How to watch Hamnet: See the heart-wrenching Oscar Best Picture nominee at home
Academy Award–winning director Chloé Zhao is back in the Oscar race with the heartbreaking period piece Hamnet. It stars our favorite sad boy, Paul Mescal, and a sensational Jessie Buckley as William and Agnes Shakespeare — the latter has already taken home the Golden Globe for her outstanding performance.
Mashable Entertainment Editor Kristy Puchko calls it "an earthy and poetic raw tale of love and loss," and it earned a high spot on our list of the best movies of 2025. It's still floating around in select theaters, but if you prefer to cry from your own couch, here are all the streaming details you need to know.
What is Hamnet about?
A tragic historical drama based on the novel of the same name by Maggie O'Farrell, Hamnet offers a view of William Shakespeare (Mescal) and his mystical wife Agnes (Buckley) from a different lens. It paints a portrait of their relationship as they cope with the sudden loss of their youngest son and the ways the tragedy influences one of the greatest plays ever written. Mashable's entertainment reporter, Belen Edwards, describes it as "the kind of film the word 'heart-wrenching' was invented for." In other words, keep a box of tissues nearby.
Check out the official trailer below:
Is Hamnet worth watching?
"This period drama seems primed to be a contender this award season," Puchko wrote in her review out of TIFF. And boy was she right. Hamnet has been nominated for Best Picture at this year's Oscars, plus Best Costume Design, Best Original Score, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Casting, Best Directing, and Best Actress in a Leading Role. It currently holds an 86 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes amongst critics and a 92 percent amongst audiences.
Mashable's entertainment team loved it — it cracked the top 10 of our favorite films of 2025. But, as Puchko warned, "Hamnet could leave you tear-soaked and in tatters."
Read Mashable's review of Hamnet.
How to watch Hamnet at home
There are a couple of different ways you can watch Hamnet at home. You can buy it or rent it at digital-on-demand retailers for as low as $19.99 as of Feb. 3, or you can stream it on Peacock at a later date. See all the details below.
Buy or rent it on digital
Hamnet made its digital debut on Feb. 3, 2026, which means you can now buy or rent the movie from on-demand retailers. If you choose to rent, you'll get 30 days to watch the film and just 48 hours to finish it once you start. If you choose to buy it, then it's yours to keep and watch at your own leisure.
Here are some quick links to rent or purchase the film:
Apple TV — buy for $24.99, rent for $19.99
Fandango at Home — buy for $24.99, rent for $19.99
Google Play — buy for $24.99, rent for $19.99
Prime Video — buy for $24.99, rent for $19.99
YouTube — buy for $24.99, rent for $19.99
Stream it on Peacock (at a later date)
As a Focus Features (part of NBCUniversal) film, we know Hamnet will make its streaming debut on Peacock. Assuming it follows the timeline of other Focus Features films (Bugonia, Honey Don't!), it will likely arrive on Peacock in March 2026. We'll keep you updated.
Peacock subscriptions cost $10.99 per month with ads or $16.99 per month without. Before you sign up, be sure to check out the best ways to save some money on a subscription below.
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