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Hamlet

Hamlet

Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.

1996242 minPG-13Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films
Director
Kenneth Branagh
Starring
Kenneth Branagh, Derek Jacobi, Kate Winslet, Julie Christie

Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, returns home to find his father murdered and his mother now marrying the murderer... his uncle. Meanwhile, war is brewing.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Hamlet?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Hamlet streaming on Howdy via Prime Video and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

Subscription

via Prime Video

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Hamlet?

Hamlet earns 10 badges, led by Universally Loved and Top 10% of films.

Show 2 more
  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Cast

Reception

Is Hamlet worth watching?

Hamlet's Midcredits score is the 93rd percentile of all films, from 86K ratings across 4 sources. 82% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

93rd percentile

Better received than 93% of films

94th percentile among Drama94th percentile among 1990s
Acclaim (how much people like it)91st
Approval (how many liked it)92nd

75 /100

91st percentile of all films

93rd percentile among Drama93rd percentile among 1990s

Rating distribution

Most people land high, with a thin tail of low scores from those it didn't reach.

82% liked it

92nd percentile of all films

93rd percentile among Drama93rd percentile among 1990s
82% rated it 7–1018% rated it 1–6

Critics 95% · Audience 89%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 4 Oscar noms · 6 wins / 25 noms overall

  • NominatedAcademy Awards· Best Art Direction-Set Decoration
  • NominatedAcademy Awards· Best Costume Design

92nd percentile

86K ratings across platforms

94th percentile among Drama89th percentile among 1990s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 12% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$18M
Opening weekend$91K
Domestic gross$4.7M
Worldwide gross$6.3M

Returned 0.3× its budget — 81st percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps agree the film is a bold, ambitious, complete-text adaptation with stunning production design.

Fans praised

  • Complete text adds depth and clarifies character motivations
  • Branagh's vigorous, passionate Hamlet balances madness and cunning
  • Lavish 70mm visuals, sumptuous 19th-century sets, and Oscar-nominated score

Detractors panned

  • Branagh's over-the-top, shouty performance lacks subtlety
  • Stunt casting of Hollywood stars (Lemmon, Williams) distracts and feels miscast
  • Overproduced spectacle with unnecessary action and gaudy sets

What stands out

CinematographyDivisive85

Stunning 70mm photography, hall of mirrors, and epic wide shots

Plot and storyDivisive80

Full narrative clarifies political stakes and character motivations

AtmosphereDivisive80

Blenheim Palace and snow-covered grounds create immersive 19th-century Denmark

CharactersDivisive75

Complete text fleshes out minor roles like Fortinbras and Polonius

ActingDivisive70

Branagh's polarizing performance: fans call it electrifying, detractors find it hammy

DialogueDivisive70

Fast delivery makes text accessible to some, rushed for others

Emotional impactDivisive65

Some key emotional moments fall flat or feel overwrought

PacingDivisive45

Four-hour runtime feels slow and draggy even to many fans

Preferred by

Under-30s vs over-30s

Preferred by Over-30s

Over-30s scored it 13 points higher than under-30s.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men even
  • Critics vs users 6 points apart
  • US vs non-US 2 points apart

Watch experience

What is Hamlet like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Harrowing: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you can give it your full attention, and you are ready for a hard story that does not look away.

It is intense, takes its time and leaves you devastated. Skip it when you want an easy night or you can only half-watch.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Your full attention, room for heavy feelings, patience and a taste for open questions.

What it feels like

Harrowing.

Moods
TenseMelancholicDread
Heaviest: late
Dark humor
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Epic · 2% of films: Vast in scale: big landscapes, big stakes, a long span.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film treats Shakespeare's tragedy with full dramatic weight, playing the language and emotions straight in a lavish period setting.
The rideThe film maintains a brooding, tense atmosphere throughout, with the emotional and dramatic weight culminating in the tragic final duel and deaths.
StructureThe narrative follows the play's chronological sequence, with flashbacks used to visualise events only described in the text.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Devastated.

The answer rests on this: Devastating · 3% of filmsHaunting · 14% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe tragic ending and the weight of the themes leave a profound sense of loss and intellectual stirring.
How it ends · evidence
Tragic ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Tragedy
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9% (this title): Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% (this title) · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Tragedy: A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin. · Obsession: A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).

9% of films fit this archetype

Why this archetypeThe story follows Hamlet's obsessive quest to avenge his father's murder, a classic tragedy of indecision and obsession.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfTruthIdeas
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% (this title) · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% (this title) · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5% (this title): Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% (this title) · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Ideas

Truth · 4% of filmsRevenge · 4% of filmsMortality · 2% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film interrogates the difficulty of knowing truth, the corrosive nature of revenge, and the thin line between feigned and real madness amid a world of corruption.
StanceThe film interrogates the nature of truth and the morality of revenge, presenting Hamlet's quest as philosophically unresolved rather than triumphant.

The world

19th centuryInstitutionalDomesticRealistic
Orchestral classicalSupportive music · original score · Patrick Doyle
SettingElsinore Castle in a fictional Denmark
MusicDoyle's sweeping, melancholic score underscores the tragedy's grandeur and emotional depth.

Content guide

Is Hamlet okay for kids?

PG-13

Hamlet is rated PG-13: “Rated PG-13 for some violent images and sexuality” (MPAA). As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at moderate (46/100), sexual content at moderate (47/100), language at minimal (12/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (40/100) and frightening material at moderate (47/100). Overall it is heavier than 45% of PG-13-rated films.

Ratings in 10 other countries
  • UKPG
  • AustraliaPG
  • Germany12
  • France12
  • South Korea15
  • Belgium16
  • Czechia12+
  • ItalyT
  • Netherlands6
  • PortugalM/16
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 30% of all filmsHeavier than 45% of PG-13-rated films
Violence & Gore
Moderate
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 49%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavy for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 86%
Profanity
None / Minimal
light for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 5%
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
heavy for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 81%
Frightening / Intense
Moderate
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 53%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Nothing here is extreme. The strongest element is frightening material, heavier than 53% of PG-13-rated films.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Hamlet have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Hamlet?

Cast

Kenneth Branagh
as Hamlet
Oscar nominee: Academy Award nomination — Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published
Derek Jacobi
as Claudius
Kate Winslet
as Ophelia
newcomer then · star now
Julie Christie
as Gertrude
Richard Briers
as Polonius
Nicholas Farrell
as Horatio
Rufus Sewell
as Fortinbras
newcomer then · star now
Reece Dinsdale
as Guildenstern
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Timothy Spall
as Rosencrantz
Michael Maloney
as Laertes

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Hamlet?

Movies like Hamlet include Hamlet (1948), Hamlet (1990) and Titus (1999). Of the 8 closest matches, half are stories of obsession, and most are films about royalty and aristocracy.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

William Shakespeare wrote 4 of these 8. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Hamlet?

753 other films share the rarest tag below, follows: royalty. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.