Hamnet Review: Paul Mescal & Jessie Buckley Deliver a Powerful Tale of Love and Loss

Hamnet, directed by Chloé Zhao, is a deeply emotional adaptation of Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell. Set in plague-era England, the film explores love, grief, and artistic creation through the imagined personal tragedy of William Shakespeare and his family. Rather than presenting a historical portrait of the literary icon, the film offers an intimate exploration of human vulnerability and the transformative power of loss.

The story follows young Shakespeare, portrayed with quiet restraint by Paul Mescal, and his wife Agnes, played by Jessie Buckley. Together they build a life filled with ordinary joys — marriage, children, and shared dreams — before tragedy strikes and reshapes their world.

Paul Mescal delivers a subtle performance, portraying Shakespeare as a man balancing ambition with emotional fragility. His restrained approach allows silence and expression to convey inner conflict. In contrast, Jessie Buckley anchors the film with an emotionally powerful performance. Her Agnes is intuitive, grounded, and fiercely alive in the early scenes, making the later depiction of grief deeply affecting.

Buckley’s portrayal of loss avoids melodrama. Grief is expressed through stillness, absence, and quiet despair rather than dramatic outbursts. Her performance captures the physical and emotional weight of mourning, showing how sorrow can manifest in silence and isolation.

The film carefully contrasts the couple’s emotional responses. While Agnes expresses grief outwardly, Shakespeare internalises his pain, creating a growing emotional distance between them. This divergence reflects the deeply personal nature of loss and how shared tragedy can both unite and isolate loved ones.

Chloé Zhao’s direction embraces a contemplative pace. The early sequences linger on domestic rhythms and everyday moments, building emotional depth that makes the later tragedy feel more devastating. While the pacing may feel slow to some viewers, the deliberate rhythm strengthens the film’s emotional impact.

Visually, the film is intimate and atmospheric. Close-up framing, natural landscapes, and immersive sound design heighten the emotional texture of the story. The visual language reinforces the film’s themes, suggesting that memory and grief are layered and deeply personal experiences.

Rather than focusing on literary analysis, the film humanises a legendary figure and explores how personal loss can shape artistic expression. It presents grief not as spectacle but as a quiet, transformative force.

In a cinematic landscape often dominated by spectacle, Hamnet stands out for its emotional depth and reflective storytelling. The film offers a moving meditation on love, loss, and creativity, reminding audiences of cinema’s ability to connect deeply with human experience.

Hamnet is scheduled to release in India on February 27, 2026.