‘Hamnet’: A Deeply Affecting Historical Drama About Family Loss and the Emotional Roots of Shakespeare’s Hamlet

Hamnet (2025) is a deeply affecting historical drama starring Paul Mescal as William Shakespeare and Jessie Buckley as Agnes Hathaway, set in late 16th-century Stratford-upon-Avon. The film primarily focuses on Agnes as she builds a life for her family in their rural home while Will drifts to and fro through London’s stage world.

The Shakespeare family lives in a quiet routine until their twin children, Hamnet (Jacobi Jupe) and Judith (Olivia Lynes), fall ill with the plague. As the family scrambles to remain intact, the story evolves into an intimate portrait of grief, with Agnes bearing extraordinary loss while Will searches for the language needed to convey their heartbreak. The film culminates in William’s first production of “The Tragedy of Hamlet” at London’s Globe Theatre, where young actors pay tribute to the family’s loss while the beleaguered Agnes attends despite her overwhelming grief.

Based on Maggie O’Farrell’s novel and co-written by O’Farrell and director Chloé Zhao (The Rider, Nomadland), Hamnet is a stunningly heartfelt depiction of the transformative power of art. Buckley commands the screen with her heartbreaking, Academy Award-winning performance, grounded by Zhao’s visually poetic rendering of the English countryside. Ultimately, the film serves as a profound testament to loss and the enduring legacy of the figures behind one of history’s greatest works.

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Watch the trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUxakZerBOk