Chole Zhao’s “Hamnet” is not truly a story about William Shakespeare. Released three months ago, it is not a biography, or the playwright’s life reimagined as a romcom, or even an argument for why we must continue to adore Shakespeare’s genius centuries after his passing. The film is more of an homage to art itself, a call to action, and a reminder of how creativity can unite us through grief and loss.
Adapted from Maggie O’Farrell’s novel, “Hamnet” premiered on August 29th and reached U.S. theatres in early December of last year. Since its release, the film has earned considerable recognition, including the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture (Drama) and, more recently, the Oscar for Best Actress, awarded to Jessie Buckley.
The film’s plot does not follow Shakespeare’s career or his endeavours in London. Instead, it spotlights an intimate, largely untold story: the loss of his 11-year-old son, Hamnet, and how that tragedy inspired one of his most famous plays, Hamlet.
Set in the late 1600s in Stratford-upon-Avon, a village in rural England, “Hamnet” depicts the lives of Shakespeare’s wife, Agnes (Jessie Buckley) and his three children, Hamnet (Jacobi Jupe), Suzanna (Bohdi Rae Breathnach), and Judith (Olivia Lynes).
Agnes, the daughter of a rumoured witch, finds refuge in nature. Early in the film, she’s shown in the forest outside her family’s home. Often accompanied by her pet hawk, she gathers herbs for remedies passed down by her late mother. In the forest, she is not a servant girl or the daughter of a crazed witch; she is a healer, she is an expert in a delicate craft.
Her future husband, known simply in the film as Will, recognises their shared passion for creating. In a youth marked by her outsider status, Will is the first to see Agnes for who she truly is: wise, dedicated, and capable of being vulnerable again after losing her mother.
Agnes lets Will into her world. They spend time together in the forest, a place that feels like a sanctuary away from the judgments of the traditional village. They quickly fall in love, marry despite their families’ objections, and begin a family together.
For much of the film, we are invited into a family founded on love: Will plays with his children in the yard, and Agnes shares her mother’s wisdom in the garden. Their home is an oasis built on acceptance and understanding, and their connection is strong enough to radiate off the TV screen and warm your insides.
However, as Will becomes a successful playwright, he begins to spend more time away from home. Agnes is left to maintain the household on her own, and soon her husband’s absence begins to feel more like abandonment than dedication to his work. They are no longer young lovers running through the woods; they are a family. To her, his absence is a broken promise.
These tensions peak in arguably the most heartbreaking scene of the film, when their son, Hamnet, tragically passes away. Jessie Buckley’s devastating performance can make anyone feel the pain of a mother’s loss deep within. Agnes’s misery is raw and unfiltered: she cries out in agony moments after the death of her only son, and her husband is not there to share her suffering.
Will’s absence for Hamnet’s death deepens the gap between him and Agnes to an extent that leaves the audience wondering if they can ever recover. We feel their rising tension through cold stares and silent rooms. A quiet yet crushing pain, as their passionate connection fades away to misunderstanding.
Following the death of Hamnet, Agnes grieves more openly than Will. While he continues to work in London, she retreats into a depression. Letting herself slip away is the only way she deems acceptable to grieve. Her husband’s ability to move forward is a betrayal, disrespecting the gravity of their family’s loss.
The distance between Agnes and Will continues to grow until the film’s final scenes, where a transformative moment reignites hope for their reconciliation and affirms the profound themes behind this cinematic masterpiece.
Agnes attends a performance of Hamlet, a tragedy written by her husband without her knowledge, and is shocked to see the lead actor dressed to resemble her recently lost son. Breaking through months of silent agony, Agnes forces herself to the front of the crowd and reaches for the actor’s hand as he imitates his final breaths. This emotional act reverberates through the theatre as the audience mirrors her, stretching out towards the dying Hamlet in unison. Agnes notices her surroundings: strangers watch with tears streaming down their faces. They are watching her son die. They are mourning with her. She is no longer alone.
In the closing scene, Agnes ’eyes meet with her husband’s behind the curtains with a newfound sense of understanding. The play was written for her, for their family, but also for everyone who knows loss. A beautiful metaphor for how art connects us by portraying the hardest parts of the human experience and lightens the burden of grief by allowing us to process it together.
After the film, the audience is left not only profoundly moved but inspired to preserve the long-standing tradition of creating and sharing art, because sometimes, it can be the only comfort we have.