Hamnet film reimagines Shakespeare with Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley

Chloé Zhao's film adapts Maggie O'Farrell's novel and imagines the death of Hamnet as an origin for Hamlet; Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal deliver absorbing performances alongside notable cinematography by Łukasz Żal and a score by Max Richter.

Chloé Zhao has made a film adaptation of Maggie O'Farrell's novel Hamnet that frames the death of a child as a creative source for Shakespeare's Hamlet. Zhao co-wrote the screenplay with O'Farrell and draws on scholarly writing to shape a speculative origin story. The film centres on Agnes (played by Jessie Buckley) and William (played by Paul Mescal) and follows their family life around Stratford-upon-Avon. The review describes the approach as contrived and speculative but also notes its imaginative daring and strong technical work. Key points: - The film adapts Maggie O'Farrell's 2020 novel; Chloé Zhao directed and co-wrote the screenplay with O'Farrell and also draws on Stephen Greenblatt's 2004 essay. - The story imagines the death of Hamnet as linked to the later creation of Hamlet and stars Jessie Buckley as Agnes and Paul Mescal as William Shakespeare; Łukasz Żal is credited for cinematography and Max Richter for the score. - The reviewer calls the film speculative and audacious while emphasising the absorbing performances and the film's visual and musical qualities. Summary: The film reframes aspects of Shakespeare's life through a creative, human-centred origin story that foregrounds parental grief and artistic transformation. The review highlights Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal's performances and praises the cinematography and score as central strengths. Undetermined at this time.