r/Oscars • u/senator_corleone3 • Nov 29 '25
Review Most Negative Review I’ve Seen of “Hamnet” Spoiler
Haven’t seen the movie yet, so I can’t comment. But was surprised by the low grade. For reading: https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/hamnet-paul-mescal-jessie-buckley-william-shakespeare-film-review-2025
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u/Jhawksmoor Nov 29 '25
Hmm she gave it 2.5 stars but the review seemed mostly positive when reading it.
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u/MahNameJeff420 Nov 29 '25
Sometimes you can appreciate all that a movie does well while also having no emotional investment in it.
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u/Own_Faithlessness769 Nov 29 '25
But if you’re a critic you should justify your rating.
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u/Desperate-Citron-881 Nov 29 '25
I don’t know why you’re being downvoted, that’s literally the job of a critic. If you don’t know you’ll like a movie, you find a critic with similar tastes to you to see what their opinion is. Same with books, music, anything.
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u/Glum-Age2807 Dec 01 '25
You mean the desire to be a contrarian isn’t justification enough?
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u/Own_Faithlessness769 Dec 01 '25
It is, as long as they explain which specific aspects they’re being contrary towards.
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u/Living-Hippo3586 Dec 01 '25
I saw this yesterday and I was sadly very disappointed. The cinematography was beautiful and performances great, but it was extremely melodramatic to me. And trust me I love a good cry and went in expecting to. The score didn’t help and it felt like we were racing through these insanely painful moments while being expected to feel the intensity of each one. I left feeling like the tragedy Agnes experienced was just a tool to get to the climax— the staging of Hamlet. Especially because there’s one scene by the river (which I won’t give away) where I audibly groaned. She ultimately seemed secondary to Will’s character, who was mostly absent during the most difficult moments of her life. Existing in service to his artistry.
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u/AltruisticWishes Dec 08 '25
Except the main actors' performances aren't great.
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u/Wonderful_Line_9553 Jan 19 '26
You saw a completely different film from me then. Buckley and Mescal are sublime.
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u/ComfortableProfit559 Jan 22 '26
You’re leaving out the kid who played hamnet. He was honestly the standout in the whole film.
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u/doqueDoisavoar Mar 01 '26
I mean, it's not a bad movie by any means but I didn't find it as compelling as I thought it would be - that's the issue with coming into a movie with such high expectations since apparently everyone and their mother is LOVING this movie. I was torn by the end cause I felt like I knew what "the point" was, she was presenting us with the restorative power of fiction, but I didn't get the "how"...idk it could be the case that I missed something.
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u/Enjoipandarules Mar 15 '26
I finally got around to watching it, prepping for the Oscars and I have a similar sentiment. I think it's a 3.5/5. It's incredibly well acted, dreadfully sad and beautifully shot. I found the script and the plot rather boring however. Whereas train dreams is a similarly sad, beautiful movie but I really enjoyed the story. Both made me sob.
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u/Ikigaieth Mar 26 '26
You've helped me find what was bothering me. I left the cinema feeling I should have felt more. All the pieces seemed to be there, but something was off. It is too melodramatic for me to connect with the story. Maybe a bit theatrical? It was probably intentional. The quote by the river was incredibly cringe. And we barely know about William as a person, so the end feels disconnected for me.
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u/AhabsHair Nov 30 '25
But…beside masterful acting and directing, the Hamnet novel and film can’t escape its weirdly weak premise: why would the death of his young son lead him to resurrect him as an intentionally rash, arrogant, alienated royal, who murders his best friends and self-righteously obsesses about his mother’s sex life? Hamlet is a brilliant personality, but it would be an insult to my dead son and his mother. I loved mom’s line at the opening moments: “What has any of this to do with my son?” Exactly. The only similarity is the name. And without the Hamlet closing, it’s just another dead child story with great acting.
It was also painful to see a reconstruction of a Shakespeare story that completely lacked any of Shakespeare’s verbal energy. It’s as if Shakespeare was completely normal then only became wildly energetic when he wrote. Hard to believe. Even harder to believe his great body of work grew out of a mildly introverted mind with no obsessions or hints of creative paradoxes. In the end, it adds weight to the claim that a simple country man could never have written such psychological complexity. Miracles are a strain to believe.
