Key Points
- Riz Ahmed stars as Hamlet in a modern east London adaptation directed by Aneil Karia, bringing raw emotion and intensity to Shakespeare’s timeless lines.
- The story shifts from a Danish castle to east London, with an Anglo-Indian family; the patriarch (Avijit Dutt) is murdered, and Hamlet participates in a Hindu funeral ceremony.
- Hamlet encounters his father’s ghost after leaving a nightclub under the influence of drink and drugs, led to the roof of an unfinished tower block development called Elsinore.
- The uncle Claudius is played by Art Malik, and mother Gertrude by Sheeba Chaddha; the plot reveals their dastardly scheme.
- Setting contrasts grimy streets with wealth, including exposure to homeless evicted by Hamlet’s father’s property firm Elsinore.
- Hamlet’s “To be or not to be” soliloquy occurs while driving recklessly in a BMW from Blackwall Tunnel towards Hackney along the A11.
- Director Aneil Karia pares down the play, omitting “Alas, poor Yorick”, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Horatio, and the gravedigger, focusing on Hamlet’s isolation.
- Supporting cast includes Timothy Spall as Polonius, Joe Alwyn as Laertes, Morfydd Clarke as Ophelia (noted as Mofydd Clarke in some reports).
- Screenwriter Michael Lesslie adapted the text, abridged and reordered.
- Riz Ahmed and Aneil Karia previously collaborated on the Oscar-winning 2022 short “The Long Goodbye”.
- Film premiered or screened at Toronto International Film Festival on 4 September 2025.
- Reviews praise Ahmed’s magnetic, lyrical performance but criticise omissions making it uneven; certificate 15, four stars from Islington Tribune.
- Cultural elements include Hindu rituals, Bollywood-style dance at wedding, South Asian family dynamics enhancing themes of duty and corruption.
- Cinematography by Stuart Bentley is jittery and restless.
East London (East London Times) February 5, 2026 – A bold 21st-century adaptation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, starring Tufnell Park-based Riz Ahmed and directed by Aneil Karia, has premiered to acclaim for its raw emotional intensity and modern reimagining set amid east London’s contrasting landscapes. As reported by Dan Carrier of the Islington Tribune, “IT isn’t just how lead man Riz Ahmed has tackled the most famous lines in British theatre – it is the raw emotion and intensity he brings to this adaptation of Shakespeare that makes this an incredibly powerful piece of film.” The film transposes the intrigue from Elsinore castle to a gritty urban property empire, with an Anglo-Indian family at its core, earning four stars for its visceral take on timeless themes of revenge, grief, and corruption.
What Makes Riz Ahmed’s Hamlet Stand Out?
Riz Ahmed delivers an extraordinary performance as the Prince of Denmark, physically embodying the character’s pain in a way that brings Shakespeare’s words alive in a contemporary context. Dan Carrier of the Islington Tribune notes, “We are frequently told Shakespeare’s words are timeless, that they capture something about the human condition – and Ahmed’s 21st-century take on the Prince of Denmark physically brings the wronged son’s pain alive.” Collider reviewer praises Ahmed’s “magnetic” turn, stating he “doesn’t just act as Hamlet, but he seems to fully dissolve into him. Every line of dialogue feels like it’s intertwined into every fiber of his being, spoken not as recitation but as tangible thought made to feel like flesh.”
Ahmed, known for his work as a rapper and poet, infuses lyrical naturalness into the role, with non-verbal reactions speaking volumes, such as his stunned shock at his mother’s marriage. In one audacious scene, his “To be or not to be” soliloquy unfolds behind the wheel of a BMW, hurtling down rain-slicked London streets from the Blackwall Tunnel towards Hackney along the A11, gorgeously and painfully expressed. The AOL review highlights this as a “unique way to present Hamlet’s suicidal soliloquy,” noting Ahmed embodies “a deeply agitated young man” dealing with mental health alongside betrayal.
How Is the Story Adapted to East London?
