Notebook Reviews: HAMLET

Posted on January 18, 2025 by Niall Browne in Notebook Reviews

Michael Almereyda – 2000.

Director Michael Almereyda delivers a highly watchable screen adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Updated to modern-day New York City, this features strong performances from an impressive cast –Ethan Hawke, Kyle MacLachlan, Diane Venora, Bill Murray, Liev Schreiber, Julia Stiles, Steve Zahn and Sam Shepard.

One particularly powerful moment sees Hawke’s Hamlet lamenting the ‘slings and arrows of outrageous fortune’ in the action film section of Blockbuster.

Stylish and enjoyable, this version of Hamlet has plenty of visual verve and it’s an excellent contemporary take on one of Shakespeare’s most enduring tales.