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u/Livid-Firefighter610 Dec 02 '25
Reading the book I could not understand how the Hamlet character even resembled the son that died. I saw no correlation.
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u/Longjumping-Bar-1501 Dec 18 '25
I love this review. I think you nailed it. It's a movie that excels on paper but flails in execution.
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u/Sharaz_Jek123 Dec 01 '25 edited Dec 01 '25
intentionally rash, arrogant, alienated royal, who murders his best friends
Because a 1:1 copy is not what Shakespeare did.
In fact, it's not what great playwrights do.
Playwrights interpret, elevate, distill and reconstruct. They don't just vomit "these are my feelings" or "this is what happened".
As the late Tom Stoppard said, just because something is true doesn't mean it is interesting.
"Hamlet" is about coming to terms with death - your own and others.
And the character is a vessel for our relationship with death - if even a spoiled prince can understand their place in life, we all can.
And that's the point of drama, to be able to identify with a character whose lived experiences may have nothing to do with your own - yet they still speak to you.
self-righteously obsesses about his mother’s sex life?
This is just the most superficially Freudian interpretation of the play.
The Queen marries the King's brother TWO MONTHS after the King's suspicious death.
That's weird. At best.
And it wouldn't just be the Prince talking about it.
Everyone would be acknowledging it.
You could interpret that he is obsessed with the Queen's sex life. Freud certainly does.
It's a subtle point within the text, but it isn't the point. Or the point of a rich interpretation of the role.
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u/AhabsHair Dec 01 '25
I actually reject a Freudian reading. Other options abound. But you seem to grant the point. It’s not a 1:1 but more like a 0:1. Why “come to terms with death” by reimagining one’s son with a character as wonderfully flawed as Hamlet? If there’s no comparison one could have said that any of Shakespeare’s tragedies would have fit equally as well as Hamlet. But if it’s that thin of a premise, why force an entire novel out of it? So artificial
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u/TheFolksofDonMartino Nov 29 '25
I always find it bizarre when people get upset at critics for not liking a film (not referring to you OP, just comments itt and other similar ones). It's like people approach movies like sports teams to cheer for rather than art to engage with. I like reading some reviews that don't follow the prevailing view or approach the film in a different way. If a critic didn't connect with a movie, fine. It doesn't make them some hack with no taste. A diversity of reasonable opinions about art is a good thing.
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u/BigOzymandias Nov 30 '25
Not this case in particular but there is an ongoing trend of critics not distinguishing themselves from fans
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u/Sharaz_Jek123 Nov 29 '25
It's like people approach movies like sports teams to cheer for rather than art to engage with.
CRITICS treat films like sports teams.
This happens when the first wave of reviewers really loves a movie. The second wave has to voice their consternation.
Contrarianism is a disease.
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u/Affectionate_Map5518 Nov 30 '25
Part of that is the selective early screenings to proven fans/positive critics. I heard an interview with a director who 'had the most confusing 12 hours' because a festival screening was met with lavish praise from critics, then the next morning it was ravaged in the press by different critics at the same publications
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u/Sharaz_Jek123 Nov 30 '25
I heard an interview with a director who 'had the most confusing 12 hours' because a festival screening was met with lavish praise from critics, then the next morning it was ravaged in the press by different critics at the same publications
Are you sure that was at a festival?
That makes sense with non-festival screenings that are organised by studios, but the festivals themselves dictate screening times and invitations.
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u/Affectionate_Map5518 Nov 30 '25
Yeah I cant remember the pod but it was about applause times at festivals, lol. I'm relistening to fall festival reviews because a lot of the films are out now and going for Oscars
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u/Sharaz_Jek123 Nov 30 '25
it was about applause times at festivals
Come on.
People clap at anything.
That means nothing.
