THR: Numerous Oscar Voters Saying ‘Hamnet’ is “Trauma Porn” and Overhyped

I recently took some heat for posting, way back in March, early mixed reactions to Chloé Zhao’s “Hamnet.” One attendee at a test screening went so far as to call it “misery porn,” describing it as “two hours of [Jessie] Buckley looking miserable on screen,” with little emotional depth or nuance to her grief.

The film finally premiered at Telluride last weekend to near-unanimous acclaim (Metascore: 95), and of course my earlier report on those test reactions came under fire. As I always remind readers, these screenings aren’t “gospel”—they’re just a handful of opinions. Even “Sinners” pulled mixed responses early on.

That said, THR’s Scott Feinberg is already handicapping Hamnet’s Best Picture odds—very high at the moment—and he’s spoken to several Academy members who’ve seen it. Interestingly, some of their comments line up with what my sources told me months ago: tonal problems, a sense that the film veers into “trauma porn.”

I certainly think it will be a big factor in the season. I would just caution that numerous Academy members quietly expressed to me their feeling that the film has tonal issues — some called it “trauma porn” — and that it has been so hyped by critics that other Academy members will inevitably feel disappointed when they catch up with it. We’ll see.

Still, I think “Hamnet” will be a major player this season. I’ll be seeing it at TIFF this weekend, where Telluride success rarely fizzles with the friendly Canadian crowd. Yes, its absence from Venice and NYFF raised some red flags, but skeptics—including me—look to have been proven wrong. That trailer last week already teased something visually stunning.

The consensus forming now is that “Hamnet” is a bleak, grief-soaked experience—but executed with exceptional skill. Jessie Buckley is earning raves for a devastating, often tear-filled performance, Zhao’s direction is winning praise, and Łukasz Żal’s cinematography is emerging as one of the film’s defining triumphs.

The narrative is also clear: this is Zhao’s big comeback. After being chewed up by Marvel with the much-maligned “Eternals,” “Hamnet”is being positioned as her redemption—the film that restores her standing with critics.