Hamlet

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Hamlet

R

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1h 53m

Drama

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72%

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88 Reviews

54%

Popcornmeter

50+ Ratings

Shakespeare's most enduring tragedy is reimagined in a bold, modern adaptation set within London's elite South Asian community. When Hamlet (Riz Ahmed) returns for his father's funeral, he is stunned to discover his uncle Claudius is marrying his newly widowed mother. Visited by his father's ghost, Hamlet learns his brutal murder was at the hands of Claudius -- and spirals into a quest for vengeance that exposes the rot at the heart of the family's empire and threatens his own sanity.

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Critics Consensus

Fueled by Riz Ahmed's electrifying turn, this gritty, streamlined Hamlet boldly reimagines the classic tragedy with ferocious emotion and intent.

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Thelma Adams

AARP Movies for Grownups

2d

3/5

hile Ahmed struggles (a bit too much) about whether to be or not to be, it may be worth a theater ticket to witness a tremendous character actor like Malik put his stamp on the coveted role of the murderous Claudius.

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Mick LaSalle

San Francisco Chronicle

2d

1/4

Beyond flashy but empty gestures, little or no thought went into making sense of the update.

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Katie Walsh

Tribune News Service

5d

3/4

So much of what makes Shakespeare work is the performance, especially when the audience has to work through the language. Ahmed’s electrifying turn illuminates the text, carefully honed by Lesslie.

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James Verniere

Boston Movie News

1d

C+

Ahmed is powerful, but the play has been so stripped down that it is a shadow of Shakespeare's masterpiece.

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Andrew Parker

The Gate

1d

6/10

And while "the play’s" very much "the thing" here, Ahmed’s leading turn is more than enough reason to take notice of this version of the tale.

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Sammie Purcell

Rough Draft Atlanta

1d

Updating Shakespeare to modern times but keeping the language as is can always be a little tricky, and this version has its cinematic ups and downs ... But Ahmed is mesmerizing, handling the dichotomy of the language and the setting with ease ...

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lu

13h

The scene of "to be...", when Hamlet holds his hands up, barreling to certain death, in prayer is incredible!

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R R

22h

Exceptional cast. Captivating cinematography. Clever re-telling of Hamlet set to modern environment. A bit slow to start, but really picks up the pace in the second half. Riz Ahmed is truly mesmerizing to watch from beginning to end. What a consummate artist/actor.

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Diana

1d

Beautifully scripted fresh take on the play.

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Michael Cox

1d

HAMLET (2026) is made to be a vehicle for Ahmed and that shows in this modern adaptation that contrasts against the epic tragedy that befalls the material for its intimacy and suffers for it, but what we get is a feast for the eyes and ears in both sound and his performance.

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Barbara

3d

Riz Ahmed is a wonderful interpreter of Shakespeare.

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John R

3d

For those who know the original Shakespeare, this Hindi/British adaptation cuts over an hour of the original play, has no problem switching the location of scenes, cutting famous lines (including "the rest is silence", adding lines from Macbeth, combining multiple Hamlet characters together into one character. The acting is mediocre. Can I please have these two wasted hours back?

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Aneil Karia

Director

Riz Ahmed

Hamlet

Morfydd Clark

Ophelia

Joe Alwyn

Laertes

Sheeba Chadha

Gertrude

Avijit Dutt

Old Hamlet

Hamlet: Exclusive Movie Clip - Get Thee to a Nunnery

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Hamlet: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Shakespeare's most enduring tragedy is reimagined in a bold, modern adaptation set within London's elite South Asian community. When Hamlet (Riz Ahmed) returns for his father's funeral, he is stunned to discover his uncle Claudius is marrying his newly widowed mother. Visited by his father's ghost, Hamlet learns his brutal murder was at the hands of Claudius -- and spirals into a quest for vengeance that exposes the rot at the heart of the family's empire and threatens his own sanity.

Director: Aneil Karia
Producer: James Wilson, Riz Ahmed, Michael Lesslie, Allie Moore, Tommy Oliver
Screenwriter: Michael Lesslie
Distributor: Vertical
Production Co: Left Handed Films, Storyteller Productions, JW Films, Confluential Films
Rating: R (Suicide|Brief Drug Use|Some Bloody Violence|Language)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 10, 2026, Limited
Runtime: 1h 53m
Aspect Ratio: Digital 2.39:1

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