A staggering portrait of love and loss that inspired the creation of Shakespeare’s timeless masterpiece, Hamlet.

Director: Chloe Zhao

Cast: Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal, Emily Watson, Joe Alwyn

Classification: 12

Running Time: 120 minutes

Warnings: Mature themes, violence and suicide

What our Critics say:

HAMNET – “Keep your heart open.” Based on Maggie O’Farrel’s 2020 novel, Oscar winning Director Chloe Zhao creates a beautiful meditation on the family life of William Shakespeare and his wife Agnes Hathaway as they process the death of their 11-year-old son, Hamnet. Featuring an award winning performance by Jessie Buckley and guilt ridden despair from Paul Mescal’s Shakespeare, Zhao takes us on a journey of grief in search of understanding and happiness.

The film won numerous International accolades including Baftas and an Oscar nomination.

Come and witness an cinematic experience that is as emotionally devastating as it is masterfully crafted.

Filmy fact: Parts of the film were shot in Devon, using local crew including onset teachers for the children and VFX artists working in North Devon!

Come and chat with John after the screening and find out more about his work in visual effects on this film.

The Critics Choice Cinema is a film programme curated by 2 local Film Experts, John Sellings and Graeme Kennedy. Graeame is an illustrator, writer, designer and film-maker with his work being shown both nationally and internationally. John works in visual effects (VFX) mostly as a Senior Compositor. His recent credits include Hamnet, Mission Impossible and The Little Mermaid. 

Meet Our Critics: One of our Critics will be on hand to introduce each film and you are welcome to join us in the bar for a post screening chat about the film.