From the very beginning, when "Hedda" (Tessa Thompson) answers a phone call, it becomes clear that Nia DaCosta has moved the setting forward in time. We are now situated in the middle of the 20th century within an impressive estate where her scholarly husband “George” (Tom Bateman) is urging her to make every effort at a grand party intended to impress "Prof. Greenwood" (Finbar Lynch), who is considering offering tenure at his university. However, “Hedda” has other intentions for the evening, particularly when his rival “Eileen” (Nina Hoss) arrives – a woman with whom she shares a history – and shortly after, her rather bland lover “Thea” (Imogen Poots), someone "Hedda" knew from childhood. With champagne flowing freely, the stage is set for the hostess to enjoy herself. No one, even her husband who seems completely lost, is safe, but it’s the unexpected way things begin to unravel that leads to a toxicity and then a tragedy no one anticipated at the start of the evening. Frankly, this didn't really connect with me. The entire production felt like it came from one of Sir Kenneth Branagh’s "Poirot" adaptations, complete with excessive indulgence (or rather, suggestive dialogue) meant to create a melodrama that is surprisingly unengaging. Maybe I’m simply too reserved for stories of excess or the increasingly common lesbian storylines that we seem unable to do without these days, but Thompson didn't convey nearly enough of the manipulative and scheming nature of “Hedda” to be believable. Furthermore, as the film progresses, it becomes difficult to understand why she and her husband would have ever married in the first place. Ibsen’s play establishes that she is an ambitious and self-serving woman, but here that character is easily overshadowed by Hoss, who brings a lush and calculating intensity to her role and certainly dominates the latter part of the film. It's true that effort was put into the film's aesthetic, and at times it can be effective, but with uninspired performances from Nicholas Pinnock and Poots failing to support the complexities of the original work, I was ultimately left feeling disappointed. In some respects, it brought to mind "Carmen Jones" (1954). A classic story transplanted into an era where the narrative took a backseat to updated visuals and a soundtrack that felt out of place.

Source on TMDB