Warning: This piece contains spoilers.

Hamnet – Dylan Hing, Contributor

As a self-described theatre-lover, I finally found the time to watch Chloé Zhao’s newest film Hamnet over the winter break, and I think we can all agree that Jessie Buckley is overdue for an Oscar. Based on Maggie O’Farrell’s 2020 novel, the film follows the longstanding myth that William Shakespeare’s Hamlet was inspired by his son Hamnet’s death. Though the Bard is prominent, Zhao and O’Farrell centre the story of his wife, here named Agnes, and portrayed by Buckley in a decade-defining role.

William’s (Paul Mescal) significant absences from the movie, due to his work in London, allow Agnes to establish herself within the Shakespearean mythology; her joy in motherhood heightens the eventual emotional fall. Buckley masterfully embodies Agnes’ exhaustion and quiet resentment towards her husband’s absences while still showing genuine love, and her performance uniquely brought me to tears.

Of course, one cannot forget the eponymous character Hamnet, played by the outstanding Jacobi Jupe. Buckley may be Queen, but it’s Jupe who—despite his age—performs with a subtlety that will shatter your heart. Please, if for nothing else, see this movie for him. You might just melt.

The Queen’s Gambit by Walter Tevis – Alexandra Lasser, Arts and Entertainment Editor

Over the winter break, I returned to a character I first grew fond of years ago: Beth Harmon. Like many, I was first introduced to her through the hit Netflix series, The Queen’s Gambit, but it wasn’t until reading its namesake novel that I truly understood her. Walter Tevis’ novel The Queen’s Gambit follows a young orphaned chess prodigy as she navigates growing up and ascending to the top of the chess world. 

The novel’s omniscient third-person narration invites readers into the mind of the young chess prodigy, humanizing her in the process. Readers are not only introduced to her intelligence but also to her vulnerability. Moments of suspense in the chess matches were heightened by her hesitation and lack of faith in herself. Tevis’s intimate narration style also highlighted the darker themes of the novel, specifically her addiction to tranquillizers. 

Throughout the novel, Beth believes her chess talent stems, at least in part, from the effects of the tranquillizers, which means breaking free from addiction also requires overcoming a deep anxiety that her talent may lessen. Having such intimate knowledge of her inner turmoil made her a compelling character whose eventual success felt well-deserved. Tevis’s clever writing of Beth made the novel so impactful and gripping, even to a non-chess player. 

Marty Supreme by Josh Safdie – Malika Logossou, Managing Editor

This winter break, I succumbed to Timothée Chalamet’s pervasive promotional campaign, watching Josh Safdie’s Marty Supreme—and I’m glad I did. Loosely inspired by American table tennis champion Marty Reisman, the film takes place in the 1950s but delivers modern-sounding dialogue alongside a soundtrack of 1980s hits. Chalamet stars as Marty Mauser, a New York shoe store salesman working for his uncle while obsessively pursuing his dream of becoming the greatest table tennis player of all time. To finance his tournament travels, he hustles his way through a series of morally questionable choices, often at the expense of others—the most notable example being when he abandons Rachel (Odessa A’zion), his married friend whom he allegedly impregnates, to travel to Japan for a table tennis match against his rival. 

The film features an eclectic supporting cast, including Tyler Okonma (Tyler, The Creator) as Marty’s friend and Gwyneth Paltrow as Kay, a famous actor in an unhappy marriage to businessman Rockwell (Kevin O’Leary), making it all the more intriguing. Marty Supreme largely thrives because of Marty himself. He is narcissistic and self-centred, yet becomes strangely endearing, and the film still encourages audiences to root for him during his final table tennis match. The story’s numerous subplots, while occasionally pulling away from the sport, sustain momentum and unpredictability. I would not rank it as one of 2025’s strongest achievements in cinematography, but it is an enjoyable watch.