LogInGrand Theft Hamlet has 94% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Have you heard of Grand Theft Hamlet? From the name alone, you might get an idea of what it's about, but I'll explain, or rather let the creators, Sam Crane and Pinny Grylls, describe it. This is a feature documentary "about two out of work actors attempting the impossible task of mounting a full production of Hamlet inside the ultra violent world of Grand Theft Auto."
Yes, the whole this was shot inside GTA Online during the lockdown and recently released at the 2024 SXSW Film Festival, where it won the Jury Award for best documentary feature, at British Independent Film Awards, where it received the Raindance Maverick Award and Best debut director, as well as in theaters.
Sam Crane, Pinny Grylls
"By using the in-game phone camera we were able to get intimate close ups and cinematic pans across landscapes – enabling a more cinematic visual language and moments of pathos, emotion and lyricism to exist within the chaos and violence of this undiscovered country," the creators say.
Sam Crane, Pinny Grylls
Now, when film critics had a chance to check it out, the reception has been impressively positive. 36 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes amounted to a 94% approval score, while its Metascore on Metacritic is at 81 right now, and IMDb's rating is at 7.4.
Viewers praise the movie's ability to mix such different materials as Hamlet and GTA, its emotional execution, and Crane and Grylls's sense of humor.
Sam Crane, Pinny Grylls
If you wish to see this unlikely mix, you will be able to soon: Grand Theft Hamlet is coming to the US theaters and Mubi on January 17, 2025.
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