Hamnet

Chloé Zhao's Hamnet is one of those films that draws the viewer so close to its characters that we find ourselves captive to the emotional waves; from the butterfly highs of new love, to the despair and heartbreak of loss, the tempest of anger, and finally peace and hope that can only be truly appreciated after weathering the storm together.  Zhao doesn't shelter us from any of those emotions, instead she moves us in closer, quite literally getting the camera as close to the subject as possible.  This technique is most obvious in the final act, where the boundary between the stage and the audience is shattered.  In a certain sense, the means and methods employed by Zhao are quite obvious, and she isn't subtle in her approach; nevertheless, I found the film to be incredibly effective.