Grief is at the center of "Hamnet," a stately if somewhat stiff period drama that cleverly builds a narrative around how one of history's great works may have come to be.

It's based on author Maggie O'Farrell's 2020 novel, which wove together facts and speculation related to the creation of — and maybe this is a spoiler, maybe it's not? — "Hamlet," William Shakespeare's tragedy, perhaps the greatest work of theater humankind has ever known.

Jessie Buckley plays Agnes, a forest dweller in late 1500s England, cast off from others and deemed a "witch," just like her mother before her. She's a quiet soul, whipping up natural balms made from various herbs in the wild, and spending time with her pet hawk, who is family to her more than her adopted family ever was.

One day she catches the ey

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