Unforgettable Historical Movie Premieres in 5 Months, Rave Reviews Spark Anticipation!

Is Chloé Zhao back on top? Shortly after her Oscar wins for Best Picture and Best Director with “Nomadland” in early 2021, she ventured into the Marvel Cinematic Universe with “Eternals,” which met mixed results both on-screen (its visual flair and diversity clashed with a demanding set of expectations) and at the box office ($402 million in revenue, in theaters still affected by Covid).

Four years later, the chances of a sequel dwindle day by day (with its characters not yet planned, for now, in “Avengers Doomsday”), but the director has already shifted her focus elsewhere: to the past and the life of William Shakespeare, which she revisits in “Hamnet,” based on the eponymous book by Maggie O’Farrell from 2020 that successfully transitioned to theater, where the novelist imagined how the death of his son had inspired “Hamlet” to the Bard.

Scheduled for release on November 27 in the United States and January 21, 2026, in France, the feature film starring Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley is poised for success. Based on the first reviews published in the media following its presentation at the Telluride Festival, all the elements seem aligned for this outcome.

Dan Mecca – The Film Stage : “Hamnet is an outstanding work of empathy and the best film Chloé Zhao has made by far.”

Sophie Ciminello – AwardsWatch : “Hamnet is as gentle as a whisper and as formidable as a soliloquy, breathing new life into Shakespeare’s tragic masterpiece. It’s Chloé Zhao’s most expansive work to date. [Paul] Mescal portrays Shakespeare like never before.”

Joey Magidson – Awards Radar : “Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal will bring you to tears in Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet.”

“The best film Chloé Zhao has directed, by far”

David Ehrlich – Indiewire : “Anchored by Jessie Buckley’s raw and astonishing performance, Hamnet never risks reducing Agnes [her character] to a trope. Instead, the film considers her a creative force even more powerful than her husband.”

Carla Renata – TheWrap : “Jessie Buckley is nothing short of magical. She can break your heart with a mere gesture or look and is, simply put, brilliant.”

Joey Moser – The Contending : “Zhao’s film is one of the best of the year. You will never forget it.”

“One of the best films of the year”

Pete Hammond – Deadline Hollywood Daily : “Hamnet, with its two stars and director reaching new heights, knocked me out.”

Angie Han – The Hollywood Reporter : “Just as William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal) transforms his pain of being torn [between joy and fear, love and loss] into the masterpiece that is Hamlet, Chloé Zhao blends these elements into something beautiful and cathartic.”

Peter Debruge – Variety : “Hamnet is so raw emotionally that it can almost be harrowing at times, with a heroic performance by Jessie Buckley as Shakespeare’s wife and mother of his children – yet, as she is portrayed, she could be all of our mother.”

“A true emotional experience”

Bilge Ebiri – Vulture : “As flawless as a work of art can be. Yet here is a film that dares to explore its creation. The attempt itself is noble, and perhaps a bit audacious; its success seems downright supernatural.”

Daniel Howat – Next Best Picture : “Hamnet is not just a masterful film; it’s a true emotional experience from a director tapping into something remarkable.”

Gregory Ellwood – The Playlist : “[Chloé] Zhao has found a way for the already talented [Jessie] Buckley and [Paul] Mescal to extract their performances from the deepest core of their being.”

Just under five months left before “Hamnet” hits theaters, hang in there.