‘Hamnet’ Review: Chloe Zhao’s Film Cements Jessie Buckley’s Oscar Win

The fictional depiction of how one of the most celebrated writers in the world, William Shakespeare, and his wife process the loss of their son may sound like a simple, linear story told from the couple’s point of view. But it is anything but simple. The complexity of their love story, the yearning they feel for each other, and the vulnerability they display so openly make "Hamnet" a gut wrenching cinematic experience.

To elevate this further, Zhao crafts an ethereal sensory world of sight and sound, brought together beautifully by cinematographer Lukasz Zal, sound designer Johnnie Burn, and composer Max Richter. Together, they create a layered emotional landscape rich with texture and colour. 

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Jessie Buckley, as Agnes, delivers the performance of a lifetime. As a mother navigating the unbearable aftermath of loss, Buckley is nothing short of revelatory. If awards momentum is anything to go by, she could well be on her way to an Academy Award for Best Actress.

The film is adapted from the novel by Maggie O’Farrell, who also serves as co-writer. Scenes between Will and Agnes move fluidly from joyous courtship to parenthood and ultimately to grief. The seamless stitching together of these emotional chapters is what makes "Hamnet" such a visceral experience. Grief, in all its shifting forms, anchors the narrative, yet it never feels manipulative or forced. Zhao allows her characters to breathe, giving them the space to unravel and rebuild. 

Paul Mescal’s Will stands in quiet contrast to Agnes. There is a stillness in him, an inward restraint that serves as an antidote to her outpouring of pain and despair.

Visually, "Hamnet"s landscape feels like a silent supporting character. Zhao’s framing is precise, restrained, and deeply considered. At a time when AI and technological spectacle often dominate conversations about cinema’s future, Hamnet arrives as a welcome reprieve. Stripped of gimmickry and artifice, it is raw and intimate in its portrayal of human connection and shared suffering.

More than simply moving, "Hamnet" is a testament to what can happen when extraordinary actors are guided by a filmmaker at the height of her powers. In a cacophony of noise, silence often resonates the loudest. "Hamnet" is that quiet pause, and it is worth every second.