Tag Archives: Drama

THE RIVALS OF AMZIAH KING – Review

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– By Cate Marquis –

THE RIVALS OF AMZIAH KING takes us inside a hidden world, of the cut-throat honey businesses in rural Oklahoma, in a tale about a beekeeper and bluegrass musician named Amziah King, played charmingly by Matthew McConaughey. The film starts out playful, with a streak of dark humor and filled with music and warm drama, before it abruptly switches midway, after a pivotal event, into a much darker mystery/action thriller. The turn almost makes it feel two different movies.

But it starts in the light, with Matthew McConaughey, at his most appealing best, playing the charismatic Amziah King, a musician and community leader who is both kind-hearted and sharp-witted, and also the owner of a honey extracting business. The character’s name is usual but fitting for the setting, where fiddle, banjo and mandolin tunes fill the air. Many early scenes are just musicians joyfully jamming, giving the first half a light, uplifting tone. As a beekeeper, Amziah extracts honey (it is the bees, not him, who make the honey, as he notes to an outsider), bottles the high-quality honey and sells it, but it seems like gathering other musicians for jam sessions or concerts seems his real occupation.

THE RIVALS OF AMZIAH KING, which also stars Kurt Russell (although he doesn’t appear until later in the film) begins as a musician-centered, slightly dark humored but warm-hearted tale, before things turn dark. In the opening scene, Amziah and a bunch of musicians gathered for a jam session at an old-style drive-in burger joint. A call from the police interrupts the concert, from the authorities who are looking for Amziah’s help in identifying some stolen honey – barrels of it – that they found in a truck at a traffic stop, after the driver ran off.

The early scenes introduce us to the cut-throat nature of the rural honey business in this corner of Oklahoma, as well as to the clever Amziah and his colorful cohorts. McConaughey plays up his Texas drawl but most of the characters sport country accents are so thick that one longs for subtitles at several points (and the film even has a little tongue-in-cheek fun with that, with one character whose accent is so dense, none of the other characters can understand him either). At one point, Amziah reconnects with a former foster child, Kateri (Angelina LookingGlass), and takes her on as sort of apprentice in the honey business, while warning her of the ruthless nature of the competition.

Actually, there are many more scenes built around music than bees and the honey business in this film but we do learn some things, both about bees and beekeeping, and about producing those bear-shaped bottles of honey in this first half of the film, which also showcases Amziah’s sterling personally qualities that make him so beloved in the community.

But about half-way, a crime sparks a sharp turn into something much darker, and the film transforms into a mystery/thriller about revenge and with some shocking twists. Both the film’s tone and its focus shift, as Angelina LookingGlass’ character takes the lead and Kurt Russell’s one comes into play. While both Amziah and Kurt Russell’s Dob McCoy are leaders in the community, they are very different kinds, morally and ethically.

Although this story is set in Oklahoma, it was filmed in Alabama, and so looks more green and wooded than many parts of Oklahoma are. Andrew Patterson both wrote and directs this film, with There are some delightful scenes with bees, and one that is comic, tense and informative, by turns, when McConaughey’s Amziah is called on to help a grade school that has been colonized by bees. The danger of bee-stings is brought up, and some ways to reduce that chance of that.

The acting is fine, again especially in the first half, with McConaughey shining in this charismatic role, Angelina LookingGlass charming us as well, as Kateri, who says she is “Native” (although she never gives a tribe or people) but was raised in a series of poor foster care after being take out of Amziah’s care when his wife died. Tony Revolori does a nice turn as Komar, a musician who tags along with buddy Remick (Jake Horowitz) to help out Amziah, but gets more trouble than he expects. The cast also includes Rob Morgan (particularly good here), and nice performances from Scott Shepherd, Cole Sprouse, Owen Teague and Catherine Dyer.

Frankly, I found the first half of the film, the part more about music, beekeeping and bees, more engaging than the second mystery/thriller half, despite that I am a fan of mysteries generally. Part of the reason is the shift Angelina LookingGlass’ character, revealing unsettling aspects under her appealing exterior. There are several disturbing moments, some shocking even, that put things that follow, and her character, in a very different light.

Some are hailing this film as “feel-good” and that certainly describes the playful, music-filled first half. The second half is another story, almost another film, where some very disturbing things occur that undermines the warm effect of the first half.

THE RIVALS OF AMZIAH KING opens in theaters on Friday, Aug. 15, 2026.

RATING: 2.5 out of 4 stars

ROSE OF NEVADA – Review

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– By Cate Marquis –

A fishing boat that vanished 30 years ago mysteriously returns to the harbor of a Cornish fishing village, launching the haunting supernatural drama ROSE OF NEVADA. George MacKay and Callum Turner star in this British tale, directed and written by BAFTA-winner Mark Jenkin. The supernatural mystery, which debuted at the Venice Film Festival and played the Toronto Film Festival last year, is the third in the auteur director’s Cornwall trilogy.

“So, it’s back” says local villager Mike (Edward Rowe) when he discovers the long-missing boat bobbing at the pier. The remark is said with mild surprise rather than the shock you might expect to greet the reappearance of a boat gone for three decades, leaving us with the feeling that the word “again” might be added.

Mike, an older man, balding, with longish blonde hair, is a former businessman who once owned this boat, the Rose of Nevada, which was lost a sea with all hands long ago. He takes its reappearance a sign, and soon after he spots it, discusses it’s return with another villager, a middle-aged woman named Tina (Rosalind Eleazar), as they stand on the pier gazing down at the old boat. These two are are among the few remaining who remember the lost boat, and their mysterious discussion focuses on that, and the prospect of sending the boat back out to sea, which requires finding a crew to do that.

Unsurprisingly, the boat is in poor shape, with broken, with faded red paint and tangled rusty cable strewn on its deck, looking like something that has been adrift in the ocean for a long time. The nearby village on the Cornwall coast also has clearly seen better days. Everything is faded and decaying, with rusting fishing equipment abandoned along streets and a village pub with a barely-readable sign and with few patrons inside. The sense is that the once-prosperous fishing village has fallen on hard times, and has been abandoned by many of its former residents.

In the run-down village, Nick (George MacKay) is a young husband and father, with a leaky roof and little money. Nick is a good person, who helps his elderly neighbors, the Richards (Adrian Rawlins and Mary Woodvine), who is kind to Mrs. Richards who is confused and still mourning her dead son. Meanwhile, a drifter named Liam (Callum Turner) arrives in the village, visits the nearly-empty local pub and chats with Tina’s daughter (Yana Penrose).

As Mike is cleaning up and restoring the boat, a grizzled man (Francis Magee) walks up and asks if he needs a skipper. There are hints that they have met before but little is clear. Later, Mike calls the man Murgey but we never hear the skipper say his name. Shortly after, the drifter Liam (Callum Turner) joins the skipper aboard as crew. Mike and Tina worry about completing the crew, which cannot leave with a short-handed, but then Nick turns up, and signs on to take the last spot on the crew, hoping to earn enough to fix his roof.

When leaving home, Nick told his wife he’ll only be gone three days, but as he heads to the boat, he is stopped by his neighbor, confused old Mrs. Richards, who seems to mistake him for her dead son and tells him she will see him soon, leaving Nick with an uneasy feeling.

There are other strange, foreboding signs but with the crew complete, the fishing boat prepares to depart. On board, more strange signs appear, like a message carved into the woodwork and a faded red cap off the old boat, but the crew ignore them and set to work fishing.

After three days of hard work fishing, the boat returns to the village, where the crew are shocked to hear they have been gone three years, not three days. Things look different in the little fishing village, better in fact. Signs are freshly painted, streets are clean and there is an air of prosperity. The crumbling pub is now bright and filled with people and life. When the young family man, headed for home, is pulled into the pub, he encounters people he knows, including his old neighbors, who, oddly, look much younger now. In the pub, Nick discovers the boat has returned to the time when it first left, traveling back in time thirty years. Even more unsettling, now everyone greets him and his crew mate Liam by the names of that original crew.

This strange time-traveling puzzle confounds and shocks both Liam and Nick, but MacKay’s Nick is particularly disturbed. Liam is surprised to be greeted at the dock by a younger version of the middle-aged Tina, now younger and with her little daughter in tow, who treats him as if they have a relationship, Nick is dismayed to find himself mistaken for the lost son of his old neighbors, now younger, and with no sign of his own little family. Horrified, Nick struggles to figure out how to understand, and correct, this weird situation, and focuses on returning to sea as a way to get back to the present.

Despite the foreshadowing, the time-travel comes as an unsettling twist, in part because everything appears so grounded in the real aboard the boat at sea. The story is a mystery with a ghostly, supernatural aspect but it is also about profoundly human things, about loss and grief, second chances, personal sacrifice and community, with what is owed to that community. Tragedy and heartbreak vie with a sense of hope and restoration in this thought-provoking supernatural drama.

Director Mark Jenkin does a masterful job building eerie tension and a sense of ghostly mystery right from the start. From the beginning, we sense that something supernatural, even ghostly, is afoot, although details about what that is come out slowly.

Jenkin is greatly aided by a strong cast, led by George MacKay, who gives a superb performance as Nick, the young family man who only wanted to earn some quick money but now finds himself in an intractable dilemma. The film touches on complex emotions, of loss and grief, of fear and frustration, many of which play out marvelously on MacKay’s expressive face.

The themes of loss and grief extend to other characters, but other feelings emerge for the other people in this supernatural tale, of hope and second chances. While MacKay’s Nick is desperate to return to the present and his family, the drifter Liam, played by Callum Turner, finds a chance for a new beginning in this new world and time. For Tina and the Richards, and the village as a whole, the mysterious changes bring a restoration of hope.

ROSE OF NEVADA is full of atmospheric unease and knotty choices but also is filled with visual beauty, with striking, artfully-composed images that a visual grace that is sometimes gasp-inducing. Jenkin shot the film on 16mm with a handheld camera which gives the film a distinctive, painterly look in many shots, but also suggests archival footage in other shots, with camera flare, scratches and other filmic effects. The skillful photography captures the wild beauty of the sea, the stately stone walls and gentle decay of old fisherman’s tools. Jenkin also shot the film without sound, adding sound and dialog later in post-production, with seamless effect.

MacKay’s character is rattled when he is mistaken for his neighbors’ lost son and tries desperately to find a way to reach out to his own family. As Nick works to unravel the mystery, a sense of horror grows about the true nature of what is taking place. He is thrown into emotional turmoil as he peels back layers of this complexity. Meanwhile, Turner’s once-homeless fellow crew member seems invigorated to find a second chance at life, embraced by a younger version of the woman who planned the trip, and her now-small daughter, as the man who went to sea thirty years earlier.

The ending of this British supernatural mystery is both disturbing and open-ended, and happens without explaining everything or tying things up neatly. It is the kind of ending more common in British films than American ones, and may leave some American audiences uncomfortable.

ROSE OF NEVADA opens Friday, Aug. 7, at the Hi Pointe Cinema and other select theaters.

RATING: 3 out of 4 stars

PRESSURE (2026) – Review

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How about that, here’s another movie for grown-ups in theatres near the very start of the big Summer season of blockbusters. Yes, they’re usually saved for the end of the year for the big awards. Speaking of those accolades, this new film stars an Oscar-winning actor (he grabbed the gold only a few years ago). Did I mention that it’s based on a true story? Near the end of WWII, so this celebrates that “greatest generation”. This film is all about the planning and prep for one of the greatest battles, which has been memorably recreated on screen several times. But this is from a vastly different perspective, as we don’t witness montages of the “GI Joes’ rigorously training (drills, target practice, marching, etc.). It turns out that this mission’s success or failure hinged on predicting the weather, hence the multiple meanings of the title PRESSURE.

The story begins with a simulation of D-Day. a disastrous “rehearsal” which alarms the strategist, General Dwight D. Eisenhower (Brendan Fraser). Luckily, there’s an “ace” he has yet to play. Cut to the home of meteorologist Captain James Stagg (Andrew Scott) as he prepares breakfast for his very pregnant missus before leaving for his new assignment. He is ushered into the posh estate, Southwick House, which has been converted into a massive war room plotting the Allied invasion of Normandy. “Ike” wants his troops on the Omaha and Utah beaches on June 5, but he wants to be certain that the weather will be accommodating: no squalls, gale-force winds, or torrential downpours. Kay Summersby (Kerry Condon), Ike’s driver and personal assistant, escorts Stagg to the big “weather center” to meet with his fellow tacticians and his American “counterpart”, Captain Irving Krick (Chris Messina). The two men clash immediately, leading to countless scenarios and predictions for their concerned commander and his team of high-ranking officers, particularly Britain’s General Bernard “Monty” Montgomery (Damian Lewis). Maps are drawn, observation balloons are launched, and everyone gets “antsy” as Krick seemingly tells Ike what he wants to hear, while the pessimistic Stagg tries to be confident in his data while also worrying about the fate of his wife and unborn child.

Once again, Scott turns in a terrific performance as the prickly, somber Stagg, though we do see a few cracks in his armor when the war truly starts to “hit home”. But he resists the urge to compromise with Scott, showing that focused, steely dedication to Stagg’s craft. The most controversial casting may be that of the gifted Fraser as Ike. Even with his prominent shaved forehead, he seems literally larger than life, towering over nearly every scene partner. Physicality aside, Fraser is mainly there to pace, chain-smoke, and bellow at those who just won’t commit to his needs. Perhaps it’s a script deficiency, as Ike was an important part of our victory, he’s not that engaging here (and I kept thinking of the more colorful PATTON). The fiery antithesis to the dogmatic Stagg is the volatile Krink, played with great grit and energy by the dependable Messina. Ditto for Condon, though she’s given scant chance to shine as Somersby, maybe it’s due to the erasure of the scandalous whispers of her dalliance with her superior. Lewis is also watchable as the “stiff upper lip, passive-aggressive and impatient “gentleman soldier, Monty.

Eight years after the visceral tension of HOTEL MUMBAI, director Anthony Maras somehow succeeds in keeping the pace steady, even with our knowledge of the outcome (history and other flicks). Despite his efforts, the film’s “stage roots” are showing. Maras worked with actor David Haig in adapting his play for the film. Sure, they leave Southwick often, but the story seems to lurch from one dialogue-heavy confrontation to another (Ike and Stagg, Stagg and Krick). I expect school speech teams will use many of them for the duet pieces. But for movie audiences, it never really vibrates. It doesn’t help that the scenes are bathed in that brown 1940’s “glow” (I thought that Captain Steve Rogers would pop in for a “spot of tea”). And really, can arguments about weather predictions be compelling when the event is so entrenched in our brains? There are a few glimpses into the battle on the beach, but the carnage here pales when compared to the still agonizingly powerful opening of Spielberg’s SAVING PRIVATE RYAN. It may be an unfair comparison since this film’s budget forced the inclusion of several snippets of re-colored archival footage. Plus, the period details feel just “off” (sure, the soldiers sang along with “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy,” but did they really dance to decades-old Cab Calloway tunes?). Finally, we’re left with a story focusing on an historical “side note” that’s just not that cinematic. Without an Oscar-winner “fronting” it, this would be forgotten fodder for the many basic cable channels (something Tony Soprano would watch on a weekend).I suppose exploring these heroes of WWII had the creative team feeling loads of PRESSURE.

2 Out of 4

PRESSURE is now playing in select theatres

TUNER – Review

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Okay, the big Summer movie season somewhat officially kicked in last weekend with that unlikely but still dynamic duo of space adventurers from that galaxy far, far away. And though there’s a more “grounded” thriller that is defying box office trends (I suppose some are “obsessed” about its “upward mobility”), how about another “nail-biter” not involving the post-college crowd and a poorly thought-out wish? Mind you, this tale’s hero is in his late twenties, but possesses an “old soul,” and lots of baggage, including an affliction that aids with his chosen profession. And no, it’s not a spin on that Marvel streaming stalwart Daredevil. This morose man isn’t a crime-fighter, nor a career criminal, He’s merely a working stiff who’s an exceptional piano TUNER.

The audio “savant” in question is Niki White (Leo Woodall), who is the main employee (more of a co-partner and surrogate son) of his late jazz player papa’s BFF, Harry Horowitz (Dustin Hoffman). The duo dashes about the ritzy digs of the swells around the Big Apple in their ramshackle van, repairing and tuning pianos. Actually, Niki does the tuning since Harry is nearly deaf. But Niki also has an “auditory affliction” that makes him the “top of the craft”. He has hyperacusis, an intense sensitivity to sound. Niki must always wear noise-cancelling earplugs, which are augmented by big headphones while out on the street. Since Niki lives alone, Harry invites him to dinner made by his protective wife (and Niki’s surrogate mama), Marla (Tovah Feldshuh). When she scolds Harry for not wearing his hearing aids, he reluctantly confesses that he locked them in his small closet safe and can’t recall the combination. Being a “good son”, Niki takes the safe back to his apartment, where he watches a few online videos about “safe-cracking.” Thanks again to his “keen” ear, Niki can hear the tumblers click into place. The next day, at a job for a music conservatory, he tunes a piano for a stressed-out student, Ruthie (Havana Rose Liu), who is preparing a “showcase” piece to impress a renowned composer, scouting for an intern. The two engage in a bit of bickering flirtation. Later, Niki and Harry head to a fancy wedding ballroom that, unfortunately, is full of noisy construction workers. They’re on a deadline, so Niki agrees to return solo later that evening for the tune-up. All’s quiet, until Niki is stunned by drilling noises upstairs. He finds a “security” crew trying to open a safe (“for extra-security, y’know?”). In order to get back to his job, Niki uses his new “skill” to open it. The team’s boss, Uri (Lior Raz), is impressed, throwing a wad of money at him and an offer of more “work”. Niki thinks nothing of it until tragedy strikes, and he’s in need of extremely quick cash. Soon, he contacts Uri, who isn’t really a security company owner (no surprise), and agrees to be their “ear” if nobody gets hurt. How long can Uri and his “hairtrigger” gang keep that promise? And how will this impact Niki’s budding romance with Ruthie?

These unpredictable twists and turns are anchored by the steady, confident, low-key lead performance by Woodall. He’s made a name for himself with work on several streaming TV shows, though I caught his supporting work last year in NUREMBERG. This time he dominates the story, with Niki in nearly every scene until the intense final act. Woodhall gives us a new spin on the classic doomed crime noir hero, that reg’lar Joe sinking into criminal quicksand. Yes, Niki is stoic and “closed-off,” which zeroes in on his loneliness. His “gift” is more of a curse, making him feel like a true outsider, having to shield himself from the chaotic cacophony around him. Yet, he somehow makes a connection with Liu’s Ruthie, a different kind of outsider, as the pursuit of her art complicates all those personal connections. Yet, Lui conveys that same sense of yearning as she reaches out to the tight-lipped “tuner”. The big conflict comes from the ingratiating and sinister Raz, whose jocular demeanor masks a violent opportunist. While the “big draw” for many may be the casting of Jean Reno, who we don’t see until the pivotal reveal of that world-famous composer during the harrowing climactic moments. Reno has that errudite, effete attitude down until the sight of something brings him nearly crashing back to Earth. But the most notable screen vets are the caring couple supporting Woodhall’s Niki. The motherly warmth emanates from Feldshuh, whose caring concern is the tale’s moral backbone. Her “instinct” is at full alert as she sees a change in her beloved “big boy”. And, handling fatherly duties while mounting a considerable “charm offensive” is the effortlessly engaging Hoffman, who has been “sprung” from the “cancel” prison (yes, he did deserve a “time-out”) to give us another serving of his leading man (now scene-stealing comic character) charisma. I’m guessing another two-time Oscar-winning actor “serving time” is following this closely.

One of the film’s biggest surprises concerns the creative artist behind the camera, Oscar-winning documentary director (for NAVALNY) Daniel Roher, who co-wrote the script with screenplay vet (LIFE, BIG TROUBLE) Robert Ramsey. This is Roher’s first fiction feature, and he attacks this with energizing gusto. There are no big action set pieces, but he keeps the tension taut due to his steady pacing (he lets us really “get to know” the players), and the plot’s twists and turns. We know that Niki’s “side gig” will cause havoc, yet we root for him to “escape” this life and allow Ruthie in. His condition goes from being an odd “gimmick” or “hook” to morphing into another character. Big kudos to the stellar sound department, who plunge us into the intense audio world of Niki, making us feel his “pain” (an air horn is his Kyptonite). The location work is splendid, as is the score by Will Bates that weaves original classical tunes with jazz standards. Here’s a cinematic rarity, a quiet, engaging character study that keeps us on the edge of our seats. It’s a perfect way to spend a rainy afternoon, though don’t wait for it to stream on the tube. See it on the big screen, so others of its ilk can find a slot at the multiplex between the franchise blockbusters. Hate to use a pun, but TUNER just hits all the right notes.

3.5 Out of 4

TUNER is now playing in select theatres

MOTHER MARY – Review

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– By Cate Marquis –

Anne Hathaway plays a Madonna-like mega-pop star called Mother Mary, who is at a turning point with her career, and turns to her long-estranged friend, Sam Anselm (Michaela Coel), the costume designer who gave the star the signature look that helped launch her career. Sam, now a top fashion designer, has not heard from Mother Mary for ten years, not since the star ended their professsional and personal partnership during Mother Mary’s rise to the top. Now Mother Mary is seeking a comeback, after a disastrous accident, and she returns to Sam, begging her to design a new dress for her. On the surface, at least, that is what is going on in writer/director David Lowery’s visually lush but mysterious drama.

Writer/director David Lowery, whose previous films include the mysterious GREEN KNIGHT, weaves similar dreamlike material here for MOTHER MARY. Beneath the surface of two people, who started their careers together but parted on bad terms, are many questions – about their personal relationship, forgiveness and betrayal, limits of friendship, maybe even about life and death. And, perhaps, about whether what we are seeing is real or imagined.

MOTHER MARY is filled with gorgeous imagery, a joy to look at and a dream-like drama, but it is also a film that asks a lot of its audience, while tantalizing rewards for those who stick with it. What it does deliver upfront are spectacular acting performances, from Anne Hathaway certainly but particularly from Michaela Coel, who is a complete “wow” and a revelation as Sam Anselm.

It actually helps to know that MOTHER MARY is based on a stage play, because it makes it a bit easier to find a way into its mysterious, talkative film. It is pretty safe to assume that the play likely begins with a scene grounded in the real, with the pop star walking into the fashion designer’s office, a start that gives the story concrete foundation before it veers off into its more surreal territory.

However, the movie starts not with that but with scenes of Anne Hathaway’s Mother Mary (she is always called by both names in the film), as the pop star endures fittings for costumes that are lavish but unwieldy and different but somehow all the same, plus the grind of touring with elaborately staged performances that also are somehow all the samen. Some event is hinted at, with vague images, something on stage that went very wrong, which sends Mother Mary running back to her friend Sam Anselm.

Well, “former friend” would be more apt. Sam Anselm, now a very successful as a fashion designer and head of a design empire of her own, greets Mother Mary politely, but the currents of coldness and irony underneath are palpable. Sam has not heard from the singer in ten years, yet here she is, unannounced, with no prior appointment, something Mother Mary did deliberately so Sam couldn’t dodge seeing her. Unexpectedly, after a tense few moments, Sam suddenly agrees to design a dress for Mother Mary, a decision delivered in a matter-of-fact tone, but we have the sense that there will be a price to pay, and that an apology will be the bare minimum.

Sam whisks the star off to a large, old barn-like structure, where they can work alone, away from the bustle of her busy fashion studio, which is preparing for a big show. In the half-lit old barn, Sam is business-like, and while her assistant Hilda (Hunter Schafer) takes measurements, Sam asks the pop star questions about the dress: Do you need to move in it? What color do you want? Mother Mary replies: anything but red.

The answer is significant, as we eventually learn. After Sam sends away her assistant Hilda, the two really get down to work, professional and personal. Of course, old feelings come out, but strange things happen too.

As good as Anne Hathaway is, and she is very good in this, it is Michaela Coel who it the bolt of lightning in this film. Michaela Coel has a striking, expressive face and makes full use of it, along with her voice, bringing acres of nuance and subtext to every line, often dripping in sarcasm or resentment, as she wrings out every ounce of meaning in the well-written lines. Coel’s face transforms minute by minute, her eyes piercing, as she delivers her lines with surgical precision, while she radiates a powerful presence and palpable charisma from the screen. She is simply hypnotic to watch.

The art direction is lush and expansive, and the film is packed with symbolic scenes, which are lovely, sometimes with dresses or fabric floating through the air, and sometimes with flashbacks exploring the singer’s grueling life on tour, as the pop star wears down from constant work and repetition. The performances are extravaganzas and the costumes are too, but there is a repetition that we see is grinding her down. The film itself is loosely-structured, mysteriously vague, and even nearly amorphous, making it hard to get a handle on, as theses two talk and only drop hints for us about what is really going on, in what was clearly both a professional and personal relationship, although details are elusive.

Clearly, both Mother Mary and Sam know Sam is owed an apology, although that may not be enough. Even though Sam was Mother Mary’s friend and professional partner, she replaced her without notice or seeming feeling. Sam not only survived but the abrupt break allowed her to launch her own very successful fashion design career, perhaps even eclipsing her pop-star former friend at this point. Still, the pain remains.

Sam agrees to design the dress but repairing the relationship is another matter. As she and Mother Mary set about that work, Hathaway’s character clearly longs to re-establish their long-severed connection, even seeming to want to pretend there was no break.

The dialog is sparkling, and the air crackles with anger and other long-buried emotion. As they talk, we get glimpses of Mother Mary’s world of relentless tours and physical stress, all presented in beautifully symbolic images. As the film progresses, we learn more about their shared past but little is clear about what is really going on in the present.

There is a tagline for the film, that says it is not a romance and it is not a ghost story, which means you can’t help but wonder about both those things. Sam talks about how she once loved Mother Mary and now Mother Mary seems desperate to regain the connection, which appears must be through Sam’s work, her creations. But the two seem divided by a wall. Is it only the pain of the past, or is it something larger, more profound?

MOTHER MARY, for all its visually beauty and powerful performances, gives away little, only a few brief hints, meaning it asks a lot of the audience. Not all will be willing to give what it asks, and for some, the opaqueness may just be tiresome, especially with a long running time. If you saw the play, you may have an edge here, but a film is supposed to be able to stand on its own. Still, I’m curious enough to want a second look at the film, and I wonder what my reaction will be to that second viewing. Audiences will have to judge for themselves, but MOTHER MARY does deliver striking, sterling performances from both Anne Hathaway and Michaela Cole which delight as they mystify, and Coel is a lightning-strike of a revelation, and a performer I hope we will see again soon.

MOTHER MARY opens in theaters on Friday, Apr. 24, 2026.

RATING: 3 out of 4 stars

MICHAEL (2026) – Review

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Okay, many would say that the Summer season got off to a very early start with the still-playing PROJECT: HAIL MARY and the animation “one-two-punch” from Pixar and Illumination. That could be the case, since the big box office race had, until recent years, its “starting line” on the first of May, and the “finish line” just before Labor Day. Well, the “starting gun” has been fired with this big-budget musical “biopic”. While many of these have been relegated to the “prestige” months near the end of the year (to qualify for awards), this one is setting its sights on a big “wide” opening in many, many screens. This makes sense, since the subject held a “royal” moniker. We’re talking about the “king of pop”, the sparkly “gloved” one, MJ, though this potential blockbuster’s title simply uses his forename, MICHAEL.


This cinematic retelling doesn’t begin with his birth. Rather, it opens sixty years ago, as an eight-year-old Michael Jackson (Juliano Valdi) and his four brothers, now dubbed the “Jackson 5,” are coached and trained by their papa Joe (Colman Domingo) while mama Katherine (Nia Long) adoringly watches. But the road to fame includes long, grueling hours of rehearsal and the savage punishments from Joe. Eventually, they are discovered by Motown Records exec Suzanne de Passe (Laura Harrier), who brings them to her boss, the company founder Berry Gordy (Lorenz Tate). He’s a kind, nurturing mentor, the opposite of Joe, who patiently tells the lad not to “move around so much” in the studio. The team is a sensation, as the story springs ahead to 1978, with the family now living in an Encino, CA mansion. But now 20-year-old Michael (Jaafar Jackson) lives a sheltered life in a bedroom filled with toys, animals, and ideas for a solo album, which irritates Joe. Thinking this will “derail the gravy train,” he tells Michael’s agents that he can do a solo album in his “off time” (after the team’s 9-to-5 schedule). MJ’s a smash “single act, and soon yearns for more artistic freedom. Encouraged by his Mom, bodyguard/driver Bill Bray (Keilyn Durrel Jones), and new attorney John Branca (Miles Teller), Michael becomes a solo superstar, hitting new heights with the most successful record of all-time, “Thriller, produced by Quincy Jones (Kendrick Samson). As the years pass, MJ dominates MTV with lavish music videos, amasses a zoo on the grounds of his home, “steals the show” on the “Motown 25th” TV special, and indulges in cosmetic surgeries (he’s haunted by the childhood taunts of “big nose”). But Joe’s not finished with him, as he pressures his son to join his brothers on the “Victory” tour and be part of a “tie-in” commercial shoot for a soft drink company sponsor. This leads to a life-changing on-set accident that sets in motion a plan for Michael’s independence.


The ensemble cast works hard to recreate these pop culture icons, especially the title role, which is shared by a pair of talented screen newcomers. Getting the “lion’s share” of screentime is Jackson (yup, he’s the nephew of the “superstar”), who is a striking physical recreation, particularly in the musical numbers. Yes, he’s got the “moves” down so well that it’s a shame that he’s given such a limited dramatic arc. In most scenes, Jaafar flashes a frozen, immovable smile as he’s showered with praise or deals with family drama. Still, there are a few flashes, as he picks his lawyer, or during a “creation” sequence. Valdi is completely captivating as a ten-year-old (claiming to be eight) Michael, effortlessly earning empathy, whether serenading an adoring throng or enduring Joe’s “guidance”. As the story’s main “villain”, the superb Domingo deftly conveys Joe’s bullying swagger, though, again, we’re not given much insight into his motivations, other than greed. Teller also has little to work with, as Michael’s champion, who is often just a supportive ear and often verges on the old “white savior” cliche. Much could be said of Jones as the “dad surrogate” Bray. Long is solid as mom Katherine, who is finely given some strong scenes against Domingo in the third act. And kudos for casting a beloved comic treasure in a cameo role that harkens back to another musical biopic (no spoilers from me).

As I said, the musical recreations are exhilarating, reminding us of the exuberant sense of nostalgia, when the world seemed to float on a cloud of pop tunes (the 5 was perhaps the most fun act since the “Fab 4”). But for those hoping to get much more depth into this “pop royalty”, well, the film’s story is too light and fluffy. It’s a surprise since that comes from the man behind the “down and dirty” TRAINING DAY (can it be 25 years now), Antoine Fuqua. This is truly sanitized and pretty “toothless”. Since it’s authorized by the Jackson estate, Michael is so angelic, he often appears otherworldly (that’s why he’s an alien in the first MEN IN BLACK). It’s almost “The Adoration of Michael” as we see countless scenes of him doing visits to kids’ hospitals and bonding with youngsters in his happy place, “Tom’s Toys” (we know its real name). And then there are scenes so sweet your molars might ache, as Michael immediately bonds with pet chimp Bubbles, who seems to have been transported from the CGI ape world from that SF franchise, along with a whole pixel menagerie. Perhaps this “scrubbing” was needed in order to showcase and promote the music catalog and appease the family. But not everyone was on board, as sister Janet is not only absent, she’s never mentioned, leaving La Toya to be his fawning lil’ sis’.Still, there are a couple of sequences that offer us a glimmer of a more interesting biopic, including the aforementioned “creation” of one of his greatest hits, “Beat It’, and the hiring of Branca (“He’s my guy.”). Also in the film’s plus side is the superb production design by Barbara Ling, the costumes by Marci Rodgers, and the entire srt department and makeup team, though Joe looks a bit rough as he’s “de-aged” in the mid-60s opening. Those wanting to bathe in the musical memories will be blissfully taken back to their youth, but those of us who recall the later controversies and tablod “fodder” will find little “substance” in this “puff pastry”. At the final fade-ot we’re teased with a possibel sequel. If so, let’s hope it has a lot more dramatic heft than the sparkly simplicity and “canonizing” of MICHAEL.


