Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet is nothing short of a masterpiece to say the least that. Zhao adapts the beautiful source material into one of the most raw, intense and emotional depictions of grief, and living through it, that we’ve ever seen. This movie is one of the finest of the decade thus far, and will not only be a frontrunner for the People’s Choice, but also in every award race this year.

Based on Maggie O’Farrell’s bestselling novel and co-writing the script with her, Hamnet is dramatized adaptation of William Shakespeare and his family life. It’s not a biopic, notably calling his wife Agnes Shakespeare (loosely based on Shakespeare’s real wife Anne Hathaway), and instead giving her a whole new identity. This is where the heart and soul of the movie is found in Jessie Buckley’s all-time performance as a grieving mother just trying to get by as her husband finds other ways to grieve and cope with the tragic loss at the start of this movie. It’s truly magnificent to see unfold over time.

Hamnet’s narrative arc surprisingly simple and straightforward, but beneath this lies one of the most complex and layered arcs I can remember in recent memory. Zhao molds this story into HER film and a character analysis on absence, grief, and creativity oddly enough. This movie doesn’t hold back any punches and will make sure you leave feeling like you were a hit by a truck, guard up or not. The grief is the foundation of this movie and without it, we might be witnessing a completely different story as we know it.

We already discussed the Oscar-caliber performance of Buckley but we’d be remise not to talk about Paul Mescal as the legendary playwright. This is by far one of my favourite depictions of Shakespeare, partially due to how it strays away from the typical aspects of the character and no hallmark is in sight. It’s a completely unique version of the charactrer that is easy to love and hate, often being present in one scene and eerily distant in the next. The internal power struggle between his work and his personal life is another layer to this movie that is quietly the unsung hero of Hannet. His chemistry with Buckley is off the charts and palpable.

Hamnet is an unforgettable love story. It’s not the kind of movie you should watch alone, let alone at 9 in the morning like we did. With an all-time performance from Jessie Buckley, Chloe Zhao delivers her best work to date and what is sure to be a frontrunner for the Oscar race this year. I’m an emotional wreck right now and am speechless.