Hastings Screens Hamnet
Chloé Zhao's poignant drama about Shakespeare's tragic loss comes to ODEON Hastings, starring Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley. The film explores the devastating story behind the creation of Hamlet.
Dir: Chloé Zhao
Cast: Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal, Emily Watson, Joe Alwyn, Jacobi Jupe, Noah Jupe, Olivia Lynes, Justine Mitchell
125 mins · 2025 · United Kingdom, United States of America · Cert 12A · English
IMDb 7.8/10 · Rotten Tomatoes 86% · Metacritic 84/100 · TMDB 7.7/10 · Trakt 82%
Awards: Won 1 Oscar. 99 wins & 328 nominations total
The powerful and emotional story of Hamnet, directed by Chloé Zhao, is set to captivate audiences at ODEON Hastings on Monday, 9 November 2026. This historical drama film tells the story of William Shakespeare and his wife Agnes Hathaway as they cope with the death of their 11-year-old son Hamnet, an event that is believed to have inspired Shakespeare's great tragedy, Hamlet. The film boasts an impressive cast, including Paul Mescal, Jessie Buckley, Emily Watson, and Joe Alwyn, bringing to life the tragic events that shaped Shakespeare's masterpiece.
Hamnet is a 125-minute drama and romance film, rated 12A, and spoken in English. The movie has received widespread critical acclaim, with scores of 7.8/10 on IMDb, 86% on Rotten Tomatoes, 84/100 on Metacritic, 7.7/10 on TMDB, and 82% on Trakt. The film has also won numerous awards, including an Oscar, and has been nominated for several others, solidifying its position as a standout film of 2025.
Critics have praised the film for its emotional force, with many highlighting the outstanding performances of Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal. The film's use of magical realism and bucolic scenery has also been noted, creating a sensory experience that draws the audience in. Viewers have similarly been moved by the film, with many finding it to be a powerful and emotional experience, although some have noted that the pacing and time jumps can be challenging to follow.
The film is based on Maggie O'Farrell's 2020 novel of the same name, which won several awards, including the Women's Prize for Fiction and the National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction. Chloé Zhao's adaptation brings this story to life, exploring the complexities of grief, love, and art. To experience this poignant drama, tickets are with the button beside the article.
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What viewers say
RG9400 · 9/10
I bawled. Grief is such a hard thing to capture and convey in a movie. It's doubly hard when the viewer expects it. I think it's no secret what this movie is about, and a lot of viewers will go into it expecting that moment. For it to work despite those expectations is very impressive. Chloe Zhao's signature bucolic scenery is omnipresent throughout this movie, and there's this dusting of magical realism that gives the movie an almost ethereal…
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heyflp · 10/10
Time, when shaped by loss, stops moving in a straight line and instead folds in on small rituals, habits, and seemingly trivial repetitions. It’s within this quiet accumulation of everyday gestures that affection settles in, laying the groundwork for a pain that doesn’t yet have a face. “Hamnet” operates within that logic, reaffirming Chloé Zhao’s authorial sensitivity, less interested in major events than in the way life pulses before collapse.…
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fasterfilmcritic · 8/10
Jessie Buckley may be one of the greatest actresses in Hollywood today. She is captivating, transformative, and electric. Hamnet is emotionally effective because of her performance. Every actor in this film puts their all on screen, and the end result is powerful.
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andynick · 2/10
I found this extremely dull. I felt the scenes didn’t connect together very well and the large time jumps made me care very little about any of the characters. There’s little I despise more than Shakespearean dialogue, so when that started turning up towards the end, I gratefully fell asleep and missed a chunk of it. I usually like Jessie Buckley, but unless her acting awards are due to the bit I missed, I don’t see what the fuss is about here.
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mroffbeat · 10/10
“Tell me a story that moves me”… well, here we go: it moved me very much, my emotional blockage gone! Crying in the dark at the cinema, cheaper than therapy, and a beautiful ending ❤️❤️❤️
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hgram · 10/10
>"Tell me a story, then." "What story would you like?" "Something that moves you." - I believe in Jessie Buckley supremacy - The power of this kinda scared me - Cried so much it gave me a headache
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Jlloyd2000 · 5/10
The events of Hamnet are objectively, excruciatingly sad but I found the film curiously unmoving and, honestly, a bit dull. Dare I call it 'Oscar bait'? It felt like it was trying to force tears out of you at every single turn with these big symbolic moments and a swelling score (which is great tbf) that is practically nudging you in the ribs going "go on then, cry", but most of it fell completely flat for me. Jessie Buckley is astonishing and…
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vikrambajaj
Fantastic! I knew this was going to be emotional going in, but I didn't expect it to hit so hard. Maybe because I'm a twin too?
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