2 Out of 4

MICHAEL is now playing in theatres everywhere

HAMLET – Review

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It is fairly common to see Shakespearean plays re-set in a different time, sometimes retaining Shakespeare’s language and largely just changing costumes and settings, or sometimes re-writing the dialog while retaining mostly the plot. Director Aneil Karia’s new HAMLET, starring Riz Ahmed, does something different and more effective, retaining Shakespeare’s words but uses visual storytelling to place the story wholly in a modern setting, in this case of a wealthy British – South Asian family after the death of the billionaire CEO of the family’s large international business, Elsinore. His son Hamlet (Riz Ahmed) is left confused and bereft by his father’s death, and suspicious, even more so, by his uncle Claudius’ (Art Malik) swift move to not only take over the company but to marry Hamlet’s newly-widowed mother Gertrude (Sheeba Chadha).

As Hamlet, Riz Ahmed delivers a powerhouse performance, the success of which is based on Ahmed’s considerable ability to covey a host of information about both the character’s inner state and the social context while movingly speaking his Shakespearean lines. Ahmed does this brilliantly, with seemingly effortless style, making the character entirely of this modern world while beautifully speaking Shakespeare’s poetry. Riz Ahmed’s Hamlet is heartbreaking yet terrifying, in this moving performance. In several recent films, Ahmed has given a number of striking, subtle performances, and hopefully this new one will be a boost to his already-rising star.

In addition to fine acting, the other real strength of this adaptation of “Hamlet” is in it’s visual storytelling. Surprisingly little of Shakespeare’s words needed to be changed to re-set the story, because the film so powerfully conveys the story’s new circumstances by visual means. The film opens with a nearly wordless scene, where we see Hamlet (Riz Ahmed) participating in preparing his father (Avijit Dutt) for cremation, a scene that clearly lets us know a host of things about this family, such as that they are Hindu, British, and wealthy, as well as establishing Hamlet’s devastated emotional state, all within a few moments. The key to all this is in what we see – expressions, body-language, visual details – more than what we hear, so well-crafted performances are required.

Mostly, the play is intact despite the shifted time period, but a few scenes are deleted or redirected in Michael Lesslie’s fine script. Some dialog takes place between different people, and a few characters are eliminated or combined, but the changes serve this retelling well. Often it is the settings and the behavior and tone of the actors that modernize the play, a surprisingly effective approach. Most of the action, and all the emotional power, remains, delightfully so. While the beauty of Shakespeare’s words remain, the nature of some characters, their relationships and intentions, and meanings of scenes are sometimes altered to serve this new modern version.

Riz Ahmed delivers a striking powerhouse performance, and he is on screen nearly the whole time, but he is also well supported by a fine cast. The film eliminates some characters and scenes but sometimes incorporates parts of them in a refreshingly original way. Horatio is absent but some of his role is taken by other characters. Ophelia and Hamlet have more of a relationship, and he confides in her, not Horatio, about seeing a vision of his dead father. Rosencrantz and Gildenstern are also absent but some of their scenes, and hints of their character, at times fall to Laertes, which gives his character a new slant. Fortinbras takes on a new meaning, and other things and characters are re-interpreted, with new dimensions. There are no traveling actors to put on a play, but they are replaced by colorful South Asian dancers.

Polonius, the father of Laertes and Ophelia, is generally portrayed as talkative, meddlesome but well-meaning, but Timothy Spall plays him as a darker, more calculating character, the businessman uncle’s right-hand man, tasked with keeping tabs on Hamlet to head off potential interference in their plans. Morfydd Clark’s Ophelia plays a greater part in the story, as well as being more assertive and involved in what happens. Joe Alwyn’s Laertes is also more complex, Laertes but also a bit Horatio, and a bit of Rosencrantz and Gildenstern, who do not appear in this version. Other characters, and scenes, are transformed, sometimes in surprising ways, yet all the changes support moving the story into its modern form.

Unlike some time-shifted versions, director Aneil Karia puts much more thought into what we see as the actors speak their lines, not just the sets and costumes but their posture, actions, and body-language, along with vocal tone. A great deal of information is transmitted wordlessly in every scene. An example is where Polonius encounters Hamlet as he is strolling and reading a book. In this film, Hamlet is not reading a book but instead, is in his late father’s office, going through business papers and looking for clues, when he is interrupted by Polonius, who asks what he is reading. The words are the same but the meaning is entirely shifted. Another more powerful example is Hamlet’s famous “to be or not to be” soliloquy, delivered while an upset Hamlet is driving his sports car, angrily weaving in and out of traffic, as clear and harrowing a depiction of a young man unbalanced and on the verge of suicide as you can imagine. The scene is powerful and frightening, yet entirely fresh and original.

There is little that is stage-y about this version, and in fact, it is remarkably visually dynamic. The action is not confined to the family’s lush estate or its many, sometimes claustrophobic rooms. Scenes take place all around London, in a club with driving music, driving along city streets, in event spaces, or on lush lawns festooned with party lights, all of which work incredibly well for the film’s storytelling.

Altogether, this HAMLET has to rank as one of the best screen adaptations. It is a remarkable film re-setting of Shakespeare’s drama, a fresh view of Shakespeare’s great classic in a striking, modern setting, yet a version that still retains the original’s emotional power and tragedy while putting it entirely in our world. With outstanding acting, particularly by Riz Ahmed, and excellent visual and production values, this HAMLET is sure to thrill Shakespeare fans as well as general audiences.

HAMLET opens in theaters on Friday, Apr. 10, 2026.

RATING: 4 out of 4 stars

SIRAT – Review

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“Sirat” is an Arabic word meaning a bridge spanning the chasm between heaven and hell, one that is thin as a thread and sharp as a sword’s edge, as we are told at the start of the movie SIRAT, an Oscar-nominated Spanish drama about a man, with his young son in tow, who is searching for his lost 20-something daughter at a rave party in the south Moroccan desert. The word Sirat is Arabic and comes from Muslim belief, but there is little heavenly in SIRAT’s world. However, there is plenty of pulsing techno/electronic music, in this searing tale of a group of people on a dangerous journey crossing the north African desert, a journey that will challenge and maybe break them.

SIRAT, set in Morocco but mostly in Spanish and French, is nominated for both the Best International Feature and Best Sound at the upcoming Academy Awards. Director Oliver Laxe co-wrote the script with Santiage Fillol, and the tender and heartbreaking tale is driven by a tense, propulsive, pulsing techno/electronic score by Kangding Ray.

