Hamnet

Hamnet is an outstanding, emotionally charged drama set in Shakespeare’s world. However, this film is not a story about William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal), instead, the film centers on Agnes, Shakespeare’s wife.

Jessie Buckley is brilliant as Agnes, who is a commanding presence in nearly every scene. While Paul Mescal offers a restrained, thoughtful take on William Shakespeare, he often feels like a supporting character in his own household. The real heart, intuition, and tragedy belong to Agnes.

The film begins when Shakespeare meets Agnes, then traces the couple’s relationship, their marriage, and the joys and pains of raising a family. The family’s ultimate loss inspires Shakespeare’s Hamlet—or Hamnet, synonyms in the late 1500’s.

William and Agnes are happy at the dinner table with Suzanne, their oldest, and Hamnet & Judith, the twins.

The Oscar-winning Director Chloé Zhao leans heavily into the grit and grime of 16th-century life: dim rooms, coarse

wool fabrics, smoke, and yes, perpetually dirty hands. The constantly filthy hands became a slight distraction in the film. At times, I found myself wondering when did people begin washing their hands and cleaning their fingernails, because the grime is that constant. But upon reflection, the grimy hands are done well and look genuine. The dirty hands along with the other darkness and grime does reinforce the film’s realism.

Jessie Buckley is easily the film’s standout, the leading contender to receive the Best Leading Actress Oscar in 2026. She brings Agnes to life as a woman who is both grounded and otherworldly, fierce, and maternal yet independent. Her emotional range—from quiet resilience to devastating grief—makes the film hit harder than expected. Mescal, meanwhile, plays Shakespeare as a man observing the world as well as shaping it, absorbing Agnes’s strength and their shared tragedy into art. 

Hamnet is beautifully acted, emotionally gripping, and a great reminder that amazing art can come from tragedy — and that historical people were absolutely filthy.

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Written 2/7/26 – The day the Milan 2026 Olympic Games Opened and a day before the Super Bowl.