Chloe Zhao, the Oscar-winning director of Nomadland, took four years between helming Eternals for Marvel before returning with Hamnet. Zhao was always an odd fit for a Marvel movie, and when the box office, critics, and fans didn’t respond to Eternals, Zhao was faced with the first genuine disappointment of her career.
Hamnet is not a return to basics; it’s an evolutionary step forward that would feel perfectly natural if this were the film that followed Nomadland. Because it’s her first picture after Eternals, Hamnet also plays like a roaring comeback.
Based on the 2020 novel of the same name by Maggie O’Farrell, Hamnet is a fictionalized telling of the death of William and Anne (called Agnes in the film), Shakespeare’s only son. A death that inspires the playwright to create his most famous work, Hamlet.
The early portion of the film plays like a sweet romantic drama, with no small amount of humor. The two have a “meet cute” while Agnes (Jessie Buckley) is flying her hawk. Will (Paul Mescal) takes an interest in the lady’s flying friend, but it’s she who draws him near the bird.
Will is awkward in his efforts to court Agnes. He only perks up when telling a story. At one point, we see him walk in circles, frustrated about what to say to this woman who has caught his eye. He saves himself by recounting the Greek legend of Orpheus, and in that moment, he comes alive.
The film is stunning to look at. Cinematographer Lukasz Zal has shot Zhao’s most beautiful film. The fields of England are so lush and green that they appear almost tropical, and the red of Agnes’ dress looks like it was dipped in the deepest of burgundy wine.
There is a shot of Agnes from above, as if the camera is being held by an initially curious but ultimately indifferent god. It is one of the early moments of foreshadowing of darker times to come. So is a deep, dark hole on Will and Agnes’ land that the scribe looks at pensively. And then there is a flood that pushes water under a doorway as if it were blood poured from an inkwell.
Childbirth was a remarkably grave endeavor in the 16th century. More than a quarter of all children died before their first birthday, and nearly 40% died before reaching adulthood. One in forty women died giving birth. Will and Agnes have three children—first two daughters, and then a boy, whom they name Hamnet. We are told at the beginning of the film that Hamnet and Hamlet were interchangeable names in the 16th century.
Agnes’ mother died young, and has left her with no use for god. When Will’s mother, Mary (Emily Watson), attempts to comfort Agnes with the promise of heaven, Agnes harshly responds, “I shall go to your church, but I shall not say a word.” Her lack of faith leaves her no crutch to lean on when the worst comes, and come it will.
When their daughter Judith takes ill with pestilence while Will is in London, away from their Stratford home, Hamnet frets beyond measure. As Will is making his return on horseback, Hamnet lies with his sister. Fearing death will come for her, he pulls her tight and tells Judith that death could make a mistake, and not be able to tell her from him. He is a boy trying to breathe life into a girl. Death does not come for Judith. When Will arrives home, he takes relief in Judith’s condition, but that happy moment is short-lived. “What is given may be taken at any time,” Mary says.
Zhao’s film is a staggering tale of grief. When her son dies, Agnes lets out a primal wail that is almost intolerable to witness. Worse yet is the denial that immediately follows. There is also a moment when young Hamnet exists in the in-between that I will not soon forget. The boy is scared and confused. He wants to go home, but there is no way back for him.
Agnes and Will are not united in sorrow. Will is understanding and gracious towards his wife, but she resents his absence and his ability to escape into his own head with his stories.
Hamnet depicts the savage loneliness at the heart of loss. There is one scene where Will wrestles Agnes to the ground as if he were able to hold her close enough that he could squeeze out her pain. He cannot. How does one survive such a loss? When you can accept no comfort, how can you give? These are just two painful questions the film asks. Hamnet is not merely about the stages of grief; it is about the miserable intricacies in between the stages.
Will copes by pouring his grief into a new play called Hamlet. He is a stern taskmaster during the rehearsal. “You are just mouthing the words,” he shouts at his lead. When the play opens, Will is the ghost. Agnes learns of Will’s new play through a woman in their neighborhood. She attends the play and moves so close that her arm rests on the stage. She is discovering her husband’s new work along with the audience.
As the play progresses, there is an open question as to whether Agnes will hold onto her sanity. To watch the conflicting emotions wash over Buckley’s face is to gaze upon an actor who is not acting. At least not in any conventional sense that I am familiar with. Buckley gives a bold turn that is barren of affectation. She is so raw that it is hard to look at her, yet impossible to turn away. This is a towering performance that, in a world of reason, would eliminate the necessity for four other names to be listed in Buckley’s category on Oscar night. I would dare say that if you drop Buckley in almost any other year, that would still be true.
As the play nears its fateful conclusion, Agnes removes her arm from the stage. I will not spoil what comes next. I couldn’t do it if I wanted to. I lack the words. Suffice it to say that while I was very moved throughout the film, I thought I was holding up fine. Then it happened, and I was no longer fine. I have never had such an experience in a theater. The mixture of gasps and sobs created an almost unnatural environment. As I left the theater, wiping my eyes, I noticed that my hands were shaking. I was not cold. I was not sick. I was not scared. I was overwhelmed.
Hamnet is the best film of the year.
Hamnet screened on 10/26/2025 at the Virginia Film Festival. The film opens in limited release on November 27, 2025, and expands into wide release on December 12, 2025.
