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
