How to watch Hamnet – is it streaming?

Ordinary, the best actress race tends to be one of the most competitive fields at the Oscars. But despite a stellar group of nominees – and some tremendous performances which somehow didn't get a look in – this year's race already seems all sewn up.

Jessie Buckley's magnificent turn in Chloë Zhao's Hamnet has won near universal acclaim from critics, and the Irish star has already racked up a number of notable gongs as we count down to the Academy Awards in mid-march. It would be a major upset if she wasn't to eventually collect the statuette.

The emotional film – which is based on Maggie O'Farrell's novel of the same name – is also nominated in a further seven categories, including best director for Zhao and best picture, although Paul Mescal was surprisingly left off the best supporting actor line-up.

So, what's all the fuss about? If you've not managed to catch it yet and want to see if it lives up to the hype – and the promise of tears – before the Oscars, you can read on for everything you need to know about how to watch the film.

How to watch Hamnet – is it streaming?

Yes – as of Tuesday 3rd February, Hamnet is available to stream at home. At least, that's if you're willing to part with some cash to rent or buy it on a range of Premium Video on Demand services. It's currently available on Prime Video, Google Play, Apple TV and YouTube, with prices sitting at £15.99 for rental and £19.99 for purchase.

If that seems a little steep, it's not yet clear when – or if – the film will become available on any streaming subscription services.

It tends to be the case that Universal films eventually make their way to NOW and Sky Cinema, but we'd probably be looking at a fair few months before that release date, with the time between cinema release and streaming tending to be around six to seven months. We'll keep this page updated if we hear any information of a streaming release sooner.

Of course, there still is one other way to watch the film: by heading to the pictures. One month on from it's UK release date the film is still playing in several cinemas around the country, and this seems likely to remain the case as awards season rumbles on. So just check your local cinema times to see if it's showing near you.

What is Hamnet about?

As mentioned above, Hamnet is based on the novel of the same name by Maggie O'Farrell, which in turn offers an imagined, fictionalised account of the true story surrounding the death of Hamnet Shakespeare – the son of William Shakespeare and Agnes Hathaway – and how it may have impacted the playwright's greatest work.

The official synopsis reads: "William Shakespeare and his wife, Agnes, celebrate the birth of their son, Hamnet. However, when tragedy strikes and Hamnet dies at a young age, it inspires Shakespeare to write his timeless masterpiece Hamlet."

Hamnet cast: who stars with Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal?

Of course, the cast is headlined by Jessie Buckley as Agnes and Paul Mescal as William Shakespeare, but there are plenty of other notable names in the ensemble as well.

Child star Jacobi Jupe has won considerable acclaim for his standout turn as the title character, while his older brother Noah Jupe also has a brief but memorable role as the actor playing Hamlet in the first production of the iconic play.

Elsewhere there are key roles for the likes of Joe Alwyn and Emily Watson. You can find the main cast list below:

• Jessie Buckley as Agnes Shakespeare (Faith Delaney as young Agnes)
• Paul Mescal as William Shakespeare
• Emily Watson as Mary Shakespeare
• Joe Alwyn as Bartholomew Hathaway (Smylie Bradwell as young Bartholomew)
• Jacobi Jupe as Hamnet Shakespeare
• Olivia Lynes as Judith Shakespeare
• Justine Mitchell as Joan Hathaway
• David Wilmot as John Shakespeare
• Bodhi Rae Breathnach as Susanna Shakespeare
• Freya Hannan-Mills as Eliza Shakespeare
• James Skinner as Gilbert Shakespeare
• Elliot Baxter as Richard Shakespeare
• Dainton Anderson as Edmond Shakespeare
• Louisa Harland as Rowan Hathaway
• Noah Jupe as the actor who plays Hamlet in Hamlet

Hamnet trailer

Still not decided whether it's worth your time? Perhaps the trailer below will convince you one way or another.

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