- Star-crossed lovers meet with murder and mayhem in a ruthless gamble for power.
- Act I of III (2020)
The film begins with a series of shots filmed on a smartphone, in which we see the 'real world' depiction of Ophelia's romance with Hamlet. Following the opening credits, we enter a new reality on the stage, accompanied by alive studio audience, where Hamlet is sniffing cocaine, intercut with yet another medium hereafter called 'flash-sideways', shot in black & white 8mm or 16mm film and portraying the wider world outside.
Hamlet on stage proceeds to speak the lines of all four characters on the nightwatch in Shakespeare's Elsinore, including Francisco, Marcellus, Bernardo and a visitor from nobility, Horatio. The former are given northern English accents whilst Horatio is American. After the nightwatch have discussed the matter with Horatio, The Ghost soon appears and gives them the fright of their lives, Ophelia stirring from her bed on stage and getting dressed as Horatio determines they should tell Prince Hamlet what they have seen. All this occurs whilst in flash-sideways we see the real world Hamlet securing a large amount of narcotics from organised crime. The time is shown as being '07:00' on the alarm clock.
In the following chapter (delineated by 'bookplates' which are animated illustrations featuring motifs from the language of the following scene) Queen Gertrude (now inhabited by Ophelia) has just been married to a very drunk King Claudius, the man who was formerly brother to the king that recently died and whom the nightwatch saw haunting the grounds. After a self-ingratiating speech, Gertrude and Claudius walk about the court, speaking with Laertes and his father Polonius, who ask for the royal's blessing that Laertes return to university in France. Encountering Hamlet, they are dismayed to find he insists on not participating in the celebrations, explaining he is still in mourning for his father (and more than inferring he is furious with his mother for marrying his uncle, related on his father's side but which he considers 'incest' nonetheless). After the court leave, Hamlet confides in Ophelia, expressing his deep resentment for the marriage and speculating that it is a betrayal of his father's memory. Ophelia attempts to dissuade him with various signs of affection and intimacy - embracing him, lighting a cigarette to share, dancing - but ultimately when we return in the following chapter is nowhere to seen.
Horatio arrives with Bernardo and Marcellus and tells Hamlet about what they have seen; The Ghost stalking the grounds at night. Hamlet questions Horatio as to the veracity of his tale but, ultimately convinced, agrees to join them later on the platform at midnight to see for himself. Afterwards, there is a lengthy montage of flash-sideways in which we see the real world Hamlet rising to power as a career criminal and drug dealer; he partners with his best friend Sugley and they set up a gang to help shift the gear, is initially arrested but then becomes handled by a corrupt policeman (one 'Inspector Rosenford'), buys a suit, a car, a flat and develops his relationship with the real world Ophelia who appears largely unaware of his criminal activities.
Elsewhere, Laertes is setting off for France and bids his sister goodbye, but not before giving her some advice as to Hamlet's late romancing of her. She counters Laertes' advice with a plea to observe the same modesty in his travels abroad. Polonius (their father) arrives and chastises Laertes for tarrying, before offering some choice words of wisdom from an old book; the advice he gives is juxtaposed with flash-sideways of the real world Hamlet flouting every rule and piece of advice Polonius gives, clearly a drug dealer and far from a gentleman. After Laertes has left, Polonius interrogates his daughter as to the rumours that Hamlet is courting her; she confesses and he responds with strict instructions to cease all further communication with the prince, suspecting Hamlet of having no further interest in her than for sexual intercourse.
A flash-sideways shows a compromised Hamlet being introduced to the leader of the motorbike gang who supply his drugs-for-sale, Sol. Sol hugs him as if they were family before cutting him loose.
Back on the stage, at midnight on the platform, The Ghost does not disappoint 'entering' right on time - taking the form of Sol. Accordingly, a highly distressed Hamlet insists on his right to speak with The Ghost alone and abandons his friends. Following to a removed ground, they have a private discourse, in which The Ghost (the deceased King Hamlet, Hamlet's father) reveals that he was murdered by his brother and usurper, Claudius. The Ghost appeals to Hamlet, who vows revenge.
