{"id":502023,"date":"2026-03-29T16:03:14","date_gmt":"2026-03-29T16:03:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/502023\/"},"modified":"2026-03-29T16:03:14","modified_gmt":"2026-03-29T16:03:14","slug":"netflix-just-added-one-of-the-most-overlooked-daniel-day-lewis-movies-and-the-critics-got-it-wrong","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/502023\/","title":{"rendered":"Netflix just added one of the most overlooked Daniel Day-Lewis movies \u2014 and the critics got it wrong"},"content":{"rendered":"

On screen and behind the camera, \u201cAnemone\u201d is a family affair. The movie charts a fractured sibling relationship and is a collaboration between real-life father and son, Daniel and Ronan Day-Lewis. The elder Day-Lewis stars; Ronan directs, and they co-wrote the flick together. That’s one talented family!<\/p>\n

“Anemone” is also one of last year\u2019s most overlooked and underrated movies, at least in my opinion. Marking Daniel Day-Lewis\u2019 return to cinema after his supposed retirement post 2017\u2019s \u201cPhantom Thread,\u201d this psychological drama wasn\u2019t quite the triumphant return many hoped for. It got a lukewarm reception from critics, and its box office takings were minimal, at best.<\/p>\n

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It\u2019s just been added to Netflix\u2019s movie library (on Mar. 28), offering \u201cAnemone\u201d a second chance to find its audience, and it\u2019s worthy of a reappraisal. As far as I\u2019m concerned, when you have Daniel Day-Lewis delivering captivating monologues, a movie can never be a waste of time. Pair the three-time Oscar winner with Sean Bean, and you see why \u201cAnemone\u201d has plenty to offer.<\/p>\n

Article continues below <\/p>\n

You may like<\/p>\n

What is \u2018Anemone\u2019 about?<\/p>\n

ANEMONE – Official Trailer [HD] – Only in Theaters October 3 – YouTube
\n\"ANEMONE<\/p>\n

Watch On <\/a><\/p>\n

Jem Stoker (Sean Bean) leaves behind his family to head into the remote wilderness. But he\u2019s not on a camping or hunting trip; he\u2019s searching for his estranged brother, Ray (Daniel Day-Lewis), who has abandoned his troubled son, Brian (Samuel Bottomley), to live a life of complete solitude.<\/p>\n

Once the brothers reunite, old tensions and traumatic past events bubble to the surface, and while Jem\u2019s goal is to convince Ray to return to civilization to speak with his wayward son, Ray\u2019s stubbornness and deep scars from his past life as a soldier in Northern Ireland make this objective surprisingly tough.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnemone\u201d is a meditative drama about family ties and trauma passed from one generation to the next. It may be narratively slight, but it\u2019s very big on thematic ambition.<\/p>\n

Give \u2018Anemone\u2019 a chance on Netflix this weekend<\/p>\n

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\"(L-R)\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Focus Features \/ FlixPix \/ Alamy)<\/p>\n

The first thing you should know about \u201cAnemone\u201d is that it\u2019s decidedly slower paced. Heck, maybe it\u2019s even a little pretentious with regular lingering shots of nature and some extremely unsubtle metaphors. Day-Lewis\u2019s Ray is haunted by the past, so the movie has a literal ghost hanging over him while he sleeps. The movie is not exactly an accessible crowd-pleaser.<\/p>\n

Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.<\/p>\n

However, where it shines is in its performances. Patient viewers are treated to one of, if not the, greatest actors in modern cinema history, going on a tear. Ray is a complex figure. When his backstory is revealed, he\u2019s sympathetic, but before then, he\u2019s pretty brash, combative, and unlikable. Day-Lewis revels in playing such a multi-dimensional figure and delivers intense monologues that put the focus on his incredible command of the screen.<\/p>\n

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\"Sean\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Focus Features \/ Collection Christophel \/ Alamy)<\/p>\n

Sean Bean is no slouch playing off Day-Lewis, and while Jem doesn\u2019t quite get the same knotty arch as Ray, Bean takes the material given to him and squeezes out every dramatic beat. The movie\u2019s best moments are these two powerhouse performers sitting around a fireplace and conversing. Even with so much of the brother\u2019s resentment and frustration coming to light, there\u2019s even more that goes unsaid, but these emotions remain tangible.<\/p>\n

It seems my overall positive feeling towards \u201cAnemone\u201d is closer to a hot take than the common consensus. On Rotten Tomatoes<\/a>, the 2025 drama holds a lukewarm 52% score from critics (drops lower to 45% when filtered by \u201ctop critics\u201d). Viewers weren\u2019t exactly much kinder, rating it a merger 58%. I can understand why this movie wouldn\u2019t work for some viewers\/critics, but if you can focus on the stuff it does well, there\u2019s a very worthwhile watch here.<\/p>\n

What to read next<\/p>\n

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\"(L-R)\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Focus Features \/ BFA \/ Alamy)<\/p>\n

If you want to watch Daniel Day-Lewis roaring back onto the silver screen, delivering a powerful performance, in a flawed, but undeniably well-polished drama, \u201cAnemone\u201d isn\u2019t a movie you should dismiss based on its critical reception. There\u2019s a lot to like about this drama movie, even if all that good stuff comes with a caveat or two. I was able to overlook them; you can too.<\/p>\n

However, if you\u2019re looking for something a little more universally popular, here\u2019s a guide to everything new on Netflix in April 2026<\/a>, which includes plenty more movies landing on the streaming platform in just a matter of days. Sadly, there’s nothing else on the slate with Daniel Day-Lewis, though.<\/p>\n

Watch “Anemone” on Netflix<\/a> now<\/p>\n

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Follow Tom’s Guide on Google News<\/a> and add us as a preferred source<\/a> to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. <\/p>\n

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