Director: Aneil Karia
Writer: Michael Leslie, William Shakespeare
Stars: Riz Ahmed, Morfydd Clark, Joe Alwyn
Synopsis: Hamlet comes home for his father’s funeral and finds his uncle Claudius marrying his widowed mother Gertrude. His father’s ghost reveals Claudius murdered him, leading Hamlet toward revenge and introspection.
“Hamlet” is a great work of fiction, this cannot be denied. Unless you want to be anti-Shakespeare. And in that case, I am not sure I wish to have a conversation with you. This is not to say that every credited work of his is unassailable, but the sheer number of creations that led to the way we speak and write is impressive by any measure. “Hamlet” is probably the closest thing to a perfect play, and has been performed countless times, in any number of settings. It can work just as well in Elizabethan, modern, or a fantastical realm.
So, it is no surprise that we have yet another adaptation releasing. Many actors have taken on this mantle, including Laurence Olivier, Kenneth Branagh, Ethan Hawke, Richard Burton, and Mel Gibson. In our latest adaptation, the inimitable Riz Ahmed fills the shoes of the Danish (although not in this version) prince. For those somehow unaware, the plot of Hamlet shows us our protagonist returning home to find that his father has died, and his mother is marrying his uncle. Understandably, this has an effect on him and he slowly becomes mentally unmoored trying to solve the mystery of this death (aided by his father’s apparition, claiming that he was murdered). This is, of course, simply a broad strokes detailing of the story, and many other important characters interject and cross our hero, such as he is. And frankly, this is the largest weakness of this version. That being said, the film has the distinct advantage of a new take on the setting and having Ahmed willing to play the lead role.
But first, let’s talk about where and when it takes place. Choosing a modern, South Asian community in London is, frankly, a masterstroke. It allows a distinct perspective, both one of financial privilege and that of an outsider, power within an outsider subculture. Additionally, it provides a mixture of language and cultural style that keeps the audience fully engaged, even if Shakespeare is difficult for you. The (sometimes parallel) conversations occurring in Hindi and English provide a commentary on this particular family and South Asian families in the UK, generally. The scene between Hamlet and his father’s ghost is particularly effective, making plot machinations clear only to the lead character and the audience. Plus, there are sequences of celebration and dance which hammer home the cultural differences, while also proving that Hamlet can be set in any time and any place. The classic nature and the familial drama inherent in this story has no limits and, in fact, expands when the setting is altered. This celebration sequence, along with the play-within-a-play is beautifully filmed and framed by director Aneil Karea and cinematographer Stuart Bentley. As a note, the costumes, designed by Nirage Mirage, are impeccable and worth the film lingering on. These moments offer a vision of the greatness that could have been.
Luckily, there is almost no world in which a version of Hamlet starring Riz Ahmed could be a bad movie. Ahmed has the perfect countenance and style for Hamlet, given that he is convincing as a grief-stricken, brooding son or as a man whose sanity is questionable as he unleashes his emotion on everyone around him. Unfortunately, given the massive cuts to the original text (while keeping the style of the original language) by writer Michael Lesslie, all of the other characters are given short shrift. While it is understandable to want this to be the The Riz Ahmed Show, Hamlet is not simply about the main character. This leaves a number of talented actors, especially Morfyyd Clark (as Ophelia) and Joe Alwyn (as Laertes) to be wildly undeveloped and with upsettingly rushed arcs. These arcs do come to a kind of fruition, but the last half of the film seems to be mostly spinning its wheels due to the changed structure of the film.
Sadly, the only moment from Ahmed that doesn’t land is the all-important “To be or not to be” speech. While the choice to have that scene take place in a vehicle is understandable within the context of this film, robbing the audience of Ahmed delivering that speech with a still camera feels almost criminal. This brings back (bad) memories of watching the back of Ethan Hawke’s head as he gives this same soliloquy in an earlier film version of the play.
Hamlet (2025) is a tremendous idea that never fully reaches the level that it should. With more of Shakespeare’s language, a full arc from the ancillary characters, and a little more trust in the audience, this could have been one of the best adaptations of a great work of art. As it is, the film is worth watching for Riz Ahmed’s stunning performance and a twist in the setting. Aneil Karea manages to modernize Shakespeare and utilize one of the very best actors working, if only there was a bit of a wider scope to include everyone else.