An ordinary-looking Spanish man, Luis (Sergi Lopez), enters a world of hundreds of mostly young, European revelers dancing trance-like in front of a wall of amps set up in the Moroccan desert, blasting electronic and techno music continuously, along with a laser light show at night. There is a sort of outsider vibe to this large collection of people who have come to the desert to dance away the conventional world. Luis is out of place but he and his son Esteban (Bruno Nunez Arjona) are there on a mission to find his daughter who disappeared at a rave five months earlier.

Esteban looks like he is about ten and has a little white dog with him, as he and his father wander among the dancers, day and night, showing everyone at the rave a photo of the missing grown daughter. The dancers are a ragtag crowd, seeming disconnected from the world, outsiders by choice or circumstance, but they politely look at the photo before shaking their heads, to say they have not seen her.

One group of five, Steff (Stefania Gadda), Josh (Joshua Liam Henderson), Tonin (Tonin Janvier), Jade (Jade Oukid), and Bigui (Richard “Bigui” Bellamy), tells Luis there is another rave after this one, which he might also check for his daughter.

On the second day of the rave party, a caravan of Moroccan army trucks shows up, and tell the crowd that “all EU citizens need to evacuate.” The military officers do not say why, but the event suggests an impending war or conflict. The military convoy is there to escort to Europeans in their trucks, vans and RVS out of the desert.

Luis and his son, in their van, line up with the rest of the vehicles leaving the location, but suddenly the two RVs in front of them, carrying the group of five who told Luis about the other rave party, suddenly bolt out of line and take off across the desert. At Esteban’s urging, Luis impulsively follows them, and they race ahead of military vehicles in pursuit.

That snap decision sends the father and son, with this ragtag collection of friends, on a strange, harrowing trek across very rugged, desolate terrain, to an uncertain fate.

Except for renown Spanish actor Sergi Lopez, the rest of the cast are all non-actors, mostly found by the director at raves he attended. That casting choice gives the film an authenticity in this world where it is set, but they are also compelling and charismatic characters on screen. The sweeping photography of the vast desert landscape combined with the driving electronic soundtrack creates a tense sense that anything may happen as well as an air of foreboding.

We are not told why those five, Steff, Josh, Tonin, Jade and Bigui, made that break, but there are hints that there may be reasons they do not want to return to Europe. We also do not know why the Moroccan army where herding the Europeans out of the country, but we hear snippets on the radio about war, before one of the ravers shuts it off, maybe preferring not to know, although one of them suggests it is WWIII.

Those unanswered questions give the film a party at the end of the world vibe but this is not a Mad Max knock off. The story is both tender and heartbreaking, with danger around every bend.

The ravers seem to know the back roads well, suggesting they may have been in northern Africa for some time, wandering from rave party to rave party. Although Luis is wary of these strangers at first, they extend kindness to him at unexpected moments and a bond forms. They are surprisingly resourceful and self-reliant but this is a harsh environment and circumstances where anything can happen, including death.

Director Oliver Laxe effectively builds tensions as these people wander in the desert hoping to avoid the world and its conflict by running ahead of it. Harrowing things happen, and there is a sense of doom and foreboding that is amped up by Kangding Ray’s techno score, which is a perfect fit. Heartbreak and horrendous things may lay down this rock-strewn road, and when tragedy does strike, things start to spin off unanticipated directions, as this gripping drama wavers between human tenderness and terrifying chance beyond their control. Walking the thin line that that title suggests, SIRAT is unforgettable drama that is worth the heartbreak.

SIRAT, mostly in Spanish and French with English subtitles, opens in select theaters on Friday, Mar. 6, 2026.

RATING: 3.5 out of 4 stars

SONG SUNG BLUE – Review

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(L to R) Hugh Jackman as Mike Sardina and Kate Hudson as Claire Stengl in director Craig Brewer’s SONG SUNG BLUE, a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Focus Features. © 2025 All Rights Reserved.

So who’s up for some great tunes on this big holiday…, at the multiplex? No, we’re not talking about any Christmas carols (you’re probably hearing those jingle bells in your sleep by now). We’re talking a full-fledged musical movie, though it’s not another bold brassy big-screen version of a stage musical in the wake of WICKED: FOR GOOD (though it’s really an expanding of its second act). This new release may be more in that subgenre of the “jukebox musical” as it focuses on the pop songs of an iconic star, although it’s not a biopic of him (much like ELVIS or ROCKETMAN). You see, this is a true life dramatic love story about a “tribute band” of that singing superstar. Sounds confusing? It’ll all be clear with the first few notes (and scenes) of SONG SUNG BLUE.

That title tune is heard in the opening scene, in which Mike Sardina (Hugh Jackman) serenades his AA support group after he has hit a big sobriety milestone in late 1980s Milwaukee. From there he’s off to his sweet “side gig” as part of a “tributes” show at the state fair. Mike walks out after the organizer insists that he take on the songs of Don Ho (“Tiny Bubbles”). No, Mike wants to perform the works of his idol, Neil Diamond. As he exits, Mike stops to catch the fetching Patsy Cline (“Walkin’ After Midnight”) songstress Claire Stingl (Kate Hudson). He strikes up a conversation with her later that night, leading to a date for the two divorced parents (Mike’s teenage daughter visits once a month or so). He tries to bond with Claire’s energetic pre-teen son Dayna (Hudson Hensley) and her somewhat surly teenage daughter Rachel (Ella Anderson). After a quick “jam session” Mike asks Claire if she would consider partnering with him for his “dream Diamond tribute review” that he dubs “Thunder and Lightning” (the latter being his stage persona while she’d be the former). Claire is thrilled and seals their partnership with a kiss. They assemble a back-up band and begin performing in bars, wedding halls, and eateries in the Wisconsin/Illinois area. Through it all, the two become much more than a singing duo, eventually tying the knot. Their reputation is on the rise, leading to an “opening act” slot at a Pearl Jam concert. The sky seems to be the limit, but the joyful music is almost silenced as fate hits several “sour notes” to challenge their sweet harmonies.

