Maggie O’Farrell’s acclaimed 2020 novel, Hamnet, was a visceral, searing examination of grief, based on the foggy details of the death of Shakespeare’s son by that name. I had heard that the movie Hamnet, directed by Chloé Zhao based upon a script co-written by her and O’Farrell, had by necessity recast the book’s plot (in particular, upping the presence of Shakespeare himself, who in the novel is never named), so I was chary when I went to our local cinema. I should have realized I was in safe, compassionate hands, for the film, while markedly different in plot arc (especially the climactic scene), retains the core of the novel. It is, in essence, the story of Shakespeare’s wife (called Agnes here) and the boy Hamnet. Both are brilliantly portrayed (by Jessie Buckley and Jacobi Jupe respectively), and Paul Mescal is riveting as thespian Will, riven by grief. Lukasz Zal’s cinematography and the many directorial scenic choices are sublime. That final scene I mentioned, which marries grief recovery to theatrical genius, grips and grips. Undoubtedly one of the most powerful films of 2026, Hamnet should be required viewing.
Book, movie/show, and album reviews
