The Tragic Resonance of ‘Elsinore’: Andrew Scott’s Tour de Force Meets a Stifled Narrative
TELLURIDE, CO — At the 2026 Telluride Film Festival, the world was introduced to Elsinore, a film that arrives with the heavy weight of history and the soaring expectations of a prestige biopic. Directed by Simon Stone and starring the indomitable Andrew Scott, the film attempts to chronicle the final, agonizing chapter of Scottish actor Ian Charleson’s life. Charleson, a man who epitomized a certain era of British stage and screen excellence, died of HIV/AIDS-related complications in 1990, just as he was delivering a career-defining performance as Hamlet at the National Theatre.
While the film serves as a showcase for Scott’s formidable range, the consensus following its premiere suggests a work of art at war with itself. Elsinore is a movie of immense individual performances trapped within a directorial framework that feels both over-calculated and emotionally detached.
Main Facts: The Production and its Pedigree
Elsinore is a Focus Features production slated for a wide release on November 20. The film is directed by Simon Stone, a filmmaker and playwright known for his ability to modernize classic texts (notably his acclaimed Yerma). The screenplay, penned by Stephen Beresford (Pride), focuses on the intersection of public performance and private suffering.
The film stars Andrew Scott as Ian Charleson, a role that requires the actor to navigate the dualities of a man hiding a terminal illness while portraying the world’s most famous tragic hero. Scott is joined by an ensemble of British heavyweights, including:
- Olivia Colman as Dr. Margaret Johnson, the pioneering physician who treated Charleson.
- Johnny Flynn as Richard Eyre, the director of the 1990 Hamlet production.
- David Dawson as Derek Jarman, the avant-garde filmmaker and Charleson’s former lover.
- Joe Locke as a young man battling the same disease in the clinic alongside Charleson.
Despite the star power, Elsinore has received a lukewarm critical reception, earning a "Grade C" from early reviewers who cite its "pallid grayness" and "frenzied editing" as barriers to a truly profound experience.
Chronology: From ‘Chariots of Fire’ to the National Theatre
To understand the weight of Elsinore, one must understand the man at its center. Ian Charleson was not merely a character actor; he was a symbol of British cinematic triumph in the early 1980s.
The Rise (1978–1982)
The film touches upon Charleson’s early career to establish the stakes of his later decline. In 1978, he appeared in Derek Jarman’s Jubilee, playing an outré bisexual character—a rare moment of queer visibility. However, he soon transitioned into the mainstream, starring as the devout Eric Liddell in the 1981 Best Picture winner Chariots of Fire. This was followed by a role as an Anglican priest in 1982’s Gandhi. These roles cemented his image as a man of integrity and spiritual depth, a persona that stood in stark contrast to his private life as a gay man in an era of intense social stigma.
The Diagnosis and Secrecy (1988–1989)
The heart of Elsinore begins in 1989. Charleson is diagnosed with HIV/AIDS at a time when the disease was a death sentence and a career-killer. Unlike contemporaries like Derek Jarman, who were vocal activists, Charleson chose to remain in the closet. He feared that public knowledge of his illness would overshadow his work and destroy his reputation. The film depicts the agonizing physical toll of the disease, including Kaposi’s sarcoma lesions and the internal hemorrhaging that he hid from his colleagues.
The Final Act (1990)
The climax of the film—and Charleson’s life—revolves around the 24 performances of Hamlet at the National Theatre. Directed by Richard Eyre, the production was a miracle of endurance. Charleson, frail and dying, received some of the greatest reviews of his career. He died eight weeks after his final performance, becoming one of the first high-profile British celebrities to have his cause of death openly attributed to AIDS—a request he made on his deathbed to help combat the stigma.
Supporting Data: Performance vs. Presentation
The critical divide regarding Elsinore stems from a conflict between the acting and the technical execution.
The Scott Factor
Andrew Scott, now 49, is at the height of his powers. Having recently captivated audiences in Fleabag, Ripley, and All of Us Strangers, Scott brings a "valiant urgency" to Charleson. He portrays the actor not as a saint, but as a man possessed by his craft. Reviewers have noted Scott’s ability to "shimmy between genders and across ranges," a skill he honed in his recent one-man stage production of Vanya. In Elsinore, he captures the "unmistakable warmth" of a man you want to trust, layered with the "intrigue behind the curtain" that suggests deep-seated secrets.
Technical Missteps
The film’s cinematography, handled by Mike Eley, has been described as "pallid." While the intention was likely to mirror the bleakness of the disease and the gray London of the late 80s, the result is an aesthetic that feels "misery-prone" without the "passion" to counterbalance it.
Furthermore, Simon Stone’s direction has been criticized for being too "busy." The film’s editing, particularly during the sequences of the Hamlet performances, is described as a "frenzied montage." This choice denies the audience the chance to see the "performance of enormity" that Scott is clearly delivering. Instead of letting the scenes breathe, Stone "chops them to pieces," ironically echoing a sentiment Charleson himself expresses in the film about the frustrations of film editing compared to the purity of the stage.
Official Responses and Critical Context
The reception of Elsinore at Telluride has sparked a broader conversation about the evolution of "AIDS cinema."
The "Awards-Bait" Critique
Critics have been quick to compare Elsinore to past Oscar winners like Philadelphia (1993) and Dallas Buyers Club (2013). There is a growing fatigue among queer audiences and critics regarding films that seem to "exploit HIV/AIDS in the package of a would-be Oscar hit." Elsinore is accused of leaning into the tropes of "serious gravitas" and "absolute misery" rather than providing a nuanced look at the life of the person behind the disease.
Comparison to Contemporary Queer Cinema
Reviewers have pointed to Robin Campillo’s Beats Per Minute (BPM) (2017) as a superior example of how to handle the subject matter. Where BPM was imbued with "heat and spectacle" and a sense of activist energy, Elsinore is seen as "drab in execution." The film’s focus on the "signifiers of trauma" rather than the "reasons to keep on living" has left many critics cold.
Implications: The Burden of Legacy and Representation
Despite its flaws, Elsinore raises important questions about how we remember the icons of the queer past.
The Ethics of the "Out" Actor
The casting of Andrew Scott, an out gay man, to play a man who died in the closet is a poignant choice. It highlights the progress made in the industry while simultaneously reminding viewers of the "hidden" lives many actors were forced to lead. The film serves as a reminder that the advancements in HIV/AIDS treatment and social acceptance were built on the backs of those who suffered in silence.
The Legacy of the Ian Charleson Centre
One of the film’s most affecting relationships is between Charleson and Dr. Margaret Johnson. The real-life Dr. Johnson eventually named the HIV testing clinic at the Royal Free Hospital after Charleson. This legacy of care is a central theme of the film, suggesting that while Charleson’s death was a tragedy, his impact on the medical community and the stigma surrounding the disease was transformative.
Final Thoughts
Elsinore is a film that will likely divide audiences. For those seeking a powerhouse performance from Andrew Scott, the movie is a mandatory watch. However, for those looking for a definitive, soul-stirring biopic that does justice to the theatrical legend of Ian Charleson, the film may feel like a missed opportunity—a "prestige" piece that shuffles off into the realm of "deep feeling" without ever quite grasping it.
As Focus Features prepares for the November release, the question remains: will the strength of Scott’s performance be enough to overcome the "unremarkable" drama that surrounds it? For now, Elsinore stands as a testament to a great actor playing a great actor, caught in a film that doesn’t quite know how to let them shine.
Grade: C