I’ll just get this out of the way: Jackman and Hudson are superb singers. Yeah, that’s not a big revelation, since Hugh has a couple of Tonys on his mantle and Kate cut an album (they still call them that) last year. But that skill is certainly essential in these roles in order to “sell” them as a vocal duet. As for the other aspects of their performances, Jackman may have a bit more to do, as Mike is the “entry point” to this true tale. The “movie mutant” has swagger to spare, as he pushes past the goofy hairstyle and the flashy fashions to give us a man who overtakes the inner demons from his past by reinventing himself. His furrowed brow hints at Mike’s PTSD from serving in Nam, while he still has a vulnerability with the knowledge that his body is failing him and his “time clock” may halt at any time. The bubbly Hudson brings out the best in him. Beneath that beaming smile, Claire has had lots of heartbreak in his own past, and decides to bask in the high she gets from singing. In the story’s second act, we see that life tries to snuff out that spark, until family and friends re-ignite it. It’s no wonder Hudson was the “queen of rom-coms” as she conveys Claire’s joy in getting another chance at love. The film’s other great standout is Anderson as Claire’s teen daughter, Rachel. Sure, she starts as a clichéd snarky “eye-roller”, but she shows how the love of Mike for her mom warms that cynical heart, even making her an ally of his when things get tough, and as she faces her own big life-changing decision. Oh, and there are a couple of 1980s movie stalwarts on hand for support. Fisher Stevens is solid as Mike’s dentist-backer, and Jim Belushi goes all “cheese-head” (right outta’ FARGO) as the tour bus-drivin’ manager. The 90s are repped by Michael Imperioli from “The Sopranos” as the tributes show boss (and resident Buddy Holly) who plays back-up guitar for the revue.


Though no stranger to movies with music, this film is an interesting detour for director/ screenwriter (adapting the same-titled documentary by Greg Kohs) Craig Brewer, after making his 2005 breakout hit, the hip-hop-flavored HUSTLE AND FLOW followed by the 2011 remake of FOOTLOOSE. He takes us past the high camp (exploited in 2001’s SAVING SILVERMAN) of Diamond’s 70s heyday, though we get some Elvis-style kitsch, to get us into the minds and hearts of Mike and Claire. This lulls us into thinking that their love story will always prevail. The huge chaotic challenges make for an abrupt shift (though it seems too extreme, it’s all true), one that may be too much for some viewers, Brewer never veers too much into the melodramatic while keeping the story firmly planted in its frigid northern US roots. Brewer also keeps the pacing smooth, breaking up the dialogue with a burst of song, and not overdoing the big rehearsing and performing montages. Aside from those great hairstyles and fashions, the music selection is pretty terrific, touching on all the big Diamond hits while introducing some often neglected tunes (I now know a whole lot about “Soolaimon”). Hey, there’s even a couple of Patsy Cline and Buddy Holly classics. And the set decorators really capture the tone of the early 1990s. Some of the more jaded filmgoers may think that this is merely a sweet little flick to see with your older relatives, but they may be surprised by the endearing look at the performers that don’t fill arenas, the bus-travelin’ workin’ stiff weekend warriors. That and the chemistry of Hudson and Jackman really blend for a nearly pitch-perfect romance in SONG SUNG BLUE.

3 Out of 4

SONG SUNG BLUE opens in theatres everywhere on Christmas Day, 2025

HAMNET – Review

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Jessie Buckley stars as Agnes and Paul Mescal as William Shakespeare in director Chloé Zhao’s HAMNET, a Focus Features release. Credit: Agata Grzybowska / © 2025 FOCUS FEATURES LLC

Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal give striking performances in Chloe Zhao’s lushly beautiful, romantic and heartbreaking tale of William Shakespeare’s marriage to his wife Anne and the death of their young son Hamnet, whose loss led the Bard to write perhaps his great play “Hamlet.” As a title card at the film’s start tells us, the names Hamnet and Hamlet were considered essentially the same, alternate ways of spelling it. In Zhao’s drama, Shakespeare’s mysterious wife is renamed Agnes. As little is actually known about Shakespeare’s wife Anne and their marriage, which gives director Chloe Zhao free rein to be inventive. Love, death, pain and hope are the themes.

The film was inspired by Maggie O’Farrell’s award-winning novel “Hamnet” and written for the screen by director Zhao and the author, the resulting drama is more Chloe Zhao’s vision than a true adaptation of the book. Oscar-winner Chloe Zhao proved herself a master of powerful imagery framing human questing and connection in NOMADLAND, and brings those gifts to this tale as well, but in this case in a more intimate way, of two people falling in love and having a family.

While the real William Shakespeare was 18 when he married 26-year-old Anne Hathaway, the director chose to ignore that age gap in casting Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal. In the film, William Shakespeare is a young struggling Latin tutor, now doing farm work for neighboring families to help out his parents who had fallen into debt. Anne, now Agnes, is the strong-willed oldest daughter of a more well-off family, where Will is doing some manual labor. Smitten on first sight, the young tutor offers to teach the family’s younger children, as a way to be closer, in order to woo Agnes.

Beautiful, wild, independent Agnes, for her part, is less keen on young Will, but he wins her over with poetry and persistence. Despite opposition by both families (with an excellent Emily Watson as Will’s severe mother), they wed and have three children, oldest daughter Susanna (Bodhi Rae Breathnach) and fraternal twins, Judith (Olivia Lynes) and Hamnet (Jacobi Jupe).

The drama follows their marriage and the launch of Shakespeare’s career in London, while wife Agnes and the children stay behind in the English countryside. Their bond is strong but nothing is more tragic for any couple than the loss of a child, and it has a transformative effect on their lives and relationship.

HAMNET is visually stunning throughout and particularly magical in the early portions. Period costumes and props are perfectly done. The setting is often a wild English countryside of old forests haunted by secrets and ancient Celtic magic. The film ranges from that wild, natural world beginning to the London stage of the Globe Theater where the play born of tragedy takes form.

Jessie Buckley is particularly moving in this drama, as a wild soul who seems as much a child of forest as anything human. There are references that her true mother was a forest-dweller, with all the magical implications of that, and the daughter is only partly of this staid village world, hints often presented in vivid, visual form. Zhao blends the visual and the dramatic well in creating these characters and their lives but she is aided greatly by Jessie Buckley’s strong performance. Paul Mescal’s William Shakespeare comes across as more grounded but firmly determined to have this wild woman and to build their lives.

HAMNET does not try to answer all questions about Shakespeare’s marriage or the creation of “Hamlet.” The film is, of course, romantic but in a human, passionate and believable way, rather than a conventional film romance. Tragedy breaks that lovely dream, throwing the characters in conflict, as they each grapple with grief in their own ways. Unlike many films this year, this one focuses purely on the personal and the individual rather than the large world, putting the experience of love and of grief at its center. The stunning natural-world photography suggests something epic and enduring, but real focus of this drama are the human emotions, of love and heartbreak, from which comes the creation of something that endures for the ages.

HAMNET opens in theaters on Friday, Dec. 5, 2025.

RATING: 4 out of 4 stars