Elsinore reads as a standard biopic that does nothing of note to escape that label. The conventionality bogs it down, but you should stay for the powerhouse performance Scott brings to the table.
Written by Nandita Joshi
This year has proven to be an unstoppable year for queer cinema — Leviticus, Club Kid and La Bola Negra (2026) have all received widespread critical acclaim. Although we are in the final quarter of the year, that momentum has not shifted an inch as we continue into festival season with more to come. Simon Stone's Elsinore adds yet another example to the evergrowing list, making its European premiere at London Film Festival before it releases in US cinemas on 20 November.
Based on the real events surrounding the National Theatre's production of the Shakespeare play every filmmaker cannot stop making films about Hamlet in 1989, actor Ian Charleson (Andrew Scott) steps in for the original actor of the production after a disastrous onstage incident. What starts out as a long time ambition for the actor becomes a story of overcoming devastating circumstances after he is diagnosed with AIDS, giving him the opportunity to showcase the most important performance of his life.
Scott delivers the performance of his career thus far. Given that he has roles like Adam in All of Us Strangers (2023) and The Priest in Fleabag (TV Series 2016-2019), that is saying something. There was an exceptional amount of joy, boisterousness and grit he carries with every breath he takes, completely transforming himself into the man who was so hellbent on life in the face of death. You hang on to each word that he utters, leaving audiences awestruck and heartbroken watching him as Ian.
A piece of dialogue spoken within the film rings true as criticism for itself — "directors can only get the best of their actors if they have it in them". Scott certainly does. However, at times, this is the film's undoing. Nothing is as showstopping as his performance, which ultimately leaves the film falling short.
Narrative wise, the writers Stephen Beresford (Pride) and Ethan Silverman play into the conventional biopic tropes. The story plays out as if it is a news piece rather than deeply personal character dissections of everyone involved (not just Ian), uses formulaic storytelling devices and panders ever so slightly to achieve tears from the audience in the final act. Despite that, the dialogue itself was stronger, written so conversationally, almost as if you were intruding on a family dinner.
As far as the cinematography goes, Mike Eley (The Dig) frames beautiful shots of the Southbank area where the National Theatre is situated. The sharp lines of the brutalist architecture on top of the mundane greyscale exterior are brought to life by using unconventional angles that provoke audiences in an otherwise unprovoking film. The imagery becomes more evocative, contextualizing London Film Festival attendees exiting the Royal Festival Hall only to be greeted by the Southbank surroundings. Talk about a buzzy opening film for the festival.
Although supporting roles Margaret Johnson (Olivia Colman, The Favourite) and Patsy (Billie Piper, Scoop) were not given much to work with, they easily inject pockets of energy into the film. Piper radiates such warmth in Patsy, clearly leading her character with her heart. Colman does what she does best, bringing excellent emotional depth and intentional bluntness every time we see her on screen as Margaret.
Elsinore reads as a standard biopic that does nothing of note to escape that label. The conventionality bogs it down, but you should stay for the powerhouse performance Scott brings to the table. All in all, the story of Ian Charleson is one that must be shared and will bring you to tears as you bear witness to it.
Elsinore premiered at the London Film Festival on October 7th and will be released in theatres on November 20th in the US and on January 29th, 2027, in the UK.
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