In which the Kid 1 joins me in reviewing HAMNET (2025), from a screenplay by Chloé Zhao and Maggie O’Farrell, the film is directed by Chloé Zhao.  Based on Maggie O’Farrell’s novel, HAMNET, the film follows the passionate and unconventional marriage between Agnes (an incandescent performance by Jessie Buckley), a mystical healer and falconer, and her husband William (equally outstanding, Paul Mescal), a struggling young playwright.  When their family is struck by a sudden tragedy after their young son Hamnet contracts the plague, the couple must navigate a profound and agonizing grief that threatens to pull them apart.  The film explores the intimate emotional journey of a mother’s mourning and a father’s creative struggle, ultimately tracing the painful inspiration behind one of the most famous masterpieces in literary history.  The film clocks in at 2 h and 5 m, is rated PG-13 and is currently in theaters.  Please note there are SPOILERS in this review.
#Hamnet #MaggieOFarrell #ChloeZhao #JessieBuckley #Agnes #PaulMescal #Will #JoeAlwyn #Bartholomew #EmilyWatson #Mary #JacobiJupe #Hamnet #OliviaLynes #Judith #BodhiRaeBreathnach #Susanna #NoahJupe #Hamlet #CostumeDrama #PeriodDrama #History #Romance #PsychologicalDrama #Tragedy #Drama #Biography

#FridayFamilyFilmNight

Opening intro music: GOAT by Wayne Jones, courtesy of YouTube Audio Library