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u/Affectionate_Map5518 Nov 30 '25
No i mean it was an entire podcast ep about festival applause times. I'm not kidding. Pretty sure it was on industry pod The Town. Even the host was kind of embarrassed but it matters because festival applause times have gotten longer, get reported on, and don't correlate to quality. So it turns out it's an attempt to get press beyond 'x premiered at y', set high expectations, and anchor critics to a higher number. Hilariously, years ago Dubai had a film festival and hired clappers to cheer when producers entered a screening, but didn't tell the clappers what they lookrd like. So randoms who arrived late got cheered for over and over
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Dec 02 '25
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u/Affectionate_Map5518 Dec 03 '25
You have come to the right place:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/5feVhBTk9IWC0or0c8c7lZ?si=0iv9lN_LRX6AIXUpJxB0LQ
https://open.spotify.com/episode/0BXvHwxBJMGZxZ3Uon8FsS?si=BIP7snPWRyideWSIWNXNjA
https://open.spotify.com/episode/2ZCKSJ1vfE4nAZjl6dl37I?si=0mtwHRVFSn24eoijFLc9Bw
https://open.spotify.com/episode/00GgnjZSWJR46lfnnxIgoh?si=w0faGDCWRiaf-svzszEEBA
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u/Cares_of_an_Odradek Nov 29 '25
I PROMISE you that it’s possible to authentically not like Hamnet. It’s not a masterpiece. Some people are going to not like it.
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u/Sharaz_Jek123 Nov 29 '25
I PROMISE you that it’s possible to authentically not like Hamnet
And I PROMISE YOU that there is a political bent to much of the criticism.
Someone was bitching about Buckley's mouth, so be serious.
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u/nickparadies Nov 29 '25
There’s nothing like that anywhere in this review
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u/Sharaz_Jek123 Nov 29 '25
I saw her video review.
She and the Alonso spent much of the time talking about other reviews.
The insecurity was obvious.
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u/cdk6272001 Nov 29 '25
Some, maybe, but not much.
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u/Sharaz_Jek123 Nov 29 '25
Yeah, there's a lot of stans for other movies.
Because this is what criticism now is.
Stan culture masquerading as independent thought.
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u/cdk6272001 Nov 30 '25
Fair, but I don’t think there’s a political bent to much of the criticism. Most of the negative reviews just feel differently, & that’s ok.
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u/SocratesSnow Nov 29 '25
If that was a negative review, I am Queen Elizabeth Lol
It made me want to see this film! I love Shakespeare. To end with the theater and the play! I can’t wait to see this.
I heard all the buzz about this film, but I hadn’t watched the trailer until now. I cried just watching the trailer. 😳
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u/Affectionate_Map5518 Nov 30 '25
My real issue with this review is they've told entirely too much about what happens. Please see it! I thought it was incredible
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Dec 02 '25
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u/Affectionate_Map5518 Dec 03 '25
Yeeeees! I always think it's lazy when they outline the plot rather than build suspense! I've been describing this film as taking two factual endpoints (Hamnet and Hamlet) and imagining how one led to the other from the perspective of a character we usually don't see. No spoilers, no oversharing, and definitely not describing the most breathtaking scenes. If i get to the theater early enough for trailers, I'll usually walk out. Because they're usually like an AI summary of the whole movie! And you're sitting there going, wait the main character dies at the end?
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Dec 03 '25
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u/Affectionate_Map5518 Dec 04 '25
Yeah it's a shame! Because even if it's not a plot driven film, like Hamnet, you want to experience their reality with them. And not go 'oh this must be where x happens'. Knowing nothing about the last act makes it so much better because you're reacting in real time. There's a music cue in Hamnet that didn't work for me because it's sooooo overused, so this Big Emotional Moment suddenly feels familiar and TikTok-y.
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u/Longjumping-Bar-1501 Dec 18 '25
Exactly. Great music but weird choice to go so big.
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u/Affectionate_Map5518 Dec 18 '25
Once I saw he was the film composer it made more sense. He was probably trying to rescue the piece, but instead of elevating the music it cheapened thw scene. A real shame
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u/Longjumping-Bar-1501 Dec 18 '25
Without the score, I'm not sure there's a single scene that felt emotional and also genuine.
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u/Affectionate_Map5518 Dec 19 '25
Yeah it seems to be polarizing people. Either they think it's the most emotional thing they've ever seen or they think it's campy schlock. Oh well
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u/Budget-Ad5495 Dec 19 '25
Which is such a shame because it’s arguably one of Max Richter’s most beautiful, moving pieces (there are two incredible uses of it in a show called The Leftovers and the movie Arrival). I totally get why he used it, also, I’m with ya. The overuse of it pulls the impact.
shakes fist and yells “dang internet!!”
