Grand Theft Hamlet adds itself to a list of movies that were developed during the COVID-19 global lockdown but, also, stands out as one of the more unique examples that will represent this era of filmmaking.

A portion of the population found themselves gravitating to video games during the lockdown, considering it was one of the only ways to stay connected with people. For instance, comedienne Sarah Silverman and writer/producer Rory Albanese built a romantic connection through online gaming. Grand Theft Hamlet has been created within the engine of Grand Theft Auto Online, a violent open world multiplayer game developed from a popular albeit infamous franchise. Actors Sam Crane and Mark Oosterveen were inspired to carry their passion for performance and Shakespeare to an online platform after finding an empty amphitheatre in the game. What begins as a lark to keep busy and connected during closures escalates to a production of Hamlet after auditioning other users from all over the world. Pinny Grylls, who co-directs the documentary with Crane, is also present throughout the creative process.

Entirely shot and recorded in-game, and establishing itself as a fitting double bill with Netflix’s The Remarkable Life of Ibelin, Grand Theft Hamlet proves that cinematic storytelling can transcend to this type of live platform. It’s a neat experiment that may only truly speak to theatre and video game enthusiasts, but the film also doesn’t feel completely closed off to general movie goers looking for broad entertainment or for those looking for a cathartic outlet in response to the pandemic. The documentary spreads itself thin by repeating similar rehearsals, disagreements and testimonials to flesh out the runtime leading up to “the big show”. But then again, no matter how many times it happened, it was always a hoot watching the production be interrupted by other players trying to kill and rob the cast of Hamlet.