At the beginning of each new year, the nominations for the various award shows come out, and there’s always a few films that seem to top every list with nominations in every major category. Among blockbusters this year such as “Bugonia,” “Marty Supreme” and “Sinners,” there was a quieter, smaller-in-scale film that seemed to rank among the best of these critically-acclaimed films.

The movie “Hamnet,” starring powerhouses Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal, brings the novel of the same name by Maggie O’Farrell to the big screen, documenting the creation of William Shakespeare’s famous play “Hamlet.” The film details the tragic passing of Shakespeare’s son Hamnet, and how he and his wife Agnes process the loss. The film tackles themes of grief, acceptance and what it means to love someone unconditionally; it is beautiful, raw and gut-wrenching. Frankly, it’s a masterpiece.

Buckley gives a performance of a lifetime as Agnes. She plays a grieving mother so powerfully, demanding the audience’s full attention with every scene. She wails in anguish, but can also step back and allow for somber moments of quietness and stillness. Next to her is Mescal, who also has an incredible performance that blends pent-up rage with an aloofness that is both complex and intriguing. These performances are really incredible, making me completely believe everything I saw. It made the film even more heartbreaking and excruciating to sit through in the best way.

“Hamnet” doesn’t want you to feel good after watching it. In fact, it wants you to be in pain, drowning in a pool of your own tears. It is a tough film to watch, with horrifying death and sorrow, but getting through it is incredibly rewarding, especially the film’s final scene, where Agnes watches Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.” The crowd of watchers reaches their hands towards the stage in a united moment of grief as the titular character dies on stage. She realizes that her son lives on through her husband’s play, and that it was silly of her to ever think her husband didn’t care about Hamnet’s death. It’s a reminder that we can never truly understand how others are feeling, and that we can’t judge people based on how we believe they should act. It’s a stunning final scene that caps off a beautiful movie with stellar acting, scenery and themes.

“Hamnet” isn’t a Hollywood spectacle, nor should it be. It exists in a darker corner than most of the other Oscar nominees, completely content with doing its own thing. It’s a reminder to be patient with each other, love unconditionally and probably make sure to talk to your wife if you’re going to be spending an extended period of time in London writing and producing a play about your late child.