Hedda Review: When I saw the Hedda poster drop on Prime Video, I’ll admit, I was intrigued. The visual was fire. It gave off that mysterious, sensual, “something big is about to go down” vibe. Naturally, I hit play, thinking I was in for a powerful drama with a bit of chaos on the side. But after sitting through an hour and forty-five minutes, I walked away thinking, That’s it?
Let’s talk about what Hedda really is, what it tries to be, and where it completely loses its grip.
My Rating: 2.5/5
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Title | Hedda |
| Platform | Amazon Prime Video |
| Genre | Drama / Psychological / Character Study |
| Runtime | 1h 47m |
| Language | English |
| Director | Nia DaCosta |
| Main Cast | Tessa Thompson, Imogen Poots, Nina Hoss |
The Setup
The film follows Hedda, a woman whose entire story unfolds over a single night. Her husband (or let’s just say a man she’s tied to somehow, no spoilers here) throws a lavish party. And through that one night, Hedda’s desires, frustrations, and emotional entrapments all start bubbling to the surface.
The concept sounds rich, right? A night of revelations, inner conflict, and raw emotion. But in execution, Hedda never really explodes; it just simmers.
What the Movie Tries to Do
At its core, the movie wants to explore a woman’s psychology, how she navigates expectations, power, and her own desires in a world built to suppress them. If you’re into character-driven dramas or arthouse films that sit with emotions instead of chasing plot twists, this might be your type of movie.
But if you’re expecting thrill, mystery, or even those “steamy” moments teased by the poster, forget it. The so-called adult scenes barely exist. It’s more “suggestive conversation” than actual intensity.
What Actually Happens (Without Spoilers)
The film spends most of its time inside Hedda’s mind, her memories, regrets, and self-contradictions. The camera lingers. Conversations stretch. You get flashes of what could’ve been great moments of tension, but they never land hard enough.
By the time things start to heat up in the last 15 minutes, it’s already too late. You’ve mentally checked out.
The Good and The Bad
| Good Things | Bad Things |
|---|---|
| Beautiful cinematography and classy production design. | Slow pacing kills the mood. |
| Strong lead performance—Hedda’s actress carries emotional weight. | Emotionally cold, hard to connect with. |
| The premise had real potential—a single-night emotional unraveling. | Dialogue-heavy, barely any real tension. |
| Good Hindi dubbing (for non-English speakers). | Adult dialogues feel forced, not natural. |
| Touches on themes of identity, control, and suppressed emotion. | Marketed like a sensual drama, but offers nothing close to it. |
My Honest Take
I watched Hedda, expecting at least a spark of passion or some gripping confrontation. What I got instead was a slow-burn character study that forgot to burn. The drama never cuts deep, and the emotional beats just float on the surface.
Even for art-film lovers, this one’s tough to stay with because it doesn’t reward your patience. It feels like watching someone else’s therapy session; you get what they’re trying to say, but you’re not emotionally invested.
Also Read: The Ballad of a Small Player Review: Colin Farrell Goes All-In—and Loses More Than He Wins
Final Verdict
If you love slow, introspective European-style dramas, go ahead and give it a try once. But if you’re expecting intensity, tension, or raw emotion, skip it.
⭐ Rating: 2.5/5
🎬 Platform: Prime Video
⏱️ Runtime: 1h 45m
🔞 Watch alone: Yes. Don’t stream this with family—some dialogues and scenes can get awkward.
My Takeaway
Hedda tries to be profound but ends up being painfully plain. It’s not a bad film, it’s just not for everyone. There’s ambition in its silence, but not enough spark to make it memorable.
If you’re like me, someone who loves character-driven storytelling when it actually connects, this one will leave you cold. I feel it.
There were moments where I thought, Okay, now it’s building toward something big, but every time, it just fizzled out. Even the final act, which tries to go dark and intense, feels too controlled.
By the end, I respected the film more than I enjoyed it.
