The story of the marriage between Agnes and William Shakespeare and how unthinkable tragedy helped the playwright create Hamlet is told in Chloe Zhao’s emotional adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s novel Hamnet.
The tree of life and death
by Chris DrewHamnet
4.0 out of 5.0 stars
CAUTION: Here be spoilers
Hamnet is not a Shakespeare biopic, his name is purposefully not uttered until the final act, it is the story of a marriage and a family dealing with the worst imaginable circumstances.
In a dazzling opening shot we see Agnes (Jessie Buckley, The Lost Daughter, Wild Rose, Beast) asleep at the base of an enormous tree under a bright canopy of green leaves.
Believed to be the daughter of a forest witch, Agnes is constantly at one with nature. Natural sounds emanate throughout the film; birds lightly chirping, wind rustling through leaves, the sounds of rain.
Will (Paul Mescal, All of Us Strangers) is tutoring Latin to the younger children at Hewlands Farm while his parents warn him of the eldest daughter.
Seeing Agnes flying her hawk, he is instantly captivated and wins her over with a beautiful telling of Orpheus.
She tells him women in her family things others don’t, holding him between his thumb and forefinger she sees a dark void, echoing the dark void underneath her tree.
Discovering Agnes is pregnant, Will’s parents Mary (Emily Watson, Everest) and John (David Wilmot, Calvary) are furiously against the match but Agnes’ brother Bartholomew (Joe Alwyn, The Brutalist) gives his blessing.
Following their wedding, Agnes gives birth to baby Susanna alone at the tree before Will battles writers’ block, saying he has lost his way.
Agnes is crushed when flooding prevents a second forest birth but Mary assures her it is the room William took his first breaths and supports her.
Ominously Agnes tells of a vision of her two children at her deathbed. Unexpectedly giving birth to twins, she vows to keep Judith safe after she almost dies at birth.
As children, twins Hamnet (Jacobi Jupe, Peter Pan & Wendy) and Judith (Olivia Lynes, feature debut) enjoy switching places with each other and it is a happy home
Going away to work in London, Will makes Hamnet vow to be brave and look after his mother and sisters. When Judith is struck down with illness Hamnet is desperate to take her place.
In the morning Agnes finds Judith recovering with Hamnet taken gravely ill and then slipping away. Devastated, Agnes is angry Will was not there.
Agnes learns from her stepmother that Will is working on a tragedy Hamlet and heads to London with Bartholomew.
The background canvas in the Globe theatre evokes the woods Agnes grew up in, while she is on edge when the name Hamlet is uttered.
She is gradually spellbound by the performance of Hamlet (Noah Jupe, A Quiet Place) and seeing Will play the ghost of Hamlet’s father, recognising that he has switched places with Hamnet.
Agnes is overwhelmed by emotion seeing Hamlet die and reaches out to him, finding some solace in her agony.
Buckley and Mescal are both on tremendous form. Buckley in particular is devastating mining the depths of Agnes’ emotions and is sure to be lauded in the months ahead.
The casting of the Jupe brothers is inspired, meaning Hamlet genuinely resembles Hamnet with Noah Jupe proving to be a brilliant Hamlet in the climatic stage performance seen through Agnes’ eyes.
With superb performances across the board and immaculate work across all crafts on display, Oscar-winner Zhao has beautifully brought O’Farrell’s novel to the screen and is sure to move audiences across the world.
Hamnet screened as a European Premiere at the 2025 BFI London Film Festival on 11, 13, 17 and 19 October 2025.
