5 Best Movies and TV Series About William Shakespeare to Watch After 'Hamnet'
Each of these projects provides a unique perspective on a mystery that has puzzled humanity for four hundred years.
After watching Chloé Zhao's poignant and visually impeccable drama Hamnet, in which Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley relive the story of Shakespeare's family after losing their son, one inevitably yearns to learn more about the man whose plays became the voice of an entire era.
Who was William Shakespeare off the stage? We've compiled a list of the five best movies and TV series about the great playwright.
1. 'Will', 2017
IMDb Score: 6.8/10
The series presents a punk version of Shakespeare. Laurie Davidson plays a 24-year-old Shakespeare who leaves his family to pursue fame as a playwright in London.
From the beginning, Shakespeare is portrayed as a rock star, a theme emphasized by his brightly colored outfits reminiscent of Halloween costumes and the soundtrack.
The love story also follows a punk theme. The main romantic interest is Alice, the theater owner's daughter. Meanwhile, the poet's wife hinders his bohemian lifestyle, causing him to resent her arrival in London with their children.
2. 'Anonymous', 2011
IMDb Score: 6.8/10
Anonymous puts forth a radical theory: Edward de Vere, the Earl of Oxford, wrote all the plays, and Shakespeare was merely a rogue actor who passed off someone else's work as his own.
Supporters of this hoax point to the lack of original manuscripts and express doubt that the son of a glovemaker could have created such works.
The premiere of Anonymous caused a scandal. Critics called the movie unscientific, and in protest, the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust crossed out Shakespeare's name from road signs in Warwickshire.
3. 'Will Shakespeare', 1978
IMDb Score: 7.6/10
One of the first detailed on-screen portraits was the 1978 British miniseries. The six-episode series is dedicated to the creation of a single play in each episode.
In this portrayal, Shakespeare is a serious and great poet whose genius requires no explanation – it's part of the cultural myth. In the late 1970s, television primarily treated Shakespeare as a national treasure and part of the cultural canon.
4. 'All Is True', 2018
IMDb Score: 6.3/10
An aged and reflective Shakespeare, played by Kenneth Branagh, appears in the movie All Is True. At the end of his life, after a fire destroyed the Globe Theatre, he returns to Stratford.
His family is weary of him, and he wanders the house, grieving the death of his son, the only person he felt could truly understand him.
5. 'Shakespeare In Love', 1998
IMDb Score: 7.1/10
Shakespeare in Love solidifies the poet's image as a young, passionate, and romantic genius. Joseph Fiennes plays Shakespeare, and Gwyneth Paltrow plays his beloved.
The movie won seven Oscars and effectively reinvented Shakespeare's screen persona – whereas he was once a monument, he is now a romantic hero.
As the title suggests, the film's main focus is his love affair with the aristocrat Viola de Lesseps. The playwright's wife, Anne Hathaway, and Viola's fiancé are portrayed as obstacles.
