A One Mann’s Movies review of “Anemone” (From the 2025 London Film Festival). (2025, 3*, 15).
Another of my LFF films getting a UK-wide release today, “Anenome” is a bit of a mixed bag for me. But if you are an actor, it is well worth the ticket price for another chance to see the master – Daniel Day-Lewis – at work again. This is a republish of a post first aired on October 25th 2025,
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Question: If you’re a young director with your debut feature film, how do you assure international attention to it? Answer: get your Dad to come out of retirement to star in it. Now, that wouldn’t work if my son George were to do it. But when your Dad is Daniel Day-Lewis…. it works! For “Anemone” is the debut feature of Ronan Day-Lewis.
The film itself is a bit of a turgid affair, but underpinned with good performances. But as a first film, it has some artistic merit beyond its famous leading actor.
One Mann’s Movies Rating:
Plot:
Brian (Samuel Bottomley) lives with Jem (Sean Bean) and his Mum, Nessa (Samantha Morton), but is in trouble after a serious altercation with another boy. Jem leaves home to trek through woods to a remote cabin where he meets with the reclusive Ray (Daniel Day-Lewis).
Certification:
UK: 15; US: R. (From the BBFC web site: “Strong language, gore, child sex abuse references”. “Gore”? I don’t remember any gore in this… perhaps I nodded off?!)
Talent:
Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Sean Bean, Samantha Morton, Samuel Bottomley, Safia Oakley-Green.
Directed by: Ronan Day-Lewis.
Written by: Daniel Day-Lewis & Ronan Day-Lewis.
Running Time: 2h 5m.
Summary:
Positives:
- A stunning performance from Day-Lewis: what an exquisite actor he is.
- Strong support from Sean Bean and Samantha Morton.
- Some interesting magical reality moments.
Negatives:
- It’s a bit of a turgid watch for a two-hour film
- I struggled to understand the context of the story: where we were and when it was.
Full Review of “Anemone”:
Day-Lewis is a brilliant actor.
Day-Lewis said that he was retiring from acting back in 2017 after “Phantom Thread“. He commented at the New York Film Festival that “I made a f****** fool of myself by announcing that I was going to stop working, and probably a bigger fool of myself coming back,” (people.com). But back he is and he adds an undeniable punch to his son’s film. The beginning of his scenes are almost wordless with Day-Lewis acting almost purely with his eyes: and nobody does it better.
The story is difficult to pin down.
The background to the film – ‘The Troubles’ – is laid down via a very impressive scan across a piece of artwork: almost a ‘Bayeux Tapestry’ of Northern Ireland in the 70’s. But I found it difficult to pin down exactly where we were as the film started and what the time period was. Were we in Northern Ireland in the present day? Actually, it looks like the film is set in the North of England and the time period – from the H and K registrations on the cars – is in the early 90’s. The script might have helped to ground all of this a bit better in the first 5 minutes.
It was also not clear what part Jem and Ray played in The Troubles and why Ray is ‘hiding’ as an angry, antisocial man in the woods. But it’s quite fun having that gradually revealed as the film develops.
A very messy form of revenge.
Why is Ray so angry with life? He clearly has a damaged past, relating to abuse from both his father and an abusive priest, Father Ripon. Ray is advised that Ripon has died and then describes how he took out his revenge on the priest in very scatological way. It doesn’t seemed to have much helped soothe his demons. I liked the description of Ray as being “a crack in the ice that won’t heal over”.
Magical moments.
I can’t say that I was particularly gripped by the story which might have better fitted a 90 minute film, but outstayed its welcome for me at over 2 hours. But the film did have some interesting visual moments: a vision of a lady floating over Ray’s bed in a flowing purple dress; a giant, dead, silver fish floating down the river; a strange form of a luminous creature with his son’s face floating near the beach (I restrained my desperate desire to shout out “Expecto Patronum”!). “What does it all mean Basil?” Sorry, I’ve no idea.
There is also a most spectacular burst of extreme weather that, if it was filmed with practical effects, would have needed a hell of a volume of ice chippers!
Some baffling moments.
Some moments in the film ended up baffling me though I’m afraid.
At one point, Jem and Ray set off on a trek back to their home, walking through a big (curiously deserted) fairground. But then they are both suddenly back in the cabin again. Was this all a dream sequence? It just didn’t seem to synch with anything.
Also, near the end of the film, Ray and Jem are outside their cabin when Ray suddenly, without any warning and without, as far as I can see, any justifiable reason, socks his brother in the face. The look of surprise on Sean Bean’s face made me wonder whether this was just good acting from Bean or whether it was a moment where Day-Lewis went a bit ‘method’ with that punch, and the subsequent brawl, not actually being scripted at all. It’s all a bit odd!
Triggers
As already noted, there is a theme of child sexual abuse that might be triggering to some viewers.
Summary Thoughts:
It was fun seeing Daniel Day-Lewis back on the big screen, and hopefully he won’t retire again after this one! But the film itself is a bit of a slog.
The film is due a UK release in a few week’s time on November 7th, 2025.
Where to watch?
Trailer:
The trailer for the film is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVqoyMi98OI.
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