Act II of III (2020)
The second episode begins with another extended 'flash-sideways' montage in which the real world Hamlet appears to be losing his wits; he attacks someone that owes him money, takes cocaine in a taxi and murders his friend Ashka after the corrupt policeman Inspector Rosenford tells him that he has become an informant. Meanwhile, Ophelia appears to be completely ignorant of these ongoings, nothing but intuition warning her as to the dangerous situation she is in while they lie in bed together.
Back on the stage, Ophelia and Hamlet are having fun until, apparently winding himself up with no provocation whatsoever from Ophelia, Hamlet talks himself into anger and then melancholy, even as he recites the lines about Rosencrantz and Guildenstern arriving. In that story, set in the castle, Hamlet is quick to decipher they were invited by Claudius and are there to investigate Hamlet's depression.
Players arrive and the court is treated to a scene from the Fall of Troy, in which the wicked Pyrrhus bloodily executes Priam to the horror of his onlooking wife. As the players leave, Hamlet consults the King Player, who agrees to perform a 'play' Hamlet has written. After the player leaves, Hamlet explains to the audience that this play will recreate his father's murder (visually distinctive for the vial of poison poured in his ear) and, by studying Claudius closely, hopes to determine his guilt if there is anything more than a superficial reaction.
In a flash-sideways we see Perry and Nana'du discussing a plan of their own; Perry was last seen fighting Hamlet in a street brawl and Nana'du borrowing money, so the audience can assume their intentions are probably not good.
On stage, Gertrude, Polonius and Claudius position Ophelia to encounter Hamlet, a meeting they will watch from a secret vantage point to determine if their romance is the cause of Hamlet's wildness.
Flashing sideways, Hamlet and Sugley are coming out of the lift in a tower when they are attacked by Perry and Nana'du. Sugley is stabbed to death and Hamlet nearly follows suit, until Stacey arrives at the last moment and saves his life by shooting Perry and Nana'du dead with a small firearm.
Back on the stage, Hamlet enters the room in which Ophelia is now hiding from him (apparently unwilling to participate the adults' deception). Thinking himself alone, he produces a revolver and is apparently about to shoot himself in the head when Ophelia is forced from hiding and stops him.
Thus, Claudius and Polonius still hidden from view, Hamlet meets with Ophelia. Her strange behaviour soon raises his suspicions and they have a terrible argument about her dishonesty before he storms off.
In a flash-sideways, we see Hamlet drinking coffee, thinking about how he killed Ashka over and over again. He buries his head in his hands.
On stage, Hamlet briefs Horatio before the royal family arrive. They sit to watch a movie - House on Haunted Hill (1959) - and Hamlet teases the king, who indeed loses throws up a fuss upon seeing 'the dead' rise again. In the pandemonium following his departure, Rosencrantz and Polonius urge Hamlet to go and see his mother.
In the final flash-sideways of the episode, Hamlet forces his way past Dustin into Ophelia's flat. Dustin bottles Hamlet, who pulls a gun on him in return and inadvertently induces a heart-attack. Ophelia screams at Hamlet to leave, who does so. Dustin, her father, dies in her arms.
On stage, Hamlet confronts his mother, outright accusing Claudius of murdering King Hamlet. Whilst fighting, Polonius calls for help and - thinking it Claudius - Hamlet blindly shoots into the cupboard in which he is hiding. Polonius - now taking Dustin's form - stumbles from the cupboard and dies in Gertrude's arms. The Ghost arrives but only Hamlet can see him, raising further questions in both Gertrude's and the audience's mind about the state of his mental health. Hamlet goes about disposing of Polonius' body, leaving Gertrude in a state of severe distress.
Act III of III (2020)
We begin the final act with a flash-sideways of Hamlet drinking alone at the bar; visions of Ashka's and Sugley's murders dance across the screen.
Meanwhile on stage, The Gentleman (a psychiatrist) is giving his diagnosis of Ophelia's mental condition to Gertrude and Claudius, expressly stating that she is stirring up wild rumours that could be dangerous for the monarchy. Claudius reflects that the causes of this mental breakdown are purely a series of an unfortunate events. In a flash-sideways, we understand that the real world Ophelia has become addicted to heroine, following her break up with Hamlet.
