Time: 89 Minutes
Director: Sam Crane, Pinny Grylls

I had heard about Grand Theft Hamlet, it’s a film taking place entirely within the online mode of Grand Theft Auto V as players attempt to recreate William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. That’s a concept that sounded curious enough, but it was actually getting a lot of attention, even being shown at the SXSW Film Festival. Eventually, I ended up watching it when it landed on MUBI, and I quite liked it.

I should clarify what Grand Theft Hamlet is: it’s a documentary about actors setting up a performance of Hamlet within Grand Theft Auto V’s online mode, with more focus on the lead up and preparation than of the actual performance. On paper, 90 minutes sounded like a good length for this concept, but it was perhaps a bit too long, the novelty does wear away over time. There are also some very scripted and staged dramatic scenes which feel out of place within the movie. Really, it’s the moments that aren’t scripted that stood out more. Grand Theft Auto Online has a violent and unpredictable world, prone to many interruptions, and we get to see all kinds of surprises happen here. Personally, I found it to be funny and enjoyably silly. While I did criticize the scripted moments, the movie had some surprisingly resonant serious moments. As it turns out, there is some actual backstory to this undertaking, more than just people playing around. These main people that started this are jobless actors stuck in lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic, and acting for them was next to impossible. As such there is some genuine passion behind all this, and there are moments that capture the existential crisis that artists face. It is strangely heartfelt, charming, earnest and moving in parts, especially with how likeminded people were brought together to make this happen.

The movie consists of footage from Grand Theft Auto Online, and if you’ve watched footage of people playing the game on YouTube (or played it yourself), it should look very familiar. As someone who has played GTA V and watched others play the online mode, I enjoyed it. Though I’m not sure how it would be for people who aren’t as familiar with the game.

Despite being a bit too scripted in parts, Grand Theft Hamlet is a charming, creative, funny and even heartfelt documentary.