Paul Mescal, Jessie Buckley, Emily Watson, Joe Alwyn
Variously described in glowing festival reviews as “unspeakably devastating”, “overwhelming” and “maybe the most emotionally shattering movie I’ve seen in years”, Oscar-winning writer-director Chloé Zhao’s (Nomadland) Hamnet – based on Maggie O’Farrell’s acclaimed novel – is a raw, wildly sensitive and magnificently crafted story of deep love and grief and the restorative power of art that features phenomenal performances by Jessie Buckley (The Lost Daughter) and Paul Mescal (Aftersun).
1580 England. Impoverished Latin tutor William (Mescal) meets free spirit Agnes (Buckley), and they begin a passionate affair that leads to marriage and three children. As Will’s theatre career takes off in London, Agnes anchors the family’s domestic world alone. When tragedy strikes, the couple’s bond faces a bitter test, but the crucible of their shared suffering sets the stage for the creation of Shakespeare’s timeless masterpiece, Hamlet – the most famous of his plays, and one which bears a name interchangeable with that of his son.