The APAHM Project Day 15: Hamnet
- Lauren
- May 15
- 7 min read
Movie: Hamnet
Directed By: Chloe Zhao
Release: 2025
Where to Watch: Peacock
Why It Made The List:
Chloe Zhao became the second woman in the 93-year history of the Academy Awards to be nominated for Best Director in 2021. She took home the Oscar for her film Nomadland (covered in 2021's APAHM Project). In 2026, Zhao became the only woman ever nominated for Best Director twice, with her film, Hamnet. Hamnet was also nominated for Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay (Zhao and Maggie O'Farrell (the author of Hamnet), Best Casting (Nina Gold), Best Costume Design (Malgosia Turzanska), Best Production Design (Fiona Crombie and Alice Felton), Best Original Score, and won Best Actress for Jessie Buckley's performance.
My Thoughts:
Going into Hamnet, I had no idea what it was about beyond having to do with Shakespeare's Hamlet. I had a feeling based on the clips I saw that it was maybe connected to the making of Hamlet, but it never in my brain that spoiler alert Paul Mescal was William Shakespeare and Jessie Buckley was Agnes (Anne) Hathaway end spoiler. But I am a fan of both Mescal and Zhao, and I was intrigued to see what both of them had up their sleeves.
Hamnet's, despite the film's name and being one of Shakespeare's greatest works, main focus isn't on Shakespeare or his son, Hamnet, at all. It is on Agnes, the "odd," resilient, brave, and clever wife of Shakespeare and mother of Hamnet, Judith, and Susanna. However, isn't it funny, how we often associate women's identity with their relationship to others? I had always known Shakespeare's wife to be Anne. But in Hamnet, Zhao and O'Farrell change Anne's name to Agnes (as it is written in her father's will in real life) and keep William's identity a secret until the climax of the film. This way, the audience is able to disassociate Agnes as Shakespeare's wife and focus on her other character traits that give her an identity outside of her husband.
Agnes is well-connected with nature. The film opens with her walking in a forest and summoning a hawk who she is familiar with. Her family hired William as a tutor and he is told by his mother she is born from a forest witch. Agnes is extremely versed in herbs and herbal medicine. Her late mother also was skilled in this way, and Agnes feels most like herself in the forest. This detail is one reason why I think Zhao was a great choice for director. Her film Nomadland really connected audiences and her characters to the land around them. I think Zhao's approach to filmmaking feels very nomadic in many ways. Even as she described the process for scoring the film, she connected the characters to a natural rhythm they produce.
Soon, Agnes and William welcome their first child, Susanna. She is born in the forest, with no one present. This later foreshadows William's absence. They navigate parenthood together, but William has a hard time writing and lashes out at Agnes. Recognizing his physiological state, Agnes suggests William head for London, even though she is with child. She believes he will thrive there. However, she chooses to stay behind while he gets settled and looks for lodging. Agnes stays with her mother-in-law, who initially dislikes her (I mean, she called her a witch), and brother, Bartholomew. Agnes wishes to return to the forest to birth her second child, but a rainstorm (and her now more compassionate mother-in-law) prevent her from doing so and she has a home birth. After delivering a boy, the midwife announces twins, and Agnes gives birth to a stillborn daughter. Agnes remembers her mother's death, which was during childbirth, and how the midwife advises her father to remarry quickly so the children do not remember their birth mother. Agnes' daughter awakens and she names her Judith.
It was really lovely to see William's mother come around to Agnes. She talks her through the delivery and supports her. Especially when William wasn't present (again) for the birth of his children. It was equally despicable that the midwife told Agnes' father to replace her mother. This suggests that a mother's role in a child's life is cookie-cutter or one-size-fits-all. A mother figure can teach you things, sure. But there is no replacing someone's mother when you are as close to her as Agnes was. To say all a mother does is feed, clean, care, etc. for a child and household reduces them to interchangeable and vastly wide catchalls. Agnes claims on multiple occasions that her birth mother is her only true mother; not a witch or a replacement.
