Elsinore review: Andrew Scott brings humor and divinity to this profound bio-drama

I’m not a religious person.

I put my faith in art over god and man.

Through creative collaboration, we create something bigger than ourselves, and possibly eternal.

In art, we become gods, creating worlds, heroes, and stories that give others hope, agony, and ecstasy.

In the dark of a theater, an audience is given a chance to feel seen while not being perceived.

You don’t need a brave face here.

You just need a beating heart.

In this way, Elsinore is a religious experience.

SEE ALSO: TIFF 2026 preview: 18 films (and shows) you'll want to see (and how) The latest from Andrew Scott stars the critically revered Irish actor as Ian Charleson, the Scottish actor best remembered for Chariots of Fire.

However, written by Stephen Beresford, this film focuses on the last play of Charleson's life, when he starred as Hamlet in the National Theater production, while he was dying from AIDS (unbeknownst to the public).

As you might predict, the Shakespearean tragedy about death and regret proves a powerful parallel to the actor's own story.

But even as accolades stack up for Scott's performance here, I don't think you can be adequately prepared for what Elsinore truly has in store.

Elsinore is not about death, but how we choose to live.

Andrew Scott in "Elsinore." Credit: Anthony Dickenson / Focus Features Set a 1989 London, Elsinore plays out at the height of the AIDS crisis.