By Jan Wahl –
So, what do we do with a movie that is half interesting and half a snooze fest?
The good news is that it gives us some insight into Shakespeare when he was writing Hamlet. The bad news is the second half of the movie gets good, and, by that time, I found that I had lost interest. The movie is called Hamnet.
William Shakespeare and his Agnes celebrate the birth of their son Hamnet; however, when tragedy strikes, Shakespeare is inspired to write his timeless masterpiece, Hamlet. The film is directed by the Beijing-born filmmaker Chloé Zhao, known primarily for her work in Nomadland (2020). She is the second of three women to win the Oscar for best director. She better hold onto it, because her latest work is not going to bring the gold.
Hamnet is set in 16th-century England, and we are told that the tragedy with Hamnet will lead to a poignant tale of love, grief, and artistic creation. Stay for the end of the movie, since it shows how personal tragedy can fuel great art. In the first claustrophobic half, however, we are stuck with a very sparse environment. But buckle up for the far more interesting trip to Stratford-upon-Avon.
Shakespeare (Paul Mescal) meets Agnes (Jessie Buckley), the daughter of a forest witch, and there seems to be a feeling of madness and death all around. Parts of the first half of the film put me to sleep, but I woke up just at the right time since finally the movie explained that this was Shakespeare saying: “To be or not to be, that is the question.” This overlong film addresses the fundamental human struggle with existence and suffering—bored yet?
Why see this when a far more insightful and entertaining portrayal of the young Bard’s life is the witty and sexy Shakespeare in Love (1998)? This fictional romance imagines how Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet; it cleverly weaves in theatrical truths, like boys playing women’s roles. This multi-Oscar winner is a wonderful combination of comedy and drama with juicy court intrigue, and is perfect for the holidays.
Some other fine films inspired by Shakespeare include 1956’s Forbidden Planet (The Tempest), 1953’s Kiss Me Kate (The Taming of the Shrew), and 1961’s West Side Story (Romeo and Juliet). Or go traditional with any of Kenneth Branagh’s Shakespeare-inspired films including Henry V (1989), Much Ado About Nothing (1993), and the musical Love’s Labour’s Lost (2000).
Grab a sweet or dry mead, put on those flounces you have in your closet, and salute the Bard as we close out 2025 and ring in 2026. As Shakespeare wrote in Julius Caesar, “It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.”
Jan Wahl is a Hollywood historian and film critic on various broadcast outlets. She has two Emmys and many awards for her longtime work on behalf of film buffs and the LGBTQ community.
Contact her at www.janwahl.com
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Published on December 18, 2025
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