Hamnet: The first thing we’re informed is that the name Hamnet is interchangeable with Hamlet, but it’s not to be confused with Play School‘s Hamble. She was always the Chucky of the bunch.
However, since I don’t pay too much attention to some trailers – so as to avoid getting a stack of spoilers before I actually sit down and watch a film – Hamnet was 3/4 of the way through before I realised that Paul Mescal (Gladiator II) was actually playing William Shakespeare. There was talk along the way of him occasionally leaving the family household to go and work in London, but we hadn’t been told what he does… I also thought Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre was in Stratford-upon-Avon.
Anyhoo, at the time of writing this, now I know who they are, this film is based upon the real-life situation between “Will” (Mescal) and his wife, Agnes (Jessie Buckley – Wicked Little Letters), first initially, clearly having the hots for each other, before they get “Hand-fasted”, i.e. married. Then after giving birth to their first child, Susanna (Bodhi Rae Breathnach), she Agnes had a vision that there’ll only be TWO children at her deathbed, and once her second child actually turns out to be twins – Hamnet (Jacobi Jupe) and Judith (Olivia Lynes), she now has three.
Well, the premise is that after Judith falls ill with the plague, her brother gets close to her and tries to will it away from her, and into him, which unfortunately leads to his death, aged 11.
However, while I don’t go a bundle on period dramas – and a period is unlikely to happen after the two have some surprisingly awkward sex on the kitchen table in a 12-certificate film – when it comes the usual acting, both Buckley and Mescal just get all ‘Grifty BAFTA’ as they chew the scenery.
Meanwhile, there’s actually some decent acting from the kids in this, compared to most films with children in key roles, with Jacobi Jupe being the brother of Noah Jupe, who’s in a zillion things including The Night Manager, and he also takes the lead of Will’s play, Hamlet, which he puts on towards the end of this film.
Unsurprisingly, this film has been given Golden Globe awards, including Best Drama Picture, and Buckley for Best Actress, but come on, apart from the decent music score – the only thing that stood out for me – it’s complete pants, isn’t it?
As an aside, how does Hamnet cost £23 to watch in Cineworld as an adult? Even in Superscreen? I saw it at Odeon on Limitless, and the budget can’t even have been £23!!
Hamnet is in cinemas now, and is available to pre-order on 4K Blu-ray, Blu-ray and DVD.
You can also buy the Novel on which the film is based.
NOTE: There’s no mid- nor post-credits scenes.
Check out the trailer below:
Detailed specs:
Cert: 
Running time: 126 minutes
Release date: January 8th 2026
Studio: Focus Features
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 (ARRIRAW (4.6K))
Cinema: Odeon Trafford Centre
Rating: 2/10
Director: Chloé Zhao
Producers: Nicolas Gonda, Pippa Harris, Liza Marshall, Sam Mendes, Steven Spielberg
Screenplay: Chloé Zhao, Maggie O’Farrell
Novel: Maggie O’Farrell
Music: Max Richter
Cast:
Agnes: Jessie Buckley
Will: Paul Mescal
Hamnet: Jacobi Jupe
Judith: Olivia Lynes
Susanna: Bodhi Rae Breathnach
Bartholomew: Joe Alwyn
Joan: Justine Mitchell
Mary: Emily Watson
John: David Wilmot
Eliza: Freya Hannan-Mills
Edmond: Dainton Anderson
Rowan: Louisa Harland
Richard: Elliot Baxter
Joan’s Boys: Zac Wishart, James Lintern
Joan’s Girls: Eva Wishart, Effie Linnen
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.