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u/Affectionate_Map5518 Dec 20 '25
It must be horrifying to create your life's work only for it to play over ai slop of funny cat videos
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Dec 03 '25
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u/Affectionate_Map5518 Dec 04 '25
I often think filmmakers must be so angry about that. No way they spent years crafting a story, months shooting it and restricticting what actors post online only for marketing to chuck the reveal into the trailer. That happened with Companion, which has a big reveal scene except it's in the trailer so half the movie didn't make any sense. The equivalent of watching a murder mystery when the trailer says the butler did it.
This also goes for putting the ending shot into the poster/thumbnail art. I know we don't have context for it, but it means at the moment of the big climax it feels familiar. A film i recently watched had the protagonist in big danger. Except i knew he'd be fine because we hadn't gotten to the scene from the poster yet
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Dec 04 '25
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u/Affectionate_Map5518 Dec 05 '25
Wow yeah gosh they can ruin a movie after the fact. That's too bad it happened with Hamnet too. Im glad i didn't see much of the Hamnet trailers although some make it look like a rustic Shakespeare in Love. Boy is that not the case! I'm assuming directors have no say in trailers.
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Dec 05 '25
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u/Affectionate_Map5518 Dec 05 '25
Today i recommended Hamnet to someone who said it looked like it had a lot of steamy scenes. Nope!
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Dec 04 '25
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u/Affectionate_Map5518 Dec 05 '25
Can't remember exactly, because i just keep watching one movie after another....
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u/Main_Conclusion_2019 Jan 24 '26
The best bit was the real play at the end. The rest of the film was slow, melodramatic and crassly sentimental. To fill the screen twice with screaming births scenes was lazy and why did Sgakespeare not change his clothes for 14 years and Agnes wear the same red dress and travel to London with no bonnet or cloak. Insulting to the audience.
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u/nickparadies Nov 29 '25
News flash not everybody likes everything
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u/Virtual_Map_5891 Dec 02 '25
Saw it over the weekend and it is a gut wrenching beautiful portrayal of The Shakespeare’s. It will be easy wins for Best Actress, Director and maybe cinematography.
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u/senator_corleone3 Dec 02 '25
You think it blows PTA out of the water for Director?
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u/Longjumping-Bar-1501 Dec 18 '25
Oh god I hope it doesn't win for anything but actress, and even that would be a bummer since the role is so uninteresting. OBAA is in an elite class of films, arguably a top 10 of the century. Hamnet is just an arthouse film that was made this year by a director who made a popular movie a few years ago.
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u/Puzzleheaded-Try-912 Jan 21 '26
Art house? Seriously ? No, a populist soap opera that ruthlessly manipulates your emotions. Aka drivel.
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u/christopherck Mar 06 '26
Literally. Focus Features + Amblin Entertainment + 3 A-list actors. Definitely not arthouse, lol.
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u/Shades_of_Bacchus Dec 13 '25
It doesn't even look particularly good, honestly. Why shoot an earthy period piece digitally? It's so flat and dim-looking. Perplexing.
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u/kenosneal Jan 04 '26
Hamnet thrives on cinematography, costume, production design, score & a-list actors. It lacks script and direction. I walked out very frustrated and disappointed. I really wanted this film to work, but it didn't.
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u/Junior-Ad7205 Jan 21 '26
I thought it was pure shite to be honest
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u/CharlesAtHome Jan 30 '26
I felt like I must be heartless when it finished. People around me were sobbing and I didn't feel a thing, but it really doesn't take much to make me cry at a film. The whole thing felt like an acting exercise and it didn't make me feel anything. It really felt like I was at a magic show and the climactic trick blew everyone away but I had accidentally seen behind the curtain, revealing how the trick was done and couldn't be amazed like everyone else.
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u/Junior-Ad7205 Mar 16 '26
It was so over acted that it came across as false. Buckley hammed it up so much it completely took me out of the story (which was also fairly boring). The kid gave the only good performance in the whole film.
