Ophelia (2019)

Ophelia is special because it takes one of literature’s most familiar tragedies and hands the torch to the woman who’s usually treated like collateral damage, turning the story into a vivid, romantic fight for self-determination. Claire McCarthy leans into a lush, candlelit court vibe—equal parts swooning and suspenseful—while Daisy Ridley gives Ophelia a bright, stubborn intelligence that makes every glance and choice feel earned. Naomi Watts adds a deliciously thorny edge to the palace’s power games, and the whole film moves with a “juicy” momentum that makes Shakespeare feel less like homework and more like a dangerously entertaining soap at swordpoint. If you want strict fidelity to the play, this bold feminist reframing may ruffle you, but if you’re open to a modern, energetic twist on old royalty-and-betrayal drama, it’s an easy watch to fall into.

Ophelia wants to be a smart, feminist reframing of Hamlet that gives the sidelined heroine agency, romance, and a survival story of her own, and you can feel the ambition in its lush costumes and Daisy Ridley’s committed, grounded performance. The problem is the script often trades Shakespearean bite for YA-style intrigue, so the politics and twists can land as more soap-operatic than profound, and the pacing drifts when it should be tightening the screws. If you’re hoping for the emotional complexity and sharp character work of the play, this may feel oddly flat and a bit self-serious in the wrong places. But if you’re in the mood for a glossy, accessible period romance with a familiar tragedy remixed into a more empowering fantasy, it’s an easy enough watch.