Popcorn Perspectives with Danny Minton
Week of December 1, 2025
Hamnet
Rated PG-13 for thematic content, some strong sexuality, and partial nudity
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 87%
In Theaters
The very name Hamnet for a movie proves to be a brilliant and possibly accidental piece of marketing genius. The dialog between friends would go like this: “Have you seen Hamnet?” “Do you mean Hamlet?” “No, Hamnet is the name of Shakespeare’s son, who died in childbirth and then served as inspiration for the play Hamlet.” There you have it. People immediately understand the story, and most will want to see it. Especially when you tell them the film is written and directed by Oscar winner Chloe Zhao (Nomadland), produced by Steven Spielberg, and is one of the front runners for Best Picture. Paul Mescal (Gladiator 2) plays the infamous bard here, but he is a secondary character to his wife Agnes, beautifully portrayed by Jessie Buckley. While Shakespeare is off in London putting on his plays, Agnes is at home with their children, trying desperately to hold things together. At this time in history, one in three children died before the age of 10 and Shakespeare could not escape this eventuality. The death of young Hamnet (sorry, but this spoiler is unavoidable unless you go into the film completely blank), is heartbreaking to say the least, but a catalyst for a breathtaking story that has one of the most emotionally riveting third acts in recent memory. Helping the film along is a fantastic production team including Oscar-nominated cinematographer Lukasz Zac and legendary composer Max Richter, who puts the audience in a trance with his gentle yet powerful themes. There is so much to love about this project, which is almost perfect for what it is. Sure, it is sad, and if you can’t handle that, or are not in the mood, then maybe delay seeing it. But sometimes a good cry is cathartic, which is what I found here. Putting death into place through a movie such as this, uses the movie as a tool for your own thoughts, emotions and life experiences. It will be a film you will be glad you saw, especially in a theater with less distraction and an optimal surrounding, in order to keep you completely captivated. A+