ANEMONE (APPLE TV+) (2025)

SYNOPSIS: Middle-aged Jem sets out from his suburban home on a journey into the woods, where he reconnects with his estranged hermit brother Ray. Bonded by a mysterious, complicated past, the men share a fraught, if occasionally tender relationship—one that was forever altered by shattering events decades earlier.

MOVIE REVIEW:

Acclaimed method actor Daniel Day-Lewis returns to the big screen after announcing his retirement in 2017. This comeback, however, comes with a hint of nepotism, he appears to have returned partly as a favour to his son, Ronan Day-Lewis, who makes his directorial debut with Anemone.

Anemone is not about the plant, but rather a slow-moving psychological drama co-written by father and son. The elder Day-Lewis plays Ray, a retired military man living a reclusive life deep in the forest. His younger brother Jem (Sean Bean) pays him a visit, hoping to persuade Ray to reconnect with Brian (Samuel Bottomley), the son Ray abandoned, who was instead raised by Jem.

Let’s be honest: Anemone is not a film for the masses. For over two hours, the audience is immersed in long stretches of silence, punctuated by howling winds, lush nature shots, and the relentless battering of storms in the last act. There isn’t much happening on the surface. Ray harbours a secret about why he withdrew from the world, while Brian struggles with anger issues, likely stemming from resentment toward the father who left him.

Yet when the drama lands, it lands with force. Ray delivers a deeply moving monologue about the trauma and PTSD he developed after a surveillance mission gone wrong. There is no doubt that Daniel Day-Lewis is the film’s greatest strength. He even manages to inject moments of unexpected humour, including a few laugh-out-loud lines—one involving a deeply inappropriate joke about a priest.

Sean Bean, on the other hand, is given far less to work with, his character mostly reacting to Ray’s shifting moods. Still, there’s an odd charm in watching Day-Lewis and Bean share awkward moments whether drunkenly dancing or engaging in a clumsy fistfight—scenes that feel strangely out of place yet oddly human.

Despite another powerhouse performance from Daniel Day-Lewis, Anemone ultimately cries out for a stronger script, one that is more grounded, less self-consciously artsy, and more emotionally satisfying in its exploration of family drama. If anything, the film demands patience; only those willing to endure its slow pace may find it rewarding.

MOVIE RATING:

Review by Linus Tee