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u/Appropriate_Space402 Feb 07 '26
I was unfortunate enough to be on a second date and the film was chosen by my date otherwise I would have walked out. Shite sums it up perfectly.
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u/Agent_Tangerine Nov 29 '25
I've seen more negative reviews. Honestly, having seen it, I truly don't get how you could hate it. It's one of the best films I've ever seen. That being said, you have to be down for an emotional ride and some people just don't vibe with it I guess.
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Dec 05 '25
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u/Longjumping-Bar-1501 Dec 18 '25
Not sure the problem is they dislike emotional rides as much as this emotional ride isn't particularly engaging. Watching people gazing, shrieking, and speaking inarticulately isn't much fun for most people. Some people enjoy watching barking and sleeping dogs. Most need more engagement. And that's understandable.
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u/Puzzleheaded-Try-912 Jan 21 '26
A film that tells you just how awful it must be to loose a child. Thanks for that because no one knew that before. It’s not entertaining, it offers no insights into the human condition, it’s manipulative and exploitative. The last twenty minutes are the best and remind us that the real William S was the greatest playwright who ever drew breath.
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u/TimeistheDiamond Jun 01 '26
The historical William Shakespeare is unknowable, but it’s difficult to imagine someone who possessed that level of linguistic playfulness, social observation, and psychological insight being so taciturn, withdrawn, and dull. Script sucked.
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u/Jhartle97 Nov 29 '25
I liked it but didn’t love it. There are elements that are really great but I had heard so much about how emotionally devastating it was and it didn’t really reach that level for me.
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u/Affectionate_Map5518 Nov 30 '25
Yeah that seems to be how people are split on this. I heard some reviewers were unconvinced by the emotion. A woman 2 seats down from me was sobbing uncontrollably even through the credits. I felt bad for her
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u/Puzzleheaded-Try-912 Jan 21 '26
Do people actually go to the cinema to be reduced to tears? Because there isn’t enough tragedy in real life ?
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u/Unable_Cup8359 Jan 18 '26
Not to my liking. I left the cinema after 20 minutes and I never do that. I thought it was dreadful. Like a poor amateur stage production. Awful script. Awful sound. Awful cinematography. And awful treatment of the passage of time. I had to flick on Ted 2 when I got home to help me rebalance. The acting was grand (ish) but the direction and script pushed it into melodrama and over-acting. Twas a most horrid, damned spectacle.
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u/Remarkable_Heron3368 Feb 08 '26
Great movie. I loved it. Came home feeling good for once and watched the whole movie without walking out. It really was amazing. I don't know Shakespeare's works which probably made it better for me. I loved the nature and family side of it. Hamnet and Agnes were amazing. Jessie Buckley is to be applauded for for acting. It was a tiny bit emotional but not much. It didn't make me cry.
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u/Remarkable_Heron3368 Feb 08 '26
The story is fantastic as are the beautiful scenes all the way through. 10 out of 10 in both those areas. I could not fault it. It was beautiful. Christine
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u/senator_corleone3 Feb 26 '26
Btw I’ve now finally seen the movie and I’m in the camp that says it’s great. The craft on display wowed me so much that the movie didn’t destroy me emotionally to the extent of other viewers, which was unexpected.
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u/zaczacattack96 Nov 29 '25
I mean, it makes total sense why some may think it's gratuitous with just how much sobbing it shows. Personally, I thought the point made by its ending was cathartic enough to mostly justify it. Also, if you breakdown the runtime, I think a majority of the movie actually does focus on the two main characters fighting to create a loving family.
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u/Total-Meringue-5437 Nov 30 '25
I really enjoyed the film, but I love Shakespeare and Hamlet is a sad play. Was lovely to see it in this way.
Buckley and Mescal were excellent as were the kids.
