“Hamnet” Prioritizes Manipulation Over Emotional Resonance, Critics Say
Despite strong performances from Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal, Chloé Zhao’s latest film is accused of prioritizing tearjerking over genuine emotional depth in its retelling of the Shakespearean tragedy.
Chloé Zhao’s “Hamnet,” adapted from Maggie O’Farrell’s 2020 novel, arrives with a clear directive: “Keep your heart open.” However, according to a recent review, a more fitting demand might be “keep your eyes open,” as the film spends its 126 minutes “mistaking tranquility for tension” and relying on manipulative tactics rather than authentic storytelling. The film explores the grief of William Shakespeare’s wife, Agnes (played by Jessie Buckley), following the death of their son, Hamnet, and its purported influence on the creation of “Hamlet.”
The review contends that “Hamnet” frequently substitutes genuine emotional connection for “a cheap shot to draw as many tears from the viewer as possible.” This is particularly striking given the story’s foundation – a mother’s loss and the birth of a literary masterpiece. “If you’ve ever experienced loss or read ‘Hamlet’—so if you’re most people on Earth—you’re an easy mark for Zhao’s weepy, cinematic schmaltz,” one critic observes.
From the outset, the film telegraphs Hamnet’s fate, forcing the audience into a state of anticipatory grief. This, the review argues, feels less like organic storytelling and more like “a rusty, emotional crowbar” forcing open the viewer’s heart. The film’s intention, it suggests, isn’t to draw empathy from the depths of the soul, but rather to compel the audience to do all the emotional work themselves.
While Zhao’s visual style – showcased in previous films like “Nomadland” and “The Rider” – is acknowledged for its beauty, it’s also seen as a tool to elicit emotion rather than a natural extension of the narrative. Agnes, portrayed by Buckley, is described as a “nymphish, perceptive young woman” connected to the natural world, mirroring her depiction in O’Farrell’s novel. However, the review notes that even Buckley’s strong performance is ultimately undermined by a script that prioritizes histrionics over nuanced emotional exploration.
Jacobi Jupe, as Hamnet, receives praise for delivering a performance that surpasses his adult costars. However, the critic laments that the film withholds meaningful time with Hamnet himself, instead focusing on his mother’s suffering. “How can we be expected to feel the same bone-deep despair as Agnes if our time with Hamnet is cut so short?” the review asks.
The film’s depiction of grief is further criticized for its lack of subtlety, oscillating between “loud monotony or total silence” without exploring the complex shades of emotion in between. The climactic scene, featuring Paul Mescal’s Shakespeare improvising the “to be or not to be” soliloquy, is dismissed as “a satire of lachrymose Oscar bait.”
The use of Max Richter’s “On the Nature of Daylight” is also singled out as a manipulative tactic, leveraging the song’s emotional weight in other prominent films – including “The Last of Us” and “Arrival” – to elicit a predictable response from the audience. The review suggests Zhao is “commanding the viewer to be tender” through a relentless barrage of anguish.
Ultimately, “Hamnet” is characterized as “a trauma dump” that “heaps so much shock and distress onto the viewer” in an attempt to force catharsis. The film’s ambition to connect Shakespeare’s personal tragedy with the creation of “Hamlet” is seen as ultimately hollow, reducing the play to a single element rather than acknowledging its multifaceted nature. The review concludes that “Hamnet” is “an exercise in performance” that prioritizes affecting the audience over genuine storytelling, leaving viewers feeling emotionally manipulated rather than deeply moved.
