Hedda Movie Review:
If you’ve been scrolling through Prime Video wondering whether Hedda is worth hitting play on—yeah, it is. It’s not the kind of movie you throw on in the background. It’s slow, stylish, and a little unnerving in that “something bad is definitely going to happen” way.
Directed by Nia DaCosta, Hedda takes Henrik Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler and drags it into a lush, mid-century dreamscape—half old-world drama, half modern mood piece. The bones of the original play are there: a woman trapped by her marriage, her social standing, and her own restless ambition. But DaCosta gives it this electric sheen, like a thriller quietly hiding inside a period drama.
And then there’s Tessa Thompson, who basically owns every frame she’s in. Her Hedda is captivating—beautiful, brittle, calculating, and deeply human. You can’t decide if you pity her or fear her. She plays the role like someone trying to escape not just her circumstances but her own skin. Every little glance, every hesitation, feels like a tiny rebellion.
What’s Great
The first thing that hits you is the look of the film. Every shot feels deliberate—the rooms are immaculate but claustrophobic, the color palette is gorgeous yet suffocating. It’s like watching someone drown in silk.
Thompson is magnetic, but DaCosta gives the rest of the cast room to breathe too. The supporting characters all orbit around Hedda’s manipulations in fascinating ways. And the direction is confident—elegant but not stiff, moody but not pretentious.
The script plays with gender, class, and control without hammering you over the head. It’s smart, but it doesn’t feel like homework.
What’s Not So Great
Sometimes, though, it’s too composed. There are moments when you wish the movie would crack open a bit more emotionally. It keeps you at arm’s length—beautifully, but still.
The pacing can also be uneven. There are stretches that feel hypnotic and others that drag. You can sense there’s more to explore—especially with some of the modern touches DaCosta hints at—but the film doesn’t always go as deep as it could.
Still, even when it’s a bit uneven, it never feels dull.
The Overall Vibe
Hedda feels like being stuck at a party where everyone’s smiling too much, and you just know something awful is brewing beneath the surface. The tension builds slowly, then all at once. There’s glamour, deceit, and a quiet kind of madness that seeps in scene by scene.
It’s not a movie that explains itself—it suggests, it lingers, and it leaves you unsettled in the best way.
Final Thoughts
Hedda isn’t for everyone—it’s more emotional chess game than popcorn flick—but it’s absolutely for anyone who loves layered performances and mood-heavy filmmaking. Thompson is doing career-defining work here, and DaCosta directs with the confidence of someone who knows exactly when to let silence speak.
Rating: 4/5 — Stunning, stylish, and simmering with tension. It’s a slow burn that leaves a mark.
