Hamnet (2025)

Working as a tutor to pay his family's debt, William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal) is bewitched by a young woman (Jessie Buckley), who is rumored to be the daughter of a witch. They marry and he goes off to London to work in theatre while she stays at home to take care of the children. Based on the novel by Maggie O'Farrell (who co-wrote the screenplay) and directed by Chloe Zhao (NOMADLAND). Anchored by a remarkable performance by Jessie Buckley, HAMNET is about grief and how Art has the ability to heal. Buckley's performance is so powerful that it relegates Mescal's Shakespeare to a supporting character. Buckley inhabits her Agnes (aka Anne) Hathaway while Mescal just skids on the surface of his William Shakespeare. There's another performance that must be mentioned: 11 year old Jacobi Jupe as their son. It's rare to see a child performance this textured and completely believable. With Emily Watson and Joe Alwyn.