Movie Review: Tessa Thompson and Nina Hoss Deliver Blazing Performances in Nia DaCosta’s Hedda

Hedda Gabler, one of the theater world's most renowned masterminds, returns to 1950s England in Nia DaCosta's witty, insightful, and emotional drama based on Henrik Ibsen's classic play. You don't need to know Ibsen's original 1890 play to enjoy "Hedda." Just as "Clueless" and "Bridget Jones's Diary" emerged with their own distinctive personalities, "Hedda," releasing Friday, operates entirely on its own terms and may even spark curiosity about its original inspiration. 

Hedda-Movie-Review

Lively and energetic, the film takes place in the luxurious country mansion of Hedda (Tessa Thompson) and her well-mannered but academic husband, George Tesman (Tom Bateman), where an increasingly frequent martini party is held. At this party, relationships are shattered, guns are drawn, promotions are promised, hearts are broken—and behind it all, Hedda pulls the strings, with a confident yet dangerous smile. 

Hedda is the kind of woman who is the most vulnerable—intelligent and insufficiently busy, as one character puts it. On the surface, the party appears to be a celebration of the return of Hedda and George's six-month honeymoon, but Hedda's intentions are darker. 

She's convinced that the only way to get George out of debt is through his promotion—but her plan is thwarted when Elin Lovborg arrives. Elin is not only a contender for the same position, but she's also Hedda's old girlfriend. Elin, played by Nina Hoss, is a brilliant academic who had made her way in a male-dominated world, but a drunken scandal shattered her reputation. 

Now she's reformed, in a new relationship (with Thea, played by Imogen Poots), and working on a manuscript that could change culture. George knows Eileen deserves the position, but Hedda finds it unacceptable. Nia DaCosta and cinematographer Sean Bobbitt have crafted the film masterfully—brilliant, elegant, and so convincing that the viewer feels like part of the same party. 

Tessa Thompson's Hedda is a charming and sharp woman with a mysterious glint in her eye. She doesn't evoke sympathy, but the attraction to her is unavoidable. She's not the most intelligent—that distinction goes to Eileen—but she creates her own world through her lies, boredom, and antisocial tendencies. Watching her is simultaneously thrilling and terrifying—she's the perfect antihero. On the other hand, Eileen is a little older, wiser, and aware that Hedda is trouble. But she's determined not to hide her true identity, breaking down many barriers.

 Nina Hoss's performance is superb—she becomes the central target of both Hedda's attraction and anger. Elaine's gradual breakdown is painful, as she still believes Hedda's words matter. Hoss portrays this breakdown not in a clichéd way, but in a poignant and subtle way. Without her, the film's intensity diminishes, but by then the story has reached its climax.