“Anemone” marks the feature directorial debut of Ronan Day-Lewis, and yes, that last name carries a heavy legacy. Co-written with his father, Daniel Day-Lewis, the film arrives with the kind of curiosity that few debuts can muster. After all, this is the actor’s first screen appearance since “Phantom Thread” in 2017 and his self-proclaimed retirement.
The setup feels ripe for something profound. Day-Lewis plays Ray, a hermit living alone in the woods, whose isolation is interrupted when his estranged brother Jem (Sean Bean) arrives, asking for help. Ray’s been living with the weight of an unresolved past, and Jem brings a letter from Nessa (Samantha Morton), urging him to return to the city to help their troubled son Brian (Samuel Bottomley), who’s on the verge of being arrested.
There’s plenty to unpack here, including themes of guilt, forgiveness, and fractured family ties, and when “Anemone” stays focused on Ray and Jem, it works semi-beautifully. Daniel Day-Lewis is mesmerizing, grounding every scene with raw, understated emotion. Their relationship, built on regret and buried affection, is the beating heart of the story.
Unfortunately, the film often loses focus. Ronan Day-Lewis cuts away from the brothers to subplots involving Nessa and Brian, repeating information and slowing the film’s momentum. What could’ve been an intimate two-hander becomes bogged down by narrative detours and stylistic overreach.
Visually, Ronan shows promise. The film is full of striking compositions from misty shorelines to flickering carnival lights, but these moments feel ornamental rather than meaningful. Several extended one-shots look impressive but add little to the story. They feel like directorial flourishes rather than narrative choices.
The editing, too, works against the emotional flow. In one standout sequence, Ray confronts his abuser in a heart-wrenching monologue, a perfect example of Daniel Day-Lewis’s stillness and control. But instead of letting the performance breathe, the film cuts between extreme close-ups, losing its power. The same could be said for Bobby Krlic’s score, which, while beautiful, feels overly intrusive.
At two hours long, “Anemone” would have benefited from a tighter cut. A leaner 90-minute version, centered solely on the brothers, could have been devastatingly appealing. Instead, the film often feels like it’s chasing depth it hasn’t earned.
Daniel Day-Lewis, unsurprisingly, is extraordinary. His performance reminds us what true screen presence looks like. But “Anemone itself” feels like a filmmaker still learning to separate style from substance.
It’s not a disaster, but it’s not the triumphant return we were hoping for.
Watch the full review now on The Wandering Screen with Matt Koss on YouTube.
Letter grade: C