While the story may come off as simple, Hamnet wonderfully explores the trauma of losing a child and how it can impact not just your personal life but your professional one as well.

I do not consider myself to be a William Shakespeare superfan.  I read a few of his plays in high school and am familiar with how his work continues to live on through multiple forms of media and the impacts it has made on the English language.  But I was still so excited for the release of Hamnet, mostly due to the cast and director.  On the outside, it seems like a family drama, but as soon as you see the first shot of the film, you know it is going to be so much more.

Based on the Maggie O’Farrell novel of the same name, Hamnet follows the story of Agnes (Jessie Buckley) and William (Paul Mescal) Shakespeare, where they fall in love, grow their family, go through career changes, and experience one of the greatest losses when their son Hamnet (Jacobi Jupe) dies.  While the story itself is fictional, it takes inspiration from both of the parents’ grief and how they coped with the loss through their familial and professional work.

This is a film for those that love exploring stories through other tales.  When Agnes and William first meet, he tells her the Greek legend of Orpheus and Eurydice.  In this legend, Orpheus falls in love with Eurydice, but she ends up dying tragically and taken to the underworld.  Filled with grief, Orpheus plays music for Hades in hopes that will convince him to return Eurydice to the mortal world.  Hades accepts, but under the conditions that she walks behind Orpheus and that he does not look back at her as they are leaving.  When he is close to the exit, fear that she is no longer there takes over and he looks back, sealing her fate back to the underworld forever.

The film opens with William telling Agnes this legend because it shows us how these tales can foreshadow real life events without you even knowing it.  It can also be used to show how people can express their deeper feelings through stories.  This ancient tale of Orpheus and Eurydice is still used for inspiration for a variety of works to this day because of the connection that it makes with its audience.  That is essentially the route that William has built for himself during the film, he just does not know it yet.  These stories, especially those by Shakespeare, will continue to touch the lives of millions for years to come, and it is inspirational to see that the greatest playwright of all time had humble beginnings and was inspired by the tales passed down to him.  Stories are the backbone of life and help us cope with the ugliness it can present to us.

This film does not work without the performances of the actors.  Mescal brings his subtle charm while being able to devastate you in a heartbeat.  He has experience playing these types of characters, but every time he is offered one, he is able to knock it out of the park.  The young Jupe is also able to bring a smile to your face and then rip your heart in two.  Being one of the cutest and heartbreaking roles of the year, Jupe brings such class that you cannot help but root for him and his future career.  But the absolute standout is Buckley as Agnes.  She is ethereal and allows you to join her on this emotional journey her character goes through.  Agnes is a woman of the woods that cares deeply for her family and would do anything for them.  That is expressed greatly through Buckley’s performance.  She is a strong maternal figure that I aspire to be someday and I love seeing that in film.

The scenery is another aspect of the film that stands out.  From the moment we enter the woods with Agnes, you know that we are about to enter a world that seems completely foreign to our own.  Zhao is one of those directors that focuses on landscapes and how they, in a way, become a character all on their own.  There is no surprise why Agnes always wants to spend time in the woods because Zhao gives it such a magical feeling that only she can do.  You easily escape to the world of Hamnet, making the film one of the most immersive of the year. 
There is such a beauty in Hamnet that comes so rarely in films that it deserves to be celebrated when it comes to be.  It may be devastating, but it is a piece of art that needs to be seen.  It is outstanding in more ways than one and should be at the top of your list of films to check out soon.

Grade: A

Oscar Prospects:
Likely: Best Picture, Best Actress (Jessie Buckley), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor (Paul Mescal), Best Director, Best Costume Design, Best Production Design
Should Be Considered: Best Cinematography, Best Supporting Actor (Jacobi Jupe), Best Casting, Best Original Score

Where to Watch: In Select Theaters