The Anatomy of Oscar Bait: ‘Hamnet’ Edition

Alert your grandparents and stock up on tissues: We have a certified weepy in our movie theaters. And I don’t just mean any regular old sad movie. I’m talking costume drama. I’m talking family tragedy. I’m talking historical fiction. I’m talking “On the Nature of Daylight.” I’m talking reactions that range from snotty crying for two hours straight to scoffing at obscene emotional manipulation (and people disagreeing about that being extremely normal to each other). That’s right, folks—we’ve reeled in this awards season’s freshest, meatiest piece of Oscar bait.