Anemone 4K Review (Universal)

Anemone is a 2025 drama co-written and directed by Ronan Day-Lewis (The Sheep and the Wolf) in full length directorial debut. It was co-written and executive produced by lead actor Daniel Day-Lewis. It was executive produced by Brad Pitt (The Departed, F1: The Movie, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Vice, Fury, Kick-Ass franchise, and Killing Them Softly). It grossed $1,439,545 worldwide at the box office. In Northern England, Jem (played by: Sean Bean from Game of Thrones, Troy, The Lord of the Rings franchise, GoldenEye, Patriot Games, Ronin, and The Hitcher) heads out on an ambitious journey into the isolated woods to reconnect with his estranged hermit brother Ray (played by: Daniel Day-Lewis from There Will Be Blood, Gangs of New York, The Last of the Mohicans, In the Name of the Father, The Boxer, The Age of Innocence, and My Left Foot). He shares a complicated past with him that has cursed his family for years. Their relationship was forever altered by life-changing events decades ago that needs fixed before it’s too late!!!! Daniel Day-Lewis retired from acting in 2017. He’s turned down countless films over the years, it took his son Ronan Day-Lewis to make his full length debut as a director to return to cinema. This alone gave Anemone all of the attention and interest with so many people when it was originally announced. They both worked on the script and they put together this dialogue heavy drama. It’s almost like a play made into a feature. It’s a unique and very risky project because it’s basically a 2 person movie. It focuses on brothers Jem and Ray, they are reunited after a long time. Ray walked away from his own family and just kept to himself. Jem got involved with his wife and he helped raise Ray’s son while he’s been gone from society. Sean Bean has played some of the best cinematic villains and he’s notorious for getting killed in most of them. His reputation is strong and this a different type of role for the veteran. Jem is on a mission to bring back Ray to his former home to finally meet his son. It’s a performance that deals with reactions and mannerisms more than it’s words. Daniel Day-Lewis returns to the screen as the mysterious Ray. He seems very standoffish when his brother shows up at his home. He is stubborn and he really just wants to keep his life the same as it’s been since he left. Jem continues to convince him to come back to get to know his abandoned son that he’s never met before. He takes in all the information and suggestions during their tense conversation. These two are beyond talented and their chemistry elevates a concept that could be boring. This simple approach highlights great acting from 2 skilled performers that hold their own. The rest of the supporting cast includes Samantha Morton (Minority Report), Samuel Bottomley (Cold Water), Paul Butterworth (The Full Monty), JP Conway (The Sandman), Adam Fogerty (Snatch), Mark Holgate (Coronation Street), Sid Akbar (Polterheist), and Safia Oakley-Green (Sherwood). Anemone is better than I thought it would be but I feel like it’s about 15 minutes too long. It would have a much better pace and flow to it with a little bit taken away. Ironically, it takes around 15 minutes in for the first words spoken here. Regardless, it’s not like most movies these days and it took some serious guts to put it together with this TikTok obsessed generation. Unfortunately, most people can’t pay attention for a good amount of time without getting distracted. Anemone has amazing tension between the leads. It makes the audience curious about what’s going to happen next. It could go any way because Jem and Ray still have all kinds of built up issues that could explode at any moment. They both have weapons so this interaction has potential for something darker. The character development is really good in this but I feel like the ending just kinda teases you and it doesn’t feel fully resolved. Anemone is not for everyone, it’s definitely a love it or hate it type of production. I personally enjoyed it for the most part, it’s worth checking out especially if you are fans of the leads!!!!! Let’s discuss this high definition presentation from Universal Pictures! This 2160p (2.39:1) transfer with Dolby Vision and HDR10 looks amazing in 4K. Anemone is all about the visuals. It’s sharp cinematography, quality production design, and beautiful locations really shines in this. It’s honestly one of the best shot features in 2025 from DP Ben Fordesman (Love Lies Bleeding, The End of the F***ing World, Out of Darkness, The Thing with Feathers, and Saint Maud). It has a few different audio options which includes English: Dolby Atmos and English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 on the UHD. The sound design is phenomenal, it helps because this feature is mostly a chat with brothers trying to resolve their past. Don’t expect anything action packed but it does have quality sound to it. All of the dialogue is crisp, the tension is elevated, and the music has a big boost to it. It has English SDH, French, and Spanish subtitles. It comes with a slipcover, digital code, and a blu ray copy. It’s currently streaming on Peacock. It’s available everywhere right now including MovieZyng.com, CHECK IT OUT!!!!