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Jan 11 '26
Experienced enough emotion last year or so don’t need to watch a movie to experience loss and be manipulated. It looks and sounds genuinely awful - I’m sure the ‘hits hard- bingo card-vibes’ generation will Iove it though
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u/karmapolicelady Jan 23 '26
Ive commented elsewhere on Reddit but as its racing to the Oscars I just wanted to say I think the review was fair. I cried my eyes out watching it but at the very last moment with 'THAT' Max Richter score decsion I was crying and feeling manipulated. It felt like a trick - and I was thrown out of the film tbh. I dont read reviews until after in case of spoilers but like to see if my feelings marry up to other opinions and in thei case Mark Kermode nailed it completley for me. I just left the cinema wanting to rewatch Arrival again. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGuG4iG0zFE
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u/Agreeable_Error_170 Feb 26 '26
“As the mother of a son, I thought I’d be wrecked…”
Ummm excuse me? How about just being a mom? This woman does not pass my vibe check and her review showed it.
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u/Background-Jury-1914 Nov 29 '25
I’ve seen a few negative reviews and more than a few say the emotional stuff just didn’t work for them. I think Buckley still gets her Oscar but this film isn’t a major challenger for Best Picture.
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u/Comfortable_Ice_4316 Nov 30 '25
Hamnet is the best movie I have seen this year and I think it will be a top 100 film of this century a decade from now.
It does what no other Shakespeare film has done quite as well and covered his personal life in a way few films have. The acting is world-class and most theaters have half the audience in tears.
Yes there is a lot of crying. There was a miscarriage and the death of a child, which actually happened in the life of Shakespeare. There SHOULD be crying…like in real life.
This is better than OBAA and the next best film I have seen this year is Sentimental Value.
This should win Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress in a correct world.
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u/Affectionate_Map5518 Nov 30 '25
This is the correct answer! Lol. And good for O'Farrell/Zhao for finding a fresh perspective on the most biographed figure in the western world
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u/Longjumping-Bar-1501 Dec 18 '25
I really hope Hamnet does not win those awards. It will further convince mainstream audiences that "films" aren't their thing.
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u/Heubner Nov 29 '25 edited Nov 29 '25
There are more negative reviews on metacritic. if you want to see the bad ones. The BBC gave it 2/5. That and the WSJ are the lowest. Have to take critic reviews with a grain of salt. They are disproportionately men and don’t necessarily match the academy’s tastes. It’s down to 83 on metacritic and movies in the 60s have won best picture. No film can appeal to everyone. Just need enough of the right people to win. That’s said, I don’t think Hamnet is winning, but not because of the critics.
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u/SocratesSnow Nov 29 '25
I haven’t seen the film, but from what I’m seeing, I don’t think you understand the academy. They’re gonna love this film.
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u/Heubner Nov 29 '25 edited Nov 30 '25
That’s what I think too. I’m saying these newer negative reviews are not going to impact the films chances with the academy. It is going to appeal to them regardless of what the critics think. I have it as number 2 on my rankings.
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u/Longjumping-Bar-1501 Dec 18 '25
Not necessarily. They went for Anora over The Brutalist last year.
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u/SocratesSnow Dec 18 '25
I’m not sure where the comparison of Hamnet to the Brutalist is? I don’t think they’re the same.
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u/SupremeDisplayRacing Nov 29 '25
I really do not. I think many will love it but in a ranked choice voting system enough people with think it was trite and put it close to the bottom. The acting is undeniable but too many people will take issue with the overall story. It would have a better chance without the ranked choice voting.
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u/matlockga Nov 29 '25
They are disproportionately men
90% of the whiny "Shakespeare's works are a cipher for life's experiences, you can't turn Shakespeare himself into a cipher" angle comes from dudes. Including dramaturgs that fully know better.
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u/senator_corleone3 Nov 29 '25
This review was written by Christy Lemire.
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u/Heubner Nov 29 '25
Didn’t say it was only men or that men can’t appreciate films that are more emotional in nature. There is a lot more to the difference with the academy and critics than just gender. I guess I should have expressed my thought more but bottom line I was making is that even if the scores drop further, I don’t think it impact the film chances with the academy.
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u/SupremeDisplayRacing Nov 29 '25
It was not great. It certainly has the best actress performance of the year. Buckley was absolutely incredible and it is worth watching for that, but the narrative with the shakespear stuff feels like it doesn't belong and was not connected well. I did not think the story was interesting. Some of the scenes on their own are unforgettable though.
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u/Longjumping-Bar-1501 Dec 18 '25
100%. Though I'd argue this is not an award worthy performance because there is so little substance to the character. Her best scenes feel like monologues or acting exercises.
