Thrill, expectation and a hint of unease. These are the feeling that rippled through the cinematic world when whispers of Daniel Day-Lewis’s comeback began to swirl. This is the actor who turned My Left Foot, Lincoln, and There Will Be Blood into masterpieces, after which he retreated from the spotlight after Phantom Thread in 2017. But fear not cos the legend is back.
The first trailer for Anemone, a raw, atmospheric family drama and Ronan Day-Lewis’s feature directorial debut, has arrived, and with it, a resurgence of hope, curiosity, and wonder. Daniel Day-Lewis, now 68, returns not merely to act, but to co-write the film with his son, forging a deeply intimate and creative father-son collaboration few could have anticipated.
Set against the brooding beauty of Northern England, the film follows Ray (Day-Lewis), a reclusive hermit whose secluded life is shattered when his estranged brother, Jem (Sean Bean), ventures into the woods seeking either reconciliation or confrontation. The official logline spins a tense, emotional web:
“Bonded by a mysterious, complicated past, the men share a fraught, if occasionally tender relationship—one that was forever altered by shattering events decades earlier.”
Watching that trailer, one truth shines clear, Daniel Day-Lewis still has it. The wild intensity in his eyes, especially when delivering the line, “I’m beyond your reach”, feels like a bolt of electricity. His return isn’t just a cameo, it’s a full-bodied resurgence.
But it’s not just Day-Lewis’s performance that captivates. Ronan Day-Lewis, previously known more as a painter and short-film maker, demonstrates a distinctive directorial vision. With cinematography by Ben Fordesman (Love Lies Bleeding) and art direction by Chris Oddy (The Zone of Interest), Anemone crafts a visual world steeped in rural foreboding and emotional resonance.
Joining the cast are Samantha Morton, Samuel Bottomley, and Safia Oakley-Green, rounding out a strong ensemble that promises to deepen the film’s emotional core.
Anemone will have its world premiere at the 2025 New York Film Festival, running late September into early October. It then has limited releases in U.S. theatres from October 3, with a wider rollout beginning October 10, after which international distribution follows.
For Day-Lewis, this is a return to purpose. Since stepping away in 2017, citing emotional exhaustion and the desire to “draw a line” in his life, he’s selected his projects with near-monastic care. To reunite on-screen with his son, to bring their shared vision to life, that evidently was worth coming back for.
Anemone is a legacy. A son’s directorial debut and a father’s creative homecoming. Expect whispers of grief, violence, reconciliation, and the quiet power of two brothers forged and tested by history.