Flash forward, and the children are older and William has just come home from London. They enjoy time together as a family when Agnes has a feeling something has shifted. Her hawk has died, and the family pays their respect. They make wishes during their blessings. William asks when Agnes and the children might join him in London. Agnes uses Judith's weak immune system as an excuse, but in truth, she loves the forest too much to leave. William leaves for London again and Judith becomes deathly ill. Hamnet, after promising to his father to be brave, tricks death and his twin is no longer sick. Instead, it is Hamnet who dies. Agnes did everything she could, every plant and remedy she could think of, but even her herbs could not save him. William returns to find Judith in good health, but sees Agnes and his mother wrapping Hamnet's body. Depressed, Agnes repeatedly reminds William he was not there. He has no right to tell her to calm down or that Hamnet's death was not tragic. Because he wasn't there.
This reminds me so much of how the internet is reminding us that in previous generations, women often stayed behind so that men could succeed. We see a lot of wives quit their jobs, put their education, their dreams on hold so that they can keep the house clean, raise the kids, cook, etc. This is definitely the case for Agnes. She encourages William to pursue his writing in London and offers to stay behind. But now there is resentment. She is mad that William has not been there and missed many of their children's moments. She sees the tears after William says goodbye. Behind every successful man is a woman. But behind every successful woman is herself. However, I have always had qualms about that last sentence, because I believe that behind every successful woman are even more women who lift her up. I love how Agnes really ended up having a great relationship with Mary, William's mother. Without her, raising and taking care of the kids would be that much harder. When Agnes cried out for her mother during the twin's delivery, it was Mary who held her close.
Agnes' stepmother informs her that the whole town of Stratford is talking about his latest tragedy, Hamlet. Agnes and her brother travel to the Globe Theater to find out William has been living in its attic instead of the Shakespeare's new home, the largest in all of Stratford. Agnes sees the beginning scenes of Hamlet and believes they are mocking her son. She is outraged. But once she sees William's portrayal of Hamlet's father's ghost, she understands this is William's way of coping with Hamnet's death. He had asked where did he go? He didn't just vanish. During Hamlet's death scene, Agnes, standing in the front row, reaches for the actor's hand. The audience follows suit, resulting in a beautiful and moving scene. Finally receiving closure, Agnes laughs and smiles.
The themes of death, life, love, and art are all universal. But it takes a true artist to balance all of these and make a film like Hamnet. Zhao has proven she is an expert in all of these and delivers a beautiful, poignant, and moving story. Buckley gives an authentic performance that shows the highs and lows of being a mother and a woman. Her pain was our pain. Her healing was our healing. Agnes, dressed in all red, was the "beating heart" of the story. We all are too familiar with William's impact and history. Hamnet allows us to honor who was able to make it all possible.
In Conclusion:
In the behind the scenes segment, Zhao begins by stating she was unsure she was the right fit to direct and write Hamnet. However, as the segment continues, you hear how the cast and crew all admire and praise Zhao. She created dance breaks after heavy scenes. She cultivated an environment that was safe and honored the other's contributions. She assembled an amazing and talented team (as proven by the film's Oscar nominations), in which there were many women department heads, as named at the beginning of this post. Zhao also was an editor on Hamnet. When I first considered working in film, I wanted to be an editor. I had read somewhere that it's really an editor who has the sort of final say in how the movie looks and is told. I love that Zhao edits her own films. It's a nice metaphor that you are not going to allow someone else to tell your story. You have autonomy in how you are remembered. I know Anne Hathaway didn't get that luxury.
While it's been a few years since we've seen Zhao (even if you include The Eternals), her comeback was nothing short of riveting. Hamnet was such a beautiful and emotional film. And although none of Zhao's work is at all related to the AAHPI experience, I think it really speaks to the versatility and universal filmmaking Zhao possess. Again, themes like love, grief, and art are not exclusive to one race, one sex, one religion. It's something any human can relate to, and I am so glad that the producers recognized Zhao expertise for artistry and storytelling.
Shout Out!
Today's shoutout goes to MizuLab! MizuLab creates Asian-inspired flavored electrolyte mix! Founded by two Korean women, Angelina and Soomi set out to find a solution for dehydration that was also delicious and celebrated the unique flavors of our countries! I personally know that I am not drinking enough water throughout the day. And when I want to reach for a soda or a sweet tea (it's the Southerner in me), I reach for a MizuLab packet instead. They look and work just like your popular brands, but honestly tastes so much better. I don't think there's a single flavor I dislike. Thankfully, there are multi-packs available so you can try them all! I love finding products I'm already buying but that are owned by small businesses and/or POC! Be sure to check them out!
If You Liked This, You Might Also Like:
Sense and Sensibilty on Prime, Peacock, Roku
Nomadland on VOD
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