Grand Theft Hamlet

Last updated
Grand Theft Hamlet
Directed by Sam Crane
Pinny Grylls
Produced byJulia Ton
Rebecca Wolff
StarringSam Crane
Mark Oosterveen
Music byJamie Perera
Running time
89 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

Grand Theft Hamlet is a 2024 documentary film directed by Sam Crane and Pinny Grylls. [1] The film is about the staging of a production of Hamlet inside of Grand Theft Auto Online during the final months of the COVID-19 pandemic. [2] The film, which premiered at the 2024 SXSW Film Festival, where it won the Jury Award for best documentary feature. [2] [3]

Contents

The documentary is an example of machinima, a method of filmmaking that exclusively utilizes in-game graphics to create the cinematic experience. [4]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 94% of 18 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.9/10. [5] Metacritic , which uses a weighted average , assigned the film a score of 79 out of 100, based on 8 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. [6]

Related Research Articles

<i>Grand Theft Parsons</i> 2003 American film

Grand Theft Parsons is a 2003 comedy-drama film based on the true story of country rock musician Gram Parsons, who died of an overdose in 1973. Parsons and his road manager, Phil Kaufman, made a pact in life that whoever died first would be cremated by the other in what was then the Joshua Tree National Monument, an area of desert they both loved and cherished.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Stephenson (filmmaker)</span> American actor and filmmaker

Michael Stephenson, known professionally as Michael Paul Stephenson, is an American filmmaker and actor. He is known for directing the critically acclaimed documentaries Best Worst Movie and The American Scream. Michael made his narrative feature debut with Girlfriend’s Day, starring Bob Odenkirk. Michael's latest film, Attack of the Murder Hornets, is an original documentary that he directed and produced for Discovery+. He is a member of the Directors Guild of America.

Pinny Grylls is a documentary filmmaker. She co-directed Grand Theft Hamlet with Sam Crane. It's a feature documentary shot exclusively inside a video game and it won Best Documentary Jury Prize at SXSW Festival 2024.

<i>Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten</i> 2007 film

Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten is a 2007 documentary film directed by Julien Temple about Joe Strummer, the lead singer of the British punk rock band The Clash, that went on to win the British Independent Film Awards as Best British Documentary 2007. The film premiered 20 January 2007 at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. It was also shown at the Dublin Film Festival on 24 February 2007.

<i>Man on Wire</i> 2008 documentary film directed by James Marsh

Man on Wire is a 2008 documentary film directed by James Marsh. The film chronicles Philippe Petit's 1974 high-wire walk between the Twin Towers of New York's World Trade Center. It is based on Petit's 2002 book, To Reach the Clouds, released in paperback with the title Man on Wire. The title of the film is taken from the police report that led to the arrest of Petit, whose performance lasted for almost an hour. The film is crafted like a heist film, presenting rare footage of the preparations for the event and still photographs of the walk, alongside re-enactments and present-day interviews with the participants, including Barry Greenhouse, an insurance executive who served as the inside man.

<i>Marwencol</i> (film) 2010 American documentary film about the work of artist and photographer Mark Hogancamp

Marwencol is a 2010 American documentary film that explores the life and work of artist and photographer Mark Hogancamp. It is the debut feature of director Jeff Malmberg, produced through his production company Open Face. It was the inspiration for Welcome to Marwen, a 2018 drama directed by Robert Zemeckis.

<i>Gimme the Loot</i> (film) 2012 film

Gimme the Loot is a 2012 American comedy film written and directed by Adam Leon. The film competed in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. It won the Grand Jury Prize at the SXSW Film Festival in 2012. It was released on March 22, 2013, in the U.S.

<i>Private Romeo</i> 2011 American film

Private Romeo is an adaptation of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet by Alan Brown made in 2011. The film is a reenactment of the play exclusively spoken in an all-male high school military academy called McKinley Military Academy. Amidst this recitation is a love blossoming between the two cadets, Sam Singleton / Romeo played by Seth Numrich and Glenn Mangan / Juliet played by Matt Doyle. The film was Brown's take on Don't ask, don't tell, the official United States policy on gays in the military from December 21, 1993, to September 20, 2011.

<i>The Summit</i> (2012 film) 2012 film

The Summit is a 2012 documentary film about the 2008 K2 disaster, directed by Nick Ryan. It combines documentary footage with dramatized recreations of the events of the K2 disaster, during which – on the way to and from the summit of one of the most dangerous mountains in the world – 11 climbers died during a short time span.

<i>Most Beautiful Island</i> 2017 American film

Most Beautiful Island is a 2017 American drama film written and directed by Ana Asensio. The film stars Ana Asensio, Natasha Romanova, David Little, Nicholas Tucci, Larry Fessenden and Caprice Benedetti. The film was released on November 3, 2017, by Orion Pictures and Samuel Goldwyn Films. Most Beautiful Island was nominated for the John Cassavetes Award at the 2018 Film Independent Spirit Awards.

<i>Icarus</i> (2017 film) 2017 documentary film by Bryan Fogel

Icarus is a 2017 American documentary film by Bryan Fogel. Initially an attempt by Fogel to expose the inadequacy of existing policies and procedures to catch athletes who use banned performance-enhancing substances, the project shifted focus after pressures related to the World Anti-Doping Agency's investigation of doping in Russia led Grigory Rodchenkov, the head of the Moscow Anti-Doping Laboratory and one of Fogel's primary advisors, to flee Russia and become a whistleblower.

<i>The Work</i> (film) 2017 American film

The Work is a 2017 American documentary film following three civilians on a four-day group therapy retreat with men who are incarcerated at Folsom State Prison. The film is the directorial debut of Jairus McLeary and was co-directed by Gethin Aldous. Jairus McLeary produced the film with Alice Henty and his brothers Eon McLeary and Miles McLeary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeremy Workman</span> American filmmaker and editor

Jeremy Workman is an American filmmaker and editor. His documentary films frequently focus on artists, eccentrics, outsiders, and those with extreme passions. His acclaimed films include Secret Mall Apartment, Deciding Vote,Lily Topples The World, The World Before Your Feet, Magical Universe, and Who Is Henry Jaglom? In many of his films, Workman serves as the director, cinematographer, and editor.

<i>A Secret Love</i> 2020 documentary film by Chris Bolan

A Secret Love is an 2020 American documentary film, directed by Chris Bolan. Ryan Murphy serves as a producer on the film, while Jason Blum serves as an executive producer under his Blumhouse Productions banner. It stars Terry Donahue and Pat Henschel. It was released on April 29, 2020, by Netflix.

<i>Boys State</i> (film) 2020 documentary film directed by Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine

Boys State is a 2020 American documentary film directed and produced by Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine. It follows a thousand teenage boys attending Boys State in Texas, coming to build a representative government from the ground up.

<i>Not Going Quietly</i> 2021 American film

Not Going Quietly is a 2021 American documentary film, directed by Nicholas Bruckman and produced by Amanda Roddy, following Ady Barkan, embarking on a national campaign for healthcare reform. Mark Duplass, Jay Duplass and Bradley Whitford serve as executive producers.

Full Battle Rattle is a 2008 American war documentary film directed by Jesse Moss and Tony Gerber.

<i>Introducing, Selma Blair</i> 2021 documentary film

Introducing, Selma Blair is a 2021 American documentary film directed by Rachel Fleit. It follows Selma Blair adapting to new ways of living after revealing her multiple sclerosis diagnosis.

<i>Lily Topples the World</i> 2021 American documentary film

Lily Topples the World is a 2021 American documentary film, which follows acclaimed domino toppler Lily Hevesh as she rises as an artist, role model, and young woman. Directed by Jeremy Workman, the film also marks the producing debut of actress Kelly Marie Tran.

<i>Mamifera</i> 2024 Spanish film

Mamifera is a 2024 Spanish comedy-drama film directed and written by Liliana Torres which stars Maria Rodríguez Soto and Enric Auquer. It is shot in Catalan.

References

  1. "'Grand Theft Hamlet': Altitude Boards SXSW Doc About Actors Who Staged Hamlet Production Inside 'Grand Theft Auto' Video Game". deadline.com. 8 March 2024. Retrieved 2024-03-16.
  2. 1 2 Zilko, Christian (2024-03-13). "'Grand Theft Hamlet' Filmmakers Talk Staging Shakespeare Inside 'GTA': 'If They Thought We Were Sh*t, They Were Gonna Shoot Us'". IndieWire. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
  3. "'Bob Trevino Likes It', 'Grand Theft Hamlet' top SXSW juried award winners". screendaily.com. Retrieved 2024-03-16.
  4. Frank, Allegra (2024-03-13). "How an Entire Shakespeare Play Was Staged in 'Grand Theft Auto'". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
  5. "Grand Theft Hamlet". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved 2024-07-08.
  6. "Grand Theft Hamlet". Metacritic . Retrieved May 22, 2024.