There’s a lot to be said about movies in recent years — we’ve had some fantastic films come out, and many, many not-so-fantastic films. Nonetheless, I’ve found myself a frequent movie-goer this holiday season. I can’t help but be captured by the magic of going to the movies, especially for a special re-screening of an old hit. I’ve seen Toy Story, Wicked: For Good, twice, Hamnet, twice, Zootopia 2, Rental Family, The Grinch, The Housemaid, Avatar: Fire and Ash, and am anxiously awaiting a visit to see Marty Supreme and No Other Choice.
Of all of these films, none whatsoever can top the artistry of Hamnet. This is a film that you can seriously cry through for 45 straight minutes before the story lets up. It is fabulous in every way — gorgeous, rich cinematography from director Chloé Zhao, paired with a deep and meaningful story (derived from Maggie O’Farrell’s novel) that explores grief and the meaning of theatrical tragedy, and stunning performances by Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal, and Noah and Jacobi Jupe.
Buckley, in particular, is a powerhouse, drawing in the viewer with her signature smirk, air of mystery, and gut-wrenching displays of motherhood. She takes you on a journey into the world of Agnes Shakespeare, a woman whose true story has been lost to time, building her a life all of her own. You might think going into Hamnet that William Shakespeare will be the focus of the film — not so. Agnes is the star, and Buckley fills the character with life and depth; she is complex, as vivid as a wildfire, unknowable as the ocean, a fierce and loyal companion who at times radiates joy and understanding, and at other times hurt and anger, all while maintaining her core character. If we’re talking complex female characters, especially for a 16th-century bride, Agnes is the pinnacle.
Then there’s The Housemaid, starring two of Hollywood’s most gorgeous (and one of the most controversial) starlets of our time. Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney deliver two very different performances in this ‘erotic thriller.’ Seyfried’s character is deeply frightening, unnerving, and erratic, but eventually her behavior makes total sense. She plays ‘crazy’ perfectly — the ups and downs are stark, her demeanor is totally convincingly insane, and for the first hour of the film, the unsuspecting viewer is convinced of her villainy.
Then there’s Sweeney. An undeniably beautiful and magnetic star… whose performances time and time again fall flat. She is everything a man wants to see on screen, and she’s everything that Andrew Winchester, the (spoiler alert) true villain of the story, wants in a woman. She is young, fertile, blonde, and booby. Her character, Millie, is actually deeply complex, or at least she should be, but as a long-time Euphoria viewer, Sweeney struggles to come across as anything more than dull and lifeless. There are so many opportunities for her to show off her acting skills, but time and time again, we get a monotone Cassie-style performance, particularly in her grating narration.
It’s not all Sweeney’s fault, though. The movie doesn’t quite pull off its Gone Girl reveal. The assembly of the film is clumsy, assumes that the viewer is stupid enough to be shocked at the plot twist, and lazily wraps the story up in a wonky bow after a much-too-long exposition. Plus, we get two gratuitous sex scenes, tits-and-all, that, as a lover of boobies and the erotic, even I could not get behind. I left the theater feeling like Sweeney and her body were just a pawn in the film’s marketability.
Comparing the hot-and-heavy sex between Millie and Andrew with the distant, bird’s-eye view that Hamnet gives us of William and Agnes’ first sexual encounter, I couldn’t help but be struck by the difference in the way the two films treat sex. Nothing in The Housemaid is even close to being more erotic and romantic than the way that young William and Agnes run after each other in the forest, giggling with glee following the brief, couldn’t have been more than 13 seconds, scene of their love (and baby) making. I was never once convinced that Andrew was treating Millie with the respect a prospective lover deserves — he wanted to f*ck her, and he hated his wife. If the movie was trying to convince us otherwise for the sake of the plot twist it later delivers, well, it fails.
All this to say, the performances viewers are gifted by the actors of Hamnet are so deeply moving and impressive that no other film this holiday season can hold a candle — and judging from the lazy, sexed-up construction of The Housemaid, they weren’t even trying. But the box office disagrees. At the time of writing this article, it’s been just 5 days since The Housemaid opened, and it’s already grossed over $26 million worldwide. Hamnet, on the other hand, was released 4 weeks ago and is at a comparably meager $9 million. Sweeney sells, sex sells. But the magic of a performance like Buckley’s in Hamnet will not be forgotten, as I’m sure The Housemaid will be in due time.
If you’ve been wanting to go to the movies, go see Hamnet right now, before it’s gone. It’s not the sort of movie you should watch on your couch — but The Housemaid is, so if you’re not an AMC rewards member who gets your Tuesday tickets for 50% off like me, go ahead and skip this one. Or don’t, and laugh and complain all the way home. Either way, it’s never a waste to put on your critical eye and take a trip to the cinema.