Ian McKellen has revealed that he isn’t a fan of Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet, saying that he “doesn’t quite get it”.
The film centres around the grief of William Shakespeare and his wife Agnes over the death of their son, and explores how the experience may have inspired the legendary playwright to write Hamlet.
Since its release in cinemas last month, the film has seen widespread critical success, and is one of the leading movies at this year’s Oscars – nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Adapted Screenplay, Casting, Costume Design, Production Design and Original Score, and Best Actress for Jessie Buckley.
However, one person who hasn’t shared the same praise for the movie is screen star and theatre legend Sir Ian McKellen.
In a new interview with The Times, the actor said that he was not as convinced by the film as many others, and suggested that the premise was unrealistic.
“I don’t quite get it,” he said. “I’m not very interested in trying to work out where Shakespeare’s imagination came from, but it certainly didn’t just come from family life.”
He then suggested that what he found most irksome was the “idea” that Shakespeare’s wife “Anne Hathaway had never seen a play before”.
“It’s improbable, considering what her husband did for a living,” he shared. “And she doesn’t seem to know what a play is! I think there are a few doubts of probability.”
Despite these issues he saw with the plot, McKellen went on to say that he was certain that Hamnet would do well at upcoming award ceremonies due to the subject matter, and recalled how similar films about Shakespeare have performed well despite what he considers to be unrealistic aspects.
“As Hamnet races towards the finishing line as far as Oscars are concerned, it’s likely to repeat the success of Shakespeare in Love, which had odd views as to how plays get put on,” he told the outlet. “But then Shakespeare was perhaps the most famous person who ever lived, so of course there is some interest in what he looked like, what his relationship with his family was.”
As well as the multiple Oscar nods, Hamnet has also seen Jessie Buckley win Best Actress at the 2026 Golden Globes, and is tipped to be a big winner at the BAFTAs later this month.
NME awarded the film four stars, writing: “Zhao’s direction is never quite naturalistic and occasionally feels heavy-handed: in one scene, we see William considering suicide by the River Thames while reciting Hamlet’s familiar “to be or not to be” soliloquy. But there’s no denying this is a powerful portrait of grief driven by a shattering performance from Buckley, who’s currently frontrunner to win Best Actress at this year’s Oscars.
“The Academy won’t struggle to find an isolated clip of her technical and emotional brilliance, but Hamnet really needs to be experienced in full. It’s a harrowing reminder that tragedy is stalking all of us and can’t be shouldered alone.”
The post Ian McKellen isn’t a fan of ‘Hamnet’: “I don’t quite get it” appeared first on NME.
Ian McKellen isn’t a fan of ‘Hamnet’: “I don’t quite get it”
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