The new film by ChloĆ© Zhao, Hamnet, had its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival on August 29 and is scheduled to hit U.S. theaters on November 27. Based on the acclaimed novel by Maggie O’Farrell, which Zhao co-wrote, the film tells the story of the famous English playwright William Shakespeare and his wife Agnes as they cope with the death of their 11-year-old son.
Oscar or no Oscar, that is the question
‘Hamnet’ has been received with extremely positive reviews, achieving a perfect score of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 12 reviews. Vulture has called the film “the most devastating I’ve seen in years“, while Variety describes its narrative as “so emotionally raw that it sometimes feels almost torturous”. These reactions highlight the emotional depth and complexity of the plot, which promises to resonate strongly with the audience.
Jessie Buckley’s performance as Agnes has received unanimous praise, being described by The Wrap as “magical” and “brilliant”. The actress has managed to capture the agony of her character with a subtlety that has left critics and audiences deeply moved. Alongside Buckley, Paul Mescal plays Shakespeare, and the cast also includes Joe Alwyn and Emily Watson, who bring their talents to this emotional story.
This is Zhao’s first work since Eternals, which received negative reviews and a score of 47% on Rotten Tomatoes. Despite this, the director has proven her ability to tell humanly resonant stories, as she did previously in Nomadland, which won three Academy Awards. With Hamnet, Zhao returns to the path of critical recognition and could position herself again as a contender in the upcoming awards season.