I spent all week during TIFF 2026 gearing up for Elsinore. Being based on the true story of Ian Charleson’s final performances of Hamlet at London’s National Theatre, Andrew Scott embodies a role that only he could. All day, anyone seeing the film was preparing for tears and heartbreak. Director Simon Stone, screenplay writer Stephen Beresford, and the entire cast brought so much more than tears and Oscar bait to the screen. Elsinore was something beautiful, powerful, and truly a work of art.
Ian Charleson was an unfulfilled actor, once known for Chariots of Fire. When Daniel Day-Lewis walked off the stage during his run of Hamlet at the National Theatre, Charleson was in the running for the role. However, this took place during the HIV crisis of the 80s, and he was sick. He made it his final mission to play Hamlet, a task even the strongest find challenging, and he did it while actively dying of AIDS. Elsinore could have very easily been heartbreaking from beginning to end, but the story to tell, though documenting his last moments, more emphasizes his spirit, drive and dedication, which makes a brutally sad ending somehow triumphant and truly moving.
If anything, Elsinore’s moments of true sadness aren’t when we are sad for Charleson. Many of the tears shed in the theatre were for the people in his life. Whether that is their own loss, coming to terms with his illness, or general fear and worry, many times when I was in tears it was for them, at their loss. Tears shed for Charleson felt more for his victory, his strength, his determination. Of course, what he went through was brutal, and tears were absolutely shed for that too, but it didn’t feel like his loss was our focus, but more what he gained.
Andrew Scott is absolutely phenomenal in Elsinore. This role required so much of its lead, and I can’t see anyone else who could have pulled it off. At times he needed to be sexy and charming, funny and witty, afraid and determined, healthy and ill. It also required someone who could act for film and act for theatre, which he did masterfully. Hamlet, even within a film, is no easy thing to pull off. He had to do it all, and if the actor faltered even a little, Elsinore would never have had the impact it did. Scott built someone we loved and wanted to see succeed, someone we believed had to play Hamlet, and not just anyone could have done that.
The supporting cast was also very impressive. Olivia Colman plays Margaret Johnson, Charleson’s doctor, and a woman who went on to become a name in the treatment of HIV and AIDS. She doesn’t quite support his goals, but Colman balances her profession and humanity well. She always surprises me with how many different kinds of characters she can play. Billie Piper plays the overbearing, quirky best friend and brings some very sincere but also very funny moments to Elsinore. Even Bridgerton’s Luke Thompson had range, from flirtatious and sweet to some of the sadder scenes in the film.
Though the script and cast were outstanding, the editing is what really made Elsinore come to life. This film felt like a perfect storm of talent. People on all sides shared a vision and pulled it off without a hitch. The way the film edited footage from Charleson’s time in the hospital and his battle with footage from the theatre, whether that is rehearsals or performances, was brilliant. Using the words of Hamlet to reflect his real life had me hanging on every line. It was beautiful.
Elsinore was absolutely Andrew Scott’s best performance to date, and that is coming from a pretty strong body of work. It tells a story that is about more than just a man, but about struggles in the queer community, highlights of the theatre, and plenty about exploring what is important to you and going out and doing what you love. Pairing all of that with a script that expertly balances grief, struggle, humanity, and so much more, plus truly top-tier editing, Elsinore is the most powerful film I’ve seen this year, comparable to last year’s Hamnet (also about putting on Hamlet), which had a similar impact. I think Elsinore comes out on top, though, with its blend of genres and mediums.