The action relocates from a Danish castle to east London, where Elsinore becomes the name of the murdered patriarch’s property development firm, dotted with unfinished tower blocks across the skyline. As detailed by Dan Carrier in the Islington Tribune, the family is Anglo-Indian; viewers meet the patriarch (Avijit Dutt) post-murder, with son Hamlet joining a Hindu ceremony to prepare the body. At the wake, lines about “cold funeral meats” furnishing a wedding feast lead to the ghost’s visitation.
Instead of battlements, Hamlet, fuelled by drink and drugs, stumbles from a nightclub and follows the ghost to a tower block roof, learning of the plot by uncle Claudius (Art Malik) and mother Gertrude (Sheeba Chaddha). The setting mixes grimy streets with wealth, exposing Hamlet to homeless evicted by his father, underscoring “something is very much rotten in this state.” Collider describes Elsinore as a “real estate empire,” with the wedding featuring a Bollywood-style dance retelling the crime through choreography. Screenwriter Michael Lesslie abridged and reordered the text, preserving iambic pentameter but tweaking for modernity, like sending Hamlet to Delhi.
Who Are the Key Cast Members?
Tufnell Park actor Riz Ahmed leads, supported by a strong ensemble making 400-year-old lines resonate today. Art Malik plays the “sterlingly morbid” Claudius, Sheeba Chaddha the “faithless” Gertrude, and Avijit Dutt the patriarch and ghost. Timothy Spall’s “dastardly Polonius” is a grotesque, consigliere-like figure, sharing intense scenes with Ahmed and delivering the most disturbing death.
Joe Alwyn portrays heartbroken Laertes, a polished party bro turning furious, though underdeveloped. Morfydd Clarke (or Mofydd Clarke per Tribune) is tragic Ophelia, fragile yet defiant, her fate drawing criticism for thin characterisation requiring play familiarity. Collider notes Chaddha makes Gertrude “both complicit and deeply human,” Malik brings “sly, glowering menace.”
What Changes Did Director Aneil Karia Make?
Director Aneil Karia, reteaming with Ahmed after their 2022 Oscar-winning short The Long Goodbye, pares down the acts to essential parts, isolating Hamlet without Horatio, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, or the gravedigger—no “Alas, poor Yorick.” Dan Carrier observes, “This might not please the purist, but shows how Shakespeare can be re-imagined well.” Cinematographer Stuart Bentley’s jittery, restless style mirrors Hamlet’s instability.
The film peaked at Gertrude’s wedding with an Indian-style dance number pantomiming the murder, gauging Claudius’s reaction, more effective than the abrupt climactic violence replacing the duel. AOL critiques the corporate “hostile takeover” lacking dastardliness, with relics like “kings and lords” not translating well. Shot on digital video with handheld look, it evokes modern mental health empathy.
What Do Critics Say About the Adaptation?
Praise centres on Ahmed’s urgency and cultural freshness, but omissions frustrate. Islington Tribune’s Dan Carrier awards four stars: “an incredibly powerful piece of film.” Collider calls it “jaw-droppingly fresh,” thriving on South Asian duty themes, though “messy” and uneven without texture from cut characters. Riz Ahmed’s rage “crackles with urgency,” proving Shakespeare’s relevance.
AOL is harsher: Ahmed “can’t save” it, with thin side characters, soulless rich-kid world, and unclear ghost/madness; exciting action like a construction site beating hints at untapped crime family potential. Time Out deems it “fearlessly cinematic” (3/5 stars). WePresent quotes Ahmed on Hamlet as a “story for right now.” JoySauce notes “wasted potential.”
When and Where Did the Film Premiere?
The film screened at the Toronto International Film Festival on 4 September 2025. International sales launched at Cannes Film Market by WME Independent, with CAA for North America. UK release aligns with February 2026 reviews, certificate 15. Set from elite London to underground, Hindu temples to homeless camps, it questions family corruption.
Why Choose a South Asian Lens for Hamlet?
The Anglo-Indian family sharpens filial duty, generational weight in diasporic context, defying Eurocentric traditions with Hindu rituals and Bollywood dance. Karia’s version feels “lived-in,” mapping Shakespeare onto South Asian culture seamlessly. IMDb notes Hamlet “haunted by his father’s ghost… moving from elite London to the city’s underground… to rash and violent lengths.” Shafaqna describes modern London’s “shady family business and dysfunction.”
