{"id":2554,"date":"2026-04-06T01:02:53","date_gmt":"2026-04-06T08:02:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/?p=2554"},"modified":"2026-04-05T10:29:43","modified_gmt":"2026-04-05T17:29:43","slug":"hamlet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/2026\/hamlet\/","title":{"rendered":"Hamlet * Draws You Into The Story In A Haunting And Unforgettable Way"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-2558\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/hamlet.poster-200x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"125\" height=\"188\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/hamlet.poster-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/hamlet.poster-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/hamlet.poster-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/hamlet.poster.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 125px) 100vw, 125px\" \/>Shakespeare&#8217;s most enduring tragedy is reimagined in a bold, modern adaptation set within London&#8217;s elite South Asian community. When Hamlet (Riz Ahmed) returns for his father&#8217;s funeral, he is stunned to discover his uncle Claudius is marrying his newly widowed mother.<\/p>\n<p>Visited by his father&#8217;s ghost, Hamlet learns his brutal murder was at the hands of Claudius &#8211; and spirals into a quest for vengeance that exposes the rot at the heart of the family&#8217;s empire and threatens his own sanity.<\/p>\n<p>KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Raasti K. comments, \u201cWhat if you could step inside William Shakespeare\u2019s creative mind and feel every emotion that shaped Hamlet, his most iconic and famous tragedy? This film draws you into the story in a haunting and unforgettable way through its protagonist, Hamlet, while introducing this timeless story, originally performed in the 1600s, to a new generation.\u201d See her full review below.<\/p>\n<p>Hamlet<br \/>\nBy Raasti K., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 13<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"A Classic Reimagined: Raasti K. Breaks Down &#039;Hamlet&#039;\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/FKX0ZTskTA4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2569 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/hamlet.a-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"239\" height=\"159\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/hamlet.a-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/hamlet.a.jpg 700w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 239px) 100vw, 239px\" \/>What if you could step inside William Shakespeare\u2019s creative mind and feel every emotion that shaped\u00a0<em>Hamlet<\/em>, his most iconic and famous tragedy? This film draws you into the story in a haunting and unforgettable way through its protagonist, Hamlet, while introducing this timeless story, originally performed in the 1600s, to a new generation.<\/p>\n<p>This visually striking film follows Hamlet (Riz Ahmed) who is returning home after the unexpected death of his father, and finds that his mother, Queen Gertrude (Sheeba Chaddha), is preparing to marry his uncle Claudius (Art Malik). While struggling with his grief, Hamlet meets the ghost of his father, who reveals that his death wasn\u2019t actually an accident, but he was murdered by Claudius. As he tries to discover the truth, he starts questioning who he can trust, and he begins to plot his revenge.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-2560\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/hamlet.3.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"239\" height=\"134\" \/>I highly recommend this film! The classic story is reimagined within a South Asian family living in modern-day London, which makes it feel fresh and culturally resonant. Every scene feels alive, with engaging performances that make it impossible to look away for even a second. Riz Ahmed is the perfect actor to play Hamlet, as he has the ability to portray the character\u2019s complexity. He shows both his grief after losing his father and his suspicion and growing revenge against Claudius in an impactful way through his subtle body language and chilling dialogue delivery. Additionally, Sheeba Chaddha&#8217;s gentle portrayal of Gertrude captures her vulnerability and weakness, so it contrasts nicely with Hamlet&#8217;s intensity. Art Malik is also well-suited for Claudius, as he brings an authoritative presence on the outside, but extremely tense on the inside, which makes his performance convincing and natural.\u00a0I especially love how the film incorporates many lines from the original play, like the famous line \u201cTo be, or not to be, that is the question\u201d \u2013 they are woven beautifully into the story.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2559 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/hamlet.4-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"240\" height=\"160\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/hamlet.4-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/hamlet.4.jpg 599w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 240px) 100vw, 240px\" \/>Even though the film is set in modern times, these classic lines feel natural and meaningful without feeling out of place. The film also captures the business of London at night, using the loud sounds of traffic and the city, which creates a strong contrast with the timeless, poetic tone of Shakespeare\u2019s language.<\/p>\n<p>The film\u2019s message is that when someone is consumed by grief and betrayal, they can lose control of their thoughts and actions, leading to serious consequences. It\u2019s a reminder that if powerful emotions aren\u2019t controlled, they can affect not only one person, but everyone around them.<\/p>\n<p>I give\u00a0<em>Hamlet<\/em>\u00a05 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 to 18, plus adults. It will be released in theaters on April 10, 2026.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Hamlet | Official Trailer (HD) | Vertical\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/mv2iYGYSUtY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Shakespeare&#8217;s most enduring tragedy is reimagined in a bold, modern adaptation set within London&#8217;s elite South Asian community. When Hamlet (Riz Ahmed) returns for his father&#8217;s funeral, he is stunned to discover his uncle Claudius is marrying his newly widowed mother. Visited by his father&#8217;s ghost, Hamlet learns his brutal murder was at the hands of Claudius &#8211; and spirals into a quest for vengeance that exposes the rot at the heart of the family&#8217;s empire and threatens his own sanity.<\/p>\n<p>KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Raasti K. comments, \u201cWhat if you could step inside William Shakespeare\u2019s creative mind and feel every emotion that shaped Hamlet, his most iconic and famous tragedy? This film draws you into the story in a haunting and unforgettable way through its protagonist, Hamlet, while introducing this timeless story, originally performed in the 1600s, to a new generation.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[4],"tags":[2876,2881,2880,2888,2883,2884,2885,2877,2879,2882,2537,2887,2889,2886,2878],"class_list":["post-2554","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-film-critics-blog","tag-aneil-karia","tag-art-malik","tag-avijit-dutt","tag-eben-figueriredo","tag-joe-alwyn","tag-kash-ahmad","tag-krish-misra","tag-michael-lesslie","tag-morfydd-clark","tag-rajiv-sharma","tag-riz-ahmed","tag-sheea-chaddha","tag-subhash-viman-gorania","tag-timothy-spall","tag-william-shakespeare"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2554","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2554"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2554\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2571,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2554\/revisions\/2571"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2554"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2554"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2554"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}