Hamnet Review (2025): Chloé Zhao’s “Hamnet” is nothing short of a blockbuster. The movie, which is all set to be released on 27th November, 2025, in the US and 9th January, 2026, in the UK, gives us a moving and visually rich adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s acclaimed 2020 novel of the same name. The movie has already been introduced at the London Film Festival, on 11th October, 2025, and it promises a combination of grief, art, and love through the imagined lives of William Shakespeare’s family. In this Hamnet review, we will tell you why you must wait for Hamnet.
Hamnet Film Overview and Rating
- Director: Chloé Zhao
- Screenplay: Chloé Zhao & Maggie O’Farrell
- Based on: Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell
- Stars: Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal, Emily Watson, Joe Alwyn and others
- Runtime: 126 minutes
- Rating: 4.5/5
Hamnet Film Story
In Hamnet, Zhao takes on the challenging task of adapting O’Farrell’s lyrical novel, which is a deeply intimate portrayal of Shakespeare’s wife, Agnes (historically known as Anne Hathaway), and their young son, Hamnet. Hamnet’s death is believed to have inspired Hamlet. Zhao has shown her arc while staying faithful to the novel’s spirit by capturing its emotional intensity and lush atmosphere.
The film paints a perfect picture of young William (Paul Mescal). William is a Latin tutor who has fallen in love with the enigmatic Agnes (Jessie Buckley). Their relationship continues to shine amidst the quiet beauty of the English countryside. Zhao’s fascination with nature and human fragility, which was seen in films like Nomadland, is felt in Hamnet again.
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Hamnet Cast Performance
Hamnet is the celebration of strong actors. Paul Mescal was perfect, as he brought a remarkable nuance to Shakespeare while portraying both a passionate artist and a grieving father. His expressive performance becomes more amazing as it contrasts with the restraint seen in After sun.
However, Jessie Buckley is the film’s soul. She was effortless in her role of Agnes Hathaway. She looks hauntingly beautiful and has perfectly balanced the emotion of embodying strength, sorrow, and spiritual resilience. Buckley’s performance transcends acting. As the film reaches its heartbreaking finale, Jessie’s emotional range captures the full spectrum of maternal loss.
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Hamnet is the product of Direction and Visual Brilliance
Zhao has shown her class as she presented us the perfect balance of grandeur with intimacy. Every frame feels painterly. She has added life to every moment of Hamnet by filling it with candlelit interiors and misty woods that reflect the characters’ inner turmoil. But Hamnet occasionally falters under the weight of its ambition. Some moments feel too forced, and it evokes the sense of “prestige cinema”.
However, Zhao’s compassion and curiosity have won the film and protected Hamnet from being a melodrama. Even when the narrative drifts, her empathy for human pain keeps the story grounded. The closing sequence, which has Max Richter’s On the Nature of Daylight, is breathtaking, and it transforms private grief into a universal meditation on love and art.
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Themes of Grief and Artistic Legacy
At its core, Hamnet takes us to a study of how art emerges from sorrow. The film suggests that Hamlet, which is Shakespeare’s masterpiece, was born from intellect and also from heartbreak. Through Hamnet, Zhao has tried exploring how creativity can immortalize loss. The viewers will be left emotional after the movie, and the endurance of love will make them cry.
Baap of Movies Final Verdict
Hamnet is not flawless, but it gives us an emotionally rich and visually stunning drama that will stay in our minds for a long time. Zhao’s sensitive direction, when combined with Buckley and Mescal’s career-best performances, gives us one of the best movies of 2025 in the form of Hamnet.
If you are someone who loves literature and cinema alike, then Hamnet is the film that turns Shakespeare’s private tragedy into universal poetry. Hamnet reminds us that even in loss, there is creation, and in creation, there is a chance for immortality.
Watch Hamnet Trailer
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