Hamnet

This late 2025 release, based on Maggie O'Farrell's 2020 novel of the same title, uses a few known facts about the life of William Shakespeare and his wife Agnes (Anne) Hathaway as the foundation for this moving historical drama.

The movie set, costumes, and lighting, masterfully convey the raw, gritty conditions of life in the 16th century.  The acting is very well done all around with a stand out performance from Jessie Buckley as Agnes (she received multiple well-deserved awards, including Oscar for Best Actress).  The liberties taken to fill the gaps around the few known facts, are artfully woven to create a believable and compelling vignette.

A pervasive sense of weight hangs over the entire movie, making it impossible not to be drawn into the family's struggles and sorrows.  Unless you have ice in your veins, expect to feel you're drowning in their grief...and maybe in your own tears. 

For me, the most poignant, felt reality is how very difficult it can be to access one another in our grief.  Grief is a lonely, isolating, and very personal experience.  In this story, that connection finally comes for the couple through a performance of Hamlet which allows Agnes to recognize for the first time that her husband's grief - though experienced differently - matches her own.

Hamnet is a beautifully crafted film that I highly recommend.