A Bunch Of Actors Staged A Production Of Hamlet In Grand Theft Auto, And It's The Most Insane Documentary I've Watched All Year

There have been so many great documentaries on the 2025 movie schedule, and I’ve been playing catch-up to watch as many as possible before the end of the year. After signing up for the Mubi service thanks to an incredible Black Friday streaming deal, I crossed another title off my list, one that I’ve been eager to see after getting blasted with ads earlier in the year. I’m talking about Grand Theft Hamlet.

“Did he say Grand Theft Hamlet?”

Yes, your eyes aren’t playing tricks on you.

This documentary about a group of actors getting together to stage a production of one of William Shakespeare’s best plays in the Grand Theft Auto Online digital playground is one of the funniest, most poignant, and most insane things I’ve watched all year. Watching it was an experience I won’t soon forget, and more folks need to jump on this train…

From Getting A Group Of Actors Together To Dodging Bullets (And Dancing Aliens), There’s A Lot Going On

Directed by Pinny Grylls and Sam Crane, Grand Theft Hamlet follows a group of British actors looking for a way to put on productions in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. That alone would be interesting enough, but add in the chaos of Grand Theft Auto Online, where random players can hunt and kill you in a variety of ways (all of which happen in the doc), and you have a recipe for chaos.

While dodging bullets, bombs, and dancing aliens, the actors go to great lengths to pull off the seemingly impossible feat of staging Hamlet in a space that makes the rotten state of Denmark look like a nice and hospitable place. The entire documentary was shot exclusively in Grand Theft Auto Online, which makes even the more serious moments outrageously funny and understandably chaotic.

I Can’t Stop Thinking About The Scene Where An Actor Is Practicing Hamlet’s Famous Speech

Throughout Grand Theft Hamlet, there are multiple scenes where actor (and co-director) Sam Crane attempts to get through Hamlet’s most famous scene: the “To be, or not to be” speech. While some of the instances are humorous and surprising, there’s one that’s stuck with me ever since I watched it.

Partway through the doc, Crane’s GTA character is walking along Vespucci Beach in the rain trying to practice the scene. As he’s reciting the lines, a random player approaches with a gun drawn, and the actor begs not to be shot. While the player doesn’t shoot, someone else blows them to smithereens, and he’s forced to respawn and start all over. I honestly couldn’t stop laughing the first time, or when I went back to revisit it just now.

At The Same Time, This Is An Incredibly Poignant Documentary

Don’t let the chaos, insanity, and random deaths of Grand Theft Hamlet make it seem like this is not a serious documentary, as this film touches on some heavy topics. From the long-term effects of the pandemic on individuals and their relationships to the way entire industries were forced to press pause or upended entirely, it doesn’t hold back.

There are multiple scenes where those involved with the project question whether or not it’s achievable or worthwhile as they spend countless hours in a video game staging a production that may or may not work (or be seen by anyone). I won’t give away the ending, but the final few minutes are extraordinarily touching.

Overall, Grand Theft Hamlet is one of the strangest and most chaotic documentaries I’ve watched all year, but also something that is transformative and unforgettable in all the best ways.

Stream Grand Theft Hamlet on Mubi.