Hamnet Parent Guide

William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal) is tired of the tedium of his life. He tutors boys in Latin and helps with his father’s glove-making business while his head teems with stories and his dreams reach far beyond Stratford-upon-Avon. Then he sees a woman in red…

Agnes Hathaway (Jessie Buckley) has always been unusual. Born to a reputed forest witch, Agnes has an intuitive bond with nature. She knows plants and their healing properties, she has tamed a hawk, and she sees visions of the future. Will finds her irresistible.

The physical attraction between the two is immediate, and soon they are married and raising a family – but Will continues to chafe against his life in Stratford. When Agnes gives him wings, he heads for London, where he begins a career that will see him lauded as the greatest English writer of all time. Agnes stays home to raise their children in the healthier air of a small town. But not even country air or Agnes’ knowledge of herbs can hold off death when plague descends on the land.

Hamnet is an emotional tour-de-force. Filled with pain, loss, wonder, and many kinds of love, it’s a powerful tale that enraptured the audience at the screening I attended. The hushed silence during the show was followed by spontaneous applause after the catharsis of the final scene. This is not a casual popcorn flick: it’s a deep dive into grief, resilience, and the healing power of stories.

Rooted in a skillful screenplay, this excellent production comes to full flower with the awe-inspiring performance of Jessie Buckley. I have long admired Ms. Buckley’s acting talents, but she reaches a new level in Hamnet. Her emotions aren’t just authentic: they are raw; ferocious even. As an independent young woman, a devoted parent, a child of nature, she’s somehow more alive than anyone else on the screen. She’s well supported by the rest of the cast: Paul Mescal is a fine Will and Emily Watson delivers as an initially frosty but eventually supportive mother-in-law. The child actors are exceptionally good and, in a nice touch, the cast members who play the young Hamnet (Jacobi Jupe) and the Hamlet-on-stage (Noah Jupe) are brothers in real life, giving them a family resemblance that deepens the emotional power of the final act.

The standout performances are enriched by the film’s cinematography which is as thoughtful as it is lush. Households are suitably dim; city scenes feel dank and unwholesome. The camera seems to rejoice in the woodland scenes, celebrating a rich, verdant paradise that feeds Agnes’s soul. Filled with roots and caverns, this is a forest that hints of seeds, wombs, and graves; of life and death and the mysteries that haunt Agnes and Will.

I only have a few complaints to raise with this otherwise outstanding movie. The first comes early in the story – a sex scene involving some rear male nudity and thrusting, and which leads to a premarital pregnancy. There is also the detailed death scene of a child that will be sure to trigger tears for emotionally sensitive viewers. Other than that, I found myself cringing at the use of Shakespeare’s “To be or not to be” soliloquy at a moment where a character considers suicide: it simply feels pretentious.

My quibbles aside, I can only say that Hamnet is an overwhelming cinematic experience. I was glued to the screen throughout the runtime and felt emotionally drained at the conclusion of the tale. This movie makes you feel and it makes you think…about life…and death…and “what dreams may come when we have shuffled off this mortal coil…”

About author

Kirsten Hawkes

Kirsten Hawkes has a BA in Political Science and English and has worked in international development and medical education and marketing. Kirsten enjoys reading, watching movies, and debating politics with her husband and sometimes unwilling children.