Parents' Guide to Grand Theft Hamlet

A unique premise that no doubt sounds ridiculous to most, this documentary is the wildly innovative, hilariously bizarre, and cathartically warm lockdown offering that none of us knew we needed. Presented entirely via in-game visuals, Grand Theft Hamlet brings together two out-of-work actors with an array of weird and wonderful GTA avatars—one a green reptilian alien with a penchant for thrusting—and pulls us into a seemingly doomed mission to put on the first ever full-length Shakespeare play within the confines of a video game. Straight away, the characters and the project are easy to root for. The sense of connection and camaraderie among friends and strangers, all trying to navigate their own COVID-19 pandemic-related circumstances, is nothing short of joyous. Sam and Mark form a likable central duo, attempting to find purpose and maintain their creativity when all other doors are closed. Most of the 90-minute run time is spent in a place of pure chaos: Rehearsals are interrupted when outsiders show up and shoot or explode the whole cast, soliloquies are performed in rundown neighborhoods, and avatars meticulously adjust their awkward stances to face the right direction, only to be gunned down by a passer-by. There are plenty of interesting parallels: The GTA world reflects Hamlet's own violent surroundings; the isolation of lockdown, his increasingly melancholy state. But the movie doesn't force the connections. Ironically, it's a very human story. There's a familiar sense of futility, but humor and resilience can be found in that despair. The duo can't give up—they need this—and audiences will be glad they stuck with it to the bitter end.