Daniel Day-Lewis has been in retirement since 2017 (his second, as he first took an acting break between 1997 and 2002), but now he’s back with another acclaimed performance.
The film Anemone explores the bond between brothers, as well as the relationship between fathers and sons. It is said to have been directed by the actor’s son, Roman, and co-written by the duo.
It also stars This City is Ours’ Sean Bean, The Serpent Queen’s Samantha Morton, Ackley Bridge’s Samuel Bottomley, and The Lazarus Project’s Safia Oakley-Green.
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The movie premiered at the 2025 New York Film Festival over the weekend, and will have a theatrical release in the US next month. It will be shown in the UK as part of the BFI Film Festival, also next month.
Following its debut, Anemone has received a 63% positive score on Rotten Tomatoes, with the lead actor’s performance praised even though the film itself wasn’t.
Courtesy of Focus Features
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“Daniel Day-Lewis makes a commanding return to the screen in a drama that seldom approaches his Earth-shaking force,” wrote The Hollywood Reporter. “The three-time Oscar winner’s magnetic intensity remains undimmed. Playing a brooding, taciturn man living in self-imposed exile for two decades, Day-Lewis’ rugged performance provides a semblance of narrative weight in a drama that’s otherwise lacking.”
ScreenDaily said: “While there is a sense that [the younger Day-Lewis’] creative sensibility may one day be honed into a controlled cinematic vision, his inexperience undermines Anemone; despite strong support from Bean and the elder Day-Lewis.”
Elsewhere, The Telegraph‘s review reads: “Its two central performances pair perfectly. Bean is subtle, reactive, intuitive, funny – he, too, is on terrific form – while Day-Lewis is every bit the marvel you remember: every gesture, every glance, every twinkle comes freighted with wiry intention. You could watch these two go at it for hours, which for the most part is what Anemone offers.”
Focus Features//Universal
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In a more negative review, the San Francisco Chronicle called it “the worst film Daniel Day-Lewis ever made and the worst he ever will make, unless he and his son are planning a sequel”.
If you’re attending the BFI London Film Festival – which is taking place across the UK – we’ve rounded up a list of British films worth checking out.
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Joe Anderton is a freelance news writer at Digital Spy, having worked there since 2016. In his time, he’s covered a host of live events and interviewed celebrities big and small. A big fan of TV and movies both mainstream and obscure, Joe also enjoys video games and in particular PlayStation. Joe currently does not use Twitter, but he only ever used it to tell people to watch the film Help! I’m a Fish.