Hamnet 🎬 ★★★★☆

Watched: Hamnet 🎬

First things first: Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley are brilliant in Hamnet, it’s well worth the two hours' run time and keeps you engaged throughout, and the sound design and photography is amazing.

However… based on all the articles and previews I read, I was expecting to be sobbing and ugly crying throughout the film, but it wasn’t as weepy as I was expecting. I’m someone who has a good cry at films and books and there were moments when tears fell during Hamnet, but not torrents like I was expecting. That could be a good or bad thing depending on your point of view. I’m kind of aligned with Mark Kermode’s review, I suppose, though I disagree with what he said about being aware of being manipulated into feeling overcome with emotion.

Objectively a great film, but doesn’t get the full five stars from me, mainly because I’m reserving five stars for films I would happily watch again and again, like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.