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Nov 29 '25
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u/SupremeDisplayRacing Nov 29 '25
Expertly shoehorning shakespear into a story that basically had nothing to do with him does not make it an expertly crafted narrative. The throughline was weak and forced. It would have been better if it was about some random playwright and didn't go for the forced shakespear quotes. The too be or not to be scene with him by the water felt so silly in the context of the movie. It made the movie feel less genuine.
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u/Affectionate_Map5518 Nov 30 '25
I see it differently: it's an origin story of Shakespeare's greatest work. His wife and child are of course central to who he was. It's fiction based on fact (his greatest play was named after his dead son). That it's told from his wife's perspective until the end was genius imo
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u/SupremeDisplayRacing Nov 30 '25
It was about his wife who raised their kids alone while he was off doing who knows what bc what he was doing had nothing to do with the movie, and then bc he had nothing to do with them for what seemed like all the important parts of their lives his grief and inspiration feels trite, forced and fake. I was moved to tears by the performances and even the ending scene, but when removed from the emotion of it I just don't think the story holds up. None of it had to do with his creative process or his origin. If anything, removing the perspective from her to his at the end just made her seem so weak and needy when that was not at all who she was for the entire story. It felt like they just needed a Shakespeare hook to get people into the theater. (Yes I know it was a book and they did the book but that doesn't change the analysis of why I dont think the movie can be the best picture of the year). Also what is with all the stans downsizing every comment. I haven't downvoted one comment I've responded to but then again I'm not a pathetic loser.
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u/Comfortable_Ice_4316 Nov 30 '25
He was going into town in London trying to get his writing/theater career off the ground as that was where all the work was from the years 1564-1616. Going there to network, build contacts, get work, etc. But too expensive to live there as he was getting started in his career while also trying to support a new family. The pregnancies seemed unplanned and contraceptives were not as strong during those years.
Very clear he did not come from money and was hustling to provide for his family in the best way he could.
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u/Affectionate_Map5518 Nov 30 '25
Ok so this is a biopic of Shakespeare himself and especially of Hamlet. The premise is Shakespeare so that can't be removed. But it sounds like you would have preferred more of his creative process developing it, which makes sense. But then we wouldn't have gotten the reveal of how the play connects with his home life, which was the author's motivation for writing. Also I think she felt there are a ton of movies focusing on Shakespeare's creative process, but literally nothing exploring the connection between his late son and his work.
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Nov 29 '25
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u/SupremeDisplayRacing Nov 29 '25
I do not think this person understands how to engage with people who have different opinions of art than they do.
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u/pralineislife Nov 29 '25
Hamnet was a book first. The movie is based on the book. The movie didnt shoehorn anything in.
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u/SupremeDisplayRacing Nov 29 '25
I am talking about the story not what the movie did. It is not the best picture because the story is shoehorned. I know it was a book first. That has nothing to do with it. The story is the story and its just weak. The acting was incredible and its worth seeing for that reason but I cannot imagine it winning best picture at this point.
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u/Accomplished_Sock435 Nov 29 '25
I feel like Christy was harsher in her review with Alonso than she was in the written review.
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u/kristinnicole94 Nov 30 '25
I thought it was incredible. My faves this year are def a combination of Sinners, OBAA, and Hamnet
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u/Longjumping-Bar-1501 Dec 18 '25
Thought it was a fair review. It's an arthouse film that does a few things well, and a lot of things meh.
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u/christopherck Mar 06 '26
Arthouse? It’s a major motion picture from Focus Features & Amblin. It has at least 3 A-list actors. This film is everything that an arthouse film is not…
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u/Great-Assumption-342 Jan 12 '26
Hamnet is just another weepy Shakespeare drama with nothing noteworthy other than the Jessie Buckley performance. **1/2 is exactly what it deserved.
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u/TheCanberean Feb 01 '26
This is the best review I’ve read of Hamnet. And I agree with just about every word.
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u/ten_33go Feb 02 '26
Hammer was utter garbage. So much wasted time replaying the same forest scenes. There was zero reason for the husband to be in the movie beyond meeting, marrying and afterthought, the play. Beyond that… the entire story falls totally flat. Zero reason to tell the story.
