Movie Review: In 'Scarlet,' transplanting 'Hamlet' to an anime dreamworld

‘Scarlet’ Review: Mamoru Hosoda’s Breathtaking Anime Is 2025’s Best ‘Hamlet’ Riff

In age where movies make $2 billion and somehow make little cultural impact, the success of William Shakespeare seems unthinkable. He wrote plays over 400 years ago and we’re all still obsessed with them. Not all of them, of course. There aren’t a lot of “Timon of Athens” revamps on anyone’s agenda, but the big ones like “Hamlet” are still alive and they’re still thriving. In 2025 alone, we’ve already seen at least two films inspired by Shakespe…

Movie Review: In 'Scarlet,' transplanting 'Hamlet' to an anime dreamworld

Anyone would grant that a Japanese anime that transplants “Hamlet” to a surreal netherworld is a touch more ambitious than your average animated movie.