'Scarlet' review: Mamoru Hosoda's latest is the craziest 'Hamlet' adaptation you'll ever see
News October 08, 2025

'Scarlet' review: Mamoru Hosoda's latest is the craziest 'Hamlet' adaptation you'll ever see

The anime director turns "Hamlet" into a gender-bent fantasy epic.If the first five minutes of Scarlet had been the entire movie, I would have been happy.In these opening moments, director Mamoru Hosoda (Belle) transports viewers to a fantastic realm, one where the past and future intertwine. Here, a red-haired young woman wanders a desert wasteland filled with discarded armor ...

Mamoru Hosoda, the acclaimed director behind hits like "Belle," has unleashed his most ambitious and arguably wildest project yet: "Scarlet," a reimagining of Shakespeare's "Hamlet" unlike anything you've ever witnessed. This isn't your typical high school drama or modern-day corporate thriller; Hosoda throws viewers headfirst into a gender-bent fantasy epic that blends elements of the past and future into a visually stunning and narratively complex experience.

The initial moments of "Scarlet" are enough to captivate any viewer. Hosoda crafts a breathtaking landscape, a desert wasteland strewn with discarded armor, instantly establishing a world both familiar and utterly alien. In this desolate setting, we meet a young woman with fiery red hair, our protagonist, whose journey promises to be anything but predictable.

While the description stops short of revealing plot specifics, it hints at a significant departure from the source material. The gender swap alone signals a willingness to subvert expectations and explore new themes within the framework of Shakespeare's tragedy. We can anticipate Hosoda's signature blend of fantastical visuals and emotionally resonant storytelling, as he tackles themes of betrayal, revenge, and identity through a decidedly unique lens.

"Scarlet" promises to be a visually arresting experience, building upon Hosoda's previous work while pushing the boundaries of anime storytelling. The director's ability to create immersive worlds and emotionally compelling characters is well-documented, and "Scarlet" appears to be his most ambitious undertaking yet. Whether it remains faithful to the core themes of "Hamlet" while forging its own path remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: "Scarlet" is poised to be a conversation starter and a must-see for fans of anime and Shakespeare alike, offering a fresh and potentially groundbreaking interpretation of a timeless classic.
Category: Entertainment