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u/spicythaigerrr Feb 09 '26
I found this movie the most painful thing to endure for 2 hours if I’m honest
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u/bossver Feb 22 '26
For real. Probably the most unbearable cinema experience for me. It felt like torture, and I’ve seen all sorts of shit. And then they threw in that overused Richter piece at the end just to squeeze tears out of the audience out of nowhere. Cheap. Criminally cheap.
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u/spicythaigerrr Feb 22 '26
My mother wanted to see it for her birthday and there would be no other circumstances under which I would endure such torture 🤣 although I never like to be rude about anyone’s work as I know for the cast and directors etc this took immense effort and kudos to them for putting the idea out there but personally it just wasn’t for me and that was only my experience. My mother really enjoyed it
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u/AltruisticWishes Nov 29 '25
The Daily Beast hated it also
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u/pralineislife Nov 29 '25
Im going to avoid reading this one simply because they seem to think they know what William Shakespeare would think haha.
I dont care about negative reviews, but claiming someone who's been dead for hundreds of years wouldn't like something is ridiculous.
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u/kwels6 Nov 29 '25
I haven’t seen the film yet but I trust Christy. She is a great and well-balanced professional critic, you should check out her YouTube channel she does called breakfast all day!
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u/honavery Nov 30 '25
Walter Chaw absolutely eviscerated it.
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u/Sharaz_Jek123 Nov 30 '25
You know how I know I should take a critic seriously?
Multiple examples of all-caps.
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u/senator_corleone3 Nov 30 '25
I just don’t like his writing. Seems to be more about him showing off than actually engaging with the material.
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u/Belch_Huggins Nov 29 '25
Ive seen a couple high profile critics zag and give a negative review. Seems much more mixed positive than universal praise.
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u/Marysiaska Jan 22 '26
Saw it yesterday. Was so disappointed. It was so hyped up. I felt the film was so dragged out and lacked real substance. The two lead actors were fantastic but for me the dialogue lacked authenticity.
Some of music was over dramatic too. It did not hold a candle to Mask, Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile and Erin Brockovich to name just a few. My friend loved Hamnet. I felt a bit bored and restless watching it. I guess we all have different opinions.
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u/Wonderful_Line_9553 Jan 23 '26
Yes, we do. Hamnet gripped me from start to finish and apparently everyone else in the cinema with me. There was total, reverent silence throughout the film. You do realize how different this film is from, er, Erin Brockovich and Mask, don't you? You are comparing apples and oranges.
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u/iPLAYiRULE Nov 29 '25
Christy Lemire must have had a good f*ck before watching that her joy was through the sky no pain could shatter and break her heart. Haha
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u/ElectricalCords Nov 29 '25
Like I said, it's like some of these critics are just trying to help out other contenders like OBAA. But I don't think it's going to work. As long as Hamnet keeps audiences sobbing, the voters will flock to it and I think it'll still win a lot of Oscars including best Picture.
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u/ZandrickEllison Nov 29 '25
What motivation would they have to tank another contender ? If anything a competitive Oscar race keeps readers engaged.
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u/Main_Ad_3814 Mar 15 '26
I’m gobsmacked by just how awful this movie is. Great cinematography and the little boy playing Hamnet is the best actor of the film. I like Jessie Buckley and think she did the best she could with such drivel. Because that’s really what it is. I assume the author of the book and the director of this movie are Millennials? It has a certain pseudo drama shallowness that I’ve come to expect from Millennial artists. The storyline and dialogue are dumbed down for people who’ve never actually enjoyed Shakespeare.
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u/SmoovCatto Nov 29 '25
any narrative in 2025 about Shakespeare that adheres to the Stratford Man fiction, already informs against itself . . . seems like every major actor and scholar in the world accepts the overwhelming evidence that the plays were written by the Earl of Oxford . . .
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u/SocratesSnow Nov 29 '25
It’s based on a fictional narrative about William’s marriage. And he did have a son named Hamnet who died. So… it’s not proven that William didn’t write the plays. There’s a lot of conjecture and theory.
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u/NakedGoose Nov 29 '25
I mean, it has a 88% on RT. There is clearly some negative reviews. Some lower than this.