A modern retelling of Shakespeare's tragic tale has descended upon London's streets, with Riz Ahmed starring as the tortured prince Hamlet. Director Aneil Karia and screenwriter Michael Lesslie have stripped away the ornate language and elaborate stage settings, plunging the story into a stark and severe reality.
The film's setting is that of a dysfunctional family business, replete with shady dealings and family dysfunction. Ahmed's portrayal of Hamlet is one of weakness and self-hatred, as he grapples with the ghostly vision of his dead father, murdered by his treacherous brother Claudius (Art Malik). The latter is a ruthless property speculator who has evicted a community from prime real estate and now seeks to marry Hamlet's mother, Gertrude (Sheeba Chaddha), in a chilling display of power and ambition.
As the story unfolds, Hamlet becomes increasingly withdrawn and enraged, unable to bring himself to take action against Claudius. This creates a sense of authentic tension, as the audience is left wondering if Hamlet's madness is genuine or just a manifestation of his own guilt and self-loathing. The film's approach is deliberately modernized, losing some of the soliloquies that are present in the original play.
Ahmed delivers a powerful performance, carrying the film on his shoulders with his portrayal of Hamlet's inner turmoil. His screams of frustration at the wheel of his car during "To be, or not to be" are particularly haunting, conveying the prince's deep despair and sense of hopelessness.
The supporting cast is also impressive, with Timothy Spall bringing menace to the role of Polonius and Morfydd Clark delivering a nuanced performance as Ophelia. However, some viewers may feel that Ophelia's character has been somewhat diminished in importance, particularly with the loss of her iconic mad scene.
Overall, this modern retelling of Hamlet is an intelligent and focused account of the classic tale, raising important questions about the nature of truth and justice in a world where nothing is as it seems. With its rigorous chill and deliberate pacing, this film will leave you questioning everything until the very end.
The film's setting is that of a dysfunctional family business, replete with shady dealings and family dysfunction. Ahmed's portrayal of Hamlet is one of weakness and self-hatred, as he grapples with the ghostly vision of his dead father, murdered by his treacherous brother Claudius (Art Malik). The latter is a ruthless property speculator who has evicted a community from prime real estate and now seeks to marry Hamlet's mother, Gertrude (Sheeba Chaddha), in a chilling display of power and ambition.
As the story unfolds, Hamlet becomes increasingly withdrawn and enraged, unable to bring himself to take action against Claudius. This creates a sense of authentic tension, as the audience is left wondering if Hamlet's madness is genuine or just a manifestation of his own guilt and self-loathing. The film's approach is deliberately modernized, losing some of the soliloquies that are present in the original play.
Ahmed delivers a powerful performance, carrying the film on his shoulders with his portrayal of Hamlet's inner turmoil. His screams of frustration at the wheel of his car during "To be, or not to be" are particularly haunting, conveying the prince's deep despair and sense of hopelessness.
The supporting cast is also impressive, with Timothy Spall bringing menace to the role of Polonius and Morfydd Clark delivering a nuanced performance as Ophelia. However, some viewers may feel that Ophelia's character has been somewhat diminished in importance, particularly with the loss of her iconic mad scene.
Overall, this modern retelling of Hamlet is an intelligent and focused account of the classic tale, raising important questions about the nature of truth and justice in a world where nothing is as it seems. With its rigorous chill and deliberate pacing, this film will leave you questioning everything until the very end.
and i gotta say, riz ahmed's portrayal of hamlet is REALLY something else 
he's like so raw and emotional on screen, it's hard not to feel all his pain and anger 
what really got me was how the film portrays family dysfunction - it feels super relatable, especially with the whole property speculator thing 
anyway, i do think they lost some of ophelia's iconic mad scene 
but overall, i loved the way this modern retelling turned the classic tale into something fresh and thought-provoking 
I mean, I just watched this movie adaptation of Hamlet and I'm like totally blown away by Riz Ahmed's performance 
. And the way they've modernized the story is so interesting, I love how they've used it as a metaphor for family drama and power struggles 
. But at the same time, I felt kinda sad that Ophelia's character got reduced to just being like, 'oh no, I'm going crazy' 
.
this new hamlet movie is 
his screams during "to be or not to be" gave me all the feels 
artikaria and lesslie did an amazing job 
morfydd clark as ophelia was great too 
but yeah maybe they toned it down a bit 
this film is definitely worth watching 
. The way Riz Ahmed plays Hamlet, it's like he's trapped in this cycle of self-loathing and madness, unable to break free 
. But what I think is really interesting is how the film raises questions about truth and justice in a world where nothing's as it seems 
. Anyway, I gotta say, I'm thoroughly entertained by this modern retelling – kudos to the cast and crew for bringing this classic tale into the 21st century 
!
i love riz ahmed as hamlet tho, he brings so much emotional depth to the role 
and the way they've reimagined polonius's character with timothy spall is 
. But what I love most is how they've modernized the story without losing the essence of Hamlet's inner turmoil 
. It's so refreshing to see Shakespeare reimagined in a way that feels eerily relevant to our times 
. Riz Ahmed as Hamlet is so intense, his inner turmoil is palpable. The way he portrays the prince's weakness and self-hatred is just heart-wrenching 
. Still, the film raises so many questions about truth and justice, I'm still thinking about it days after watching it 
.
. I mean, Riz Ahmed as Hamlet is good and all, but where's the flair? The drama? It's like they watered down the whole thing to make it more relatable to modern audiences. I'm still trying to process how Claudius went from being a prince to just some greedy property developer 
. i also appreciate how the film leaves room for interpretation - does hamlet really lose his mind or is he just trying to cope with the trauma? 
. Still, I'll give Riz Ahmed credit - he does bring a certain intensity to his portrayal of Hamlet... but is that enough to carry this film?
I'm loving how they've reimagined Hamlet for modern times! 
The supporting cast is on point too, Timothy Spall as Polonius gives me chills every time he's on screen. 
The Data Dumper here 
. His performance is like a data point on the graph of great acting - it just works 
. Timothy Spall as Polonius is like a bell curve of great villainy - it's just so perfectly evil 
! And Morfydd Clark's Ophelia? She's like the standard deviation of sadness - always on the edge, never quite there 
. Still, it feels like they watered down the whole "truth and justice" thing to make it more relatable to modern audiences 
. Guess I'll just have to watch it again to see if my opinion changes 
- I love how he conveys the prince's inner turmoil and desperation through his actions on screen. And that scene where he loses it at the wheel during "To be, or not to be" 
. It'll keep you on the edge of your seat, wondering what's real and what's just a facade 
.
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The way they've modernized the story to focus on family dysfunction and power struggles is so genius 
. I mean, have you seen the stats on how many films are made about Shakespeare's plays every year? 
. I mean, did you know that a study found that the average audience member spends around 10 minutes per week watching Netflix? 
.
Ahmed's performance as Hamlet is just wow, he's so intense and raw it's hard to look away