2025   Amazon MGM Studios

Rated:  R

Length:  1 hr  47min

Drama ~ Romance

Directed by:  Nia DaCosta

Starring:  Tessa Thompson, Imogen Poots, Tom Bateman, Nicholas Pinnock, Finbar Lynch, Mirren Mack and Nina Hoss.

A Little Chaos Is Good For The Gathering.

Tessa Thompson stars as Hedda Gabler, a complex woman caught between the ghosts of her past and the stifling confines of her present life. Recently married to George Tesman (Tom Bateman) and back from an extended honeymoon to a country estate they can barely afford, Hedda is determined to secure a better future for them. George aspires to a prestigious university professorship, and Hedda organizes a party inviting his academic peers, including Professor Greenwood (Finbar Lynch) and his wife Tabitha (Mirren Mack), to help boost his chances.

The party turns tense with the arrival of Eileen Lovborg (Nina Hoss), a sober former alcoholic academic and Hedda’s ex-lover, whose presence stirs up old wounds and rivalry. Eileen has revitalized her career with a promising manuscript and support from Thea (Imogen Poots), who is fiercely protective of her. Hedda, while outwardly appearing hospitable, maneuvers behind the scenes to undermine Eileen’s progress and sway favors toward George, revealing layers of manipulation and jealousy.

Over the course of this charged night, Hedda’s volatile emotional state deepens, exposing her as a woman simultaneously enraged by and yearning for connection. Her actions straddle a blend of calculated cruelty and desperate vulnerability, driven by complex motives including resentment, love, and a fierce desire for control. The dynamics between Hedda, George, Eileen, and Thea escalate, pulling everyone into a spiraling clash of power, betrayal, and unspoken desires.

Based on the play Hedda Gabler written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen and first performed in 1891, it tells the story of Hedda Gabler, the strong-willed daughter of a general who feels trapped in a boring marriage to the scholar George Tesman. Hedda struggles against the expectations of society and her own desire for power and freedom. The play explores themes like control, jealousy, societal pressure, and the limits placed on women in the 19th century. Hedda’s manipulative actions and personal conflicts build to a tragic and emotionally intense conclusion.

The movie adaptation organizes the story into five acts:

Act 1: Introduction:

Hedda and her husband George Tesman return from their honeymoon to a country estate. Hedda arranges a party inviting academic friends to help boost George’s career prospects. The act sets up Hedda’s desires, relationships, and the social pressure she feels.

Act 2: Rising Tension:

The arrival of Eileen Lovborg, a former lover of Hedda’s and George’s academic rival, introduces conflict. Eileen’s success and renewed sobriety threaten Hedda’s plans, stirring jealousy and insecurity. The social dynamics begin to fray.

Act 3: Conflict Escalates:

Hedda’s manipulation and emotional unrest come to the forefront as she undermines Eileen and struggles for control. Personal secrets and desires cause rising tension between Hedda, George, Eileen, and Thea (Imogen Poots), deepening the drama.

Act 4: Climax:

Unfolding events during the party lead to confrontations and revelations. Hedda’s growing desperation leads to drastic decisions, pushing characters toward breaking points and tragedy.

Act 5: Resolution and Aftermath:

The consequences of Hedda’s actions become clear. The film closes with reflection on the characters’ fates and the emotional and psychological toll of the night’s events.

Tessa Thompson’s portrayal delivers a powerful, multifaceted Hedda, blending menace and melancholy, while the strong supporting cast enhances the intensity of this psychological drama. Set in the early 20th century with lavish costumes and atmospheric production, the film reimagines the classic Henrik Ibsen play through a contemporary lens focused on gender, race, and same sex relationships, offering a fresh yet faithful adaptation of the tragic tale.