US EditionDaniel Day Lewis' Big Return Is Dividing Critics: "The Worst He Ever Will Make"
Daniel Day-Lewis returns from retirement to star in his son Ronan’s directorial debut, a dark family drama exploring estrangement and reconciliation in Northern England.
- Daniel Day-Lewis returns to film in "Anemone," premiering October 3, 2025, at the New York Film Festival and released by Focus Features.
- Day-Lewis, who retired eight years ago after Phantom Thread, stars as Ray, a former British soldier haunted by past violence and accused of war crimes.
- The story explores Ray’s troubled family, including his estranged brother Jem and son Brian, against themes of generational violence and child sexual abuse raised through Ray’s monologue.
- Day-Lewis delivers a typically powerful performance featuring memorable monologues, while the film faces criticism for a slow pace and uneven narrative but may still attract Oscar attention.
- If nominated, Day-Lewis could earn a record seventh lead actor Oscar nod and possibly his fourth win, joining rare Oscar history as a winner in a film directed by his son.
22 Articles
22 Articles
Daniel Day-Lewis’ son reveals Steven Spielberg gave advice for directing his dad in 'Anemone'
"Obviously, he is a hero to me," Ronan Day-Lewis says of the "Lincoln" director. Neilson Barnard/Getty Daniel Day-Lewis and Steven SpielbergNot only did Ronan Day-Lewis get to work with the world's greatest actor in his feature directorial debut, but he also had the support of its greatest director. While he shares a close bond with both artists, his relationship with the former is more obvious: The 27-year-old's first film, Anemone, stars his d…
"I looked stupid by saying I was going to stop working and probably even more stupid by coming back," the actor said.
Daniel Day Lewis' big return is dividing critics: "The worst he ever will make"
Daniel Day-Lewis’ return to acting in drama Anemone has divided critics following its premiere at the New York Film Festival on Sunday (September 28). Directed by the actor’s son, Ronan, the film stars Sean Bean as a man who travels into Northern England’s woods to reconnect with his estranged brother (Day-Lewis), who lives as a hermit. The multi-time Oscar winner was last seen in Paul Thomas Anderson’s drama Phantom Thread in 2017