emerges from the deepest human experiences. Hamnet becomes a story about the ways love and loss shape the stories we tell.