At that moment on stage, Laertes storms the castle and enters with armed guards in the form of 'Fear & Hate Incarnate' who seize the throne room. Laertes is out for blood, after receiving news of his father's untimely death. It looks like a coup, until Claudius cleverly talks Laertes down, offering him a chance to investigate the matter and punish those responsible, redirecting his wrath towards Hamlet.
Just then, Ophelia is brought in by the armed guards. She is mentally deranged and proceeds to sing Tomorrow Is St Valentine's Day which more than hints at her abandonment by Hamlet. After being taken away - she is inconsolable - Claudius dismisses Gertrude and in secret tells Laertes that Hamlet is his father's killer. They develop a plan involving foils (fencing swords) that will allow Laertes to kill Hamlet in plain view of everyone and make it look like a mistake. Just then, Gertrude returns and tells Laertes that his sister has drowned herself. Her account is intercut with another scene from the stage in which it is clear that Gertrude, in fact, murdered Ophelia and orchestrated a cover up.
In the real world, Hamlet is visiting Nikolai, a cryptocurrency trader in Chelsea. He brings diamonds that a lapidary inspects before they are put up for auction on the digital black market.
Back on the stage, two gravediggers are going about their business; the grave they are digging is evidently for Ophelia, as we can infer by their discussion about the ethics of suicide. Watching from afar, Hamlet and Horatio arrive and reflect on the nature of the gravedigger's work. Interceding, Hamlet enters an elusive discourse with the First Gravedigger, who teases Hamlet relentlessly until, it is revealed, a nearby skull once belonged to the court jester Yorick. It transpires that Hamlet, as a boy, was great friends with Yorick and the tone of the conversation rapidly turns from comic to tragic. His reflections are intercut with shots from the real world, when Hamlet and Sugley were the best of friends. On stage Hamlet smashes the skull open, revealing a brick of cocaine hidden inside, and proceeds to cut 'tickets' from the bit for distribution.
Interrupting his weighing of tickets, the funeral procession for Ophelia arrives on stage. Initially Hamlet hides and watches from afar but upon realising who the deceased is - apparently he was not aware of Ophelia's death until that moment - rallies forth and begs forgiveness from Laertes. Perturbed by this humility, Laertes presses on with his sinister plan nonetheless and soon they are fencing 'for honour' (though, in truth, Laertes has a sharpened practice blade, poisoned at the tip, and is fencing to kill). Surprisingly, as Laertes has the reputation of being the superior swordsman, Hamlet wins all three rounds, even disarming Laertes and cutting him with his own [poisoned] sword - but not before sustaining a fatal cut himself, first.
Meanwhile, Claudius, who had prepared a poisoned cup of wine for Hamlet in case Laertes failed to kill him, has accidentality poisoned Gertrude when she took up the chalice and drank from it herself without asking. Consequently, she is the first to die, suffering an agonising death, vomiting blood and realising the wine was poisoned all-too-late. In the confusion, as the effects of the poison begin to work on him, Laertes calls out Claudius as orchestrating events and Hamlet, finally, has his revenge. Laertes begs forgiveness of Hamlet for his part in this mass murder and Hamlet forgives him.
These events are intercut with flash-sideways in which Hamlet visits the buyer for his diamonds, a wealthy mobster living in a luxurious mansion. The buyer escorts Hamlet to a dock, where a box is unloaded and Hamlet's acquisition is revealed; a case full of rifles. Hamlet stores the rifles in a garage but on his way home is ambushed by Sol's biker gang, who drag him from his car to a quiet spot under the motorway.
Hamlet delivers his final monologue on stage, impending death by poison unavoidable, finishing his monologue even as Sol shoots the real world Hamlet in the head.
The alarm clock goes off and Ophelia wakes; the time on the alarm clock now reads 07:15, meaning the full 3 hours of events we saw on stage were merely a 15 minute day dream. End credits for an old movie of Hamlet are rolling on a television set on the wall in the real world that merges with the action on stage, suddenly almost indistinguishable so closely do the two worlds match. It appears Ophelia was snoozing, Shakespeare's language permeating into her dream state as she reminisced upon the relationship she had with the real world Hamlet. Starting for the cupboard, stage and flash-sideways becoming one singular reality, she retrieves her kit and proceeds to deliberately overdose on heroine, dying in an ecstasy of memories.
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