Film Review: HAMNET (2025): Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal Are Brilliant in Conveying On-Screen Sorrow in a Moving Drama
Hamnet Review
Hamnet (2025) Film Review, a movie directed by Chloé Zhao, written by Maggie O’Farrell and Chloé Zhao and starring Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal, Joe Alwyn, Justine Mitchell, Emily Watson, Jacobi Jupe, Noah Jupe, Olivia Lynes, David Wilmot, Freya Hannan-Mills, Dainton Anderson, Louisa Harland, Eiliot Baxter, Faith Delaney, Smylie Bradwell, Laura Guest and John Mackay.
Filmmaker Chloé Zhao has crafted an emotionally charged portrait of coping with, arguably, the greatest loss of all with the powerful and compelling movie, Hamnet. This film is driven by two lead performances that captivate from the moment the performers appear on-screen all the way until the conclusion of the picture. Jessie Buckley (Women Talking) portrays Agnes, the love of William Shakespeare’s life. Shakespeare is portrayed by the versatile Paul Mescal (Aftersun). Opening with a bout of steamy sex between the leads and closing with the performance of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the movie traces the idea of passion overcoming all obstacles to fulfill our human desires for companionship and emotional satisfaction. This movie doesn’t let go of the viewer and is all the stronger a film thanks to that fact.
At the outset, we meet Agnes who finds in Will another lost soul who has the confidence to pursue his attraction towards her which leads to their romantic bout of lovemaking on the table. When Agnes becomes pregnant, she must re-locate and Shakespeare gets a mouthful from his own loved ones regarding the fact that Agnes is “with child.” When their son, Hamnet (played by Jacobi Jupe in a determined and skillful piece of acting), is eventually born (he’s not the first child the couple have together), he is a fearless and passionate boy who has goodness embedded in his heart. Hamnet’s sister, Judith (Olivia Lynes), becomes sick and it seems she’s being led by fate to a near-certain death. Hamnet lays beside her and wishes that his life would be taken in order for hers to be spared. Hamnet’s love for his family and his sister, in particular, shines through brighter than a star.
Emily Watson plays Agnes’s mother-in-law, Mary, and the actress once again proves that she is perfect in a film like this one with her expressive eyes and formidable screen presence. This film has a fine supporting cast that also includes Joe Alwyn as the character, Bartholomew, who is Agnes’s brother. However, the movie mainly focuses on the life William Shakespeare could have had if he did not leave his wife and children to pursue his dream of writing and working in theater versus the life he actually lived. Oftentimes, Agnes finds herself alone and dealing with her children while Shakespeare is not around which makes for vivid drama within the picture. Agnes copes with William Shakespeare’s departure from her life while she raises the kids because she knows William would go mad if he didn’t do what he loves. In fact, an early scene shows him reacting hostile to a boss who mistreats and abuses him.
In Hamnet, the build-up is all towards the performance of the play, Hamlet, where the actor who portrays the famed character, is Noah Jupe. Agnes can only be set free from the emotional tragedy she endures by the inspired fiction that William creates on-stage. That fiction comes from a place that is deep within William’s heart and Jupe’s performance as Hamlet is nothing short of perfect. Jupe recites the “To Be or Not to Be” speech on stage in a way that seems to have profound meaning to both William and Agnes. How does one “be” after the death of a child when it’s easier “not to be?” Due to the devastating effects of losing a child, the only way to cope effectively is through artistic endeavors where we can live through characters who may seem fictional on the surface, but have deep meaning to both the playwright, himself, and Agnes.
Buckley’s performance is nothing short of miraculous. Agnes is a fierce and determined woman who loves her romantic partner so much that she’d sacrifice it all so he could be happy just as much as she would most likely lay down her life for any of her children. Buckley’s relentless and determined character is sure to earn the actress a nomination for Best Actress from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Mescal has never been better as a man torn by grief who can only respond through his art. Mescal can get deep inside this character and with his incredible range and solemn intensity as an actor, the role is all the more authentic. Jacobi Jupe also brings Hamnet to the screen with such dignity and compassion that the audience will be quite moved by the young actor’s heartfelt work.
Hamnet is ultimately a devastating tale of hope and reawakening. It shows how life must go on and how we must preserve the memory of those who are lost before we depart this Earth ourselves. Chloé Zhao employs the use of excellent art direction and cinematography that makes the movie feel not only larger than life, but Zhao’s intimate portrayal also shows how its emotionally sound characters suffer through tragedy only to bounce back through the power of storytelling. Hamnet is a great film that will pierce the viewer’s heart, destroy it and then put it back together again by the time the end credits roll. It’s a work of tremendous artistry that never hits a false beat. Zhao will certainly receive another nomination and, perhaps, another win from the Academy for Best Director, too.
Rating: 9.5/10
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