Hamnet

 Hamnet poster

 

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   Tuesday 12 May 2026 at 8.00pm (doors open 7.30pm) at Haddenham Village Hall

HAMNET (12A)

125 mins

Director:  Chloe Zhou

Starring:  Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal, Emily Watson

Synopsis:

The film opens with Agnes, a young woman with a wild, "witchy" reputation, falling in love with a young Latin tutor—the man who will become the famous William Shakespeare. Agnes and her husband marry and have three children: Susanna, and twins Judith and Hamnet. While William moves to London to pursue his career, Agnes stays in Stratford to manage the household. The story centers on the sudden death of their son Hamnet in 1596, exploring the family's intense grief and the strain it places on the marriage. William writes his play Hamlet as a means of coping with his grief.

Awards:  one Oscar, two BAFTAs, two Golden Globes 

Reviews:

"The film is impeccably directed by Chloé Zhao." ***** THE TIMES

"What Hamnet leaves you with isn’t sadness, but joy – at the human capacity to reckon with death’s implacability through art, or love, or just the basic act of carrying-on in its defiance. It blows you back on to the street on a gust of pure exhilaration." ***** DAILY TELEGRAPH

"Mescal, rightly, takes a back seat while Buckley lets rip with the most astounding ferocity. It is ruthlessly manipulative and maybe you will be able to resist. But I’d take a hanky all the same." SPECTATOR