When Daniel Day-Lewis announced his retirement from acting in 2017, many believed his legendary career had reached its end. But on October 3, 2025, the three-time Oscar winner returned to the silver screen in Anemone, a psychological drama that’s as much a family affair behind the camera as it is on screen. Directed and co-written by his 25-year-old son, Ronan Day-Lewis, Anemone marks a rare collaboration between father and son—a partnership that has drawn both critical intrigue and scrutiny.
Set in the misty woods of Northern England, Anemone centers on Ray Stoker (Daniel Day-Lewis), a former soldier who’s chosen a life of isolation. For two decades, Ray has lived off-grid, haunted by the trauma of his past and estranged from his family. His only company is the wild landscape and the ghosts of memory, until his brother Jem (Sean Bean) tracks him down, determined to confront the wounds that have festered between them.
The film’s narrative unfolds slowly, with long silences and brooding exchanges that some critics found meditative and others, frankly, a bit tedious. According to Shepherd Express, the film’s "long silences and on-camera brooding are difficult to watch when that’s most all of what’s being provided." Yet, for those patient enough to sit with its deliberate pacing, Anemone offers a deeply emotional journey. At the heart of Ray’s solitude lies a secret: during the Troubles in Ireland, Ray made a fateful decision as a soldier, killing an unarmed, mortally wounded apprentice to end his suffering—a war crime that has since defined his self-imposed exile. As Screen Rant details, Ray’s guilt is compounded by his inability to recall his true motivation for the act, leaving him tormented by questions of pity, necessity, or cruelty.
The arrival of Jem, after twenty years apart, brings these buried emotions to the surface. Jem’s quest isn’t just to find his brother, but to draw him back into the world and, perhaps, to finally address the pain they both carry. The film’s family dynamic extends beyond Ray and Jem, as Ray’s estranged wife Nessa (Samantha Morton) and their son Brian wait in the wings, each grappling with the fallout of Ray’s absence. Brian, now a young man and considering military service himself, is particularly affected—his anger and confusion echoing the generational cycles of violence and regret that the film so painstakingly explores.
Critics’ reactions to Anemone have been decidedly mixed. Eric Eisenberg of CinemaBlend praised Daniel Day-Lewis’s performance, calling it "a singular artist and one of the most gifted men to ever perform in front of a camera." Eisenberg rated the film 4 out of 5 stars, noting, "the bonus is that he and his son also happen to make tremendous collaborators and have together made a movie that is deep, challenging, beautiful, dark and ultimately optimistic." Jeremy Mathai of SlashFilm agreed that Day-Lewis delivers an "acting showcase for the ages," while also highlighting the film’s "haunting tone poem about brotherhood, regret, and generational cycles of violence."
Yet not all critics were won over. Ryan Lattanzio of IndieWire described the film as "a miserable movie top to toe," giving it a B but acknowledging the "confidence behind the camera justifies the miserable ends." Owen Gleiberman of Variety was even less impressed, calling Anemone "aridly pretentious and static, with too much self-conscious art photography and gloomsday indie rock and not enough drama." Monica Castillo of RogerEbert.com echoed these reservations, rating the film just 1.5 out of 4 stars and criticizing its "style over substance," though she conceded that Day-Lewis and Bean are "practically incapable" of delivering a poor performance.
Despite the divided opinions, most agree that Ronan Day-Lewis’s directorial debut shows promise, with several reviewers noting his painterly eye and willingness to take risks. The film’s visual style—marked by expressionistic flourishes and surreal touches—has drawn comparisons to Ronan’s background in painting, with RogerEbert.com noting "interesting crossovers between the broody visual style and eye-catching surrealism."
Symbolism runs deep in Anemone. The night after Ray confesses his wartime trauma to Jem, a violent hailstorm descends upon the town—a metaphor for the sudden, crushing weight of guilt and adversity. In the storm’s aftermath, Ray discovers a massive dead fish floating downstream, a stark reminder of what becomes of those who remain isolated and unmoored from human connection. As Screen Rant observes, "for all his strength and independence, Ray would just be another body floating along," lost to the world and to himself.
The film’s emotional climax comes when Ray finally agrees to meet his son Brian. Their conversation isn’t shown, but the mere act of Ray stepping out of isolation signals a tentative step toward healing. It’s a moment fraught with vulnerability, as Ray sees in Brian a reflection of his younger self—at a crossroads, contemplating military service and the path that led his father to ruin. The film leaves the future uncertain, but its message is clear: even in the aftermath of trauma and abandonment, the possibility of redemption and reconnection endures.
For many, the real draw of Anemone is the spectacle of Daniel Day-Lewis’s return. After eight years away from the screen, his performance reminds audiences why he’s considered one of the greatest actors of his generation. As CinemaBlend puts it, "Anemone is worth seeing for the return of Daniel Day-Lewis alone." Whether this marks a permanent comeback or a brief encore remains to be seen, but for now, fans and critics alike are left to ponder the legacy of both Day-Lewises—father and son—whose collaboration has produced one of the year’s most talked-about films.
With a Rotten Tomatoes score hovering at 56% from over 40 critics, Anemone is far from universally beloved. But in its exploration of brotherhood, regret, and the struggle to reclaim one’s humanity, it offers a resonant meditation on the scars of history—personal and political alike. For Daniel Day-Lewis, it’s a homecoming; for Ronan, the first bold step in what could be a remarkable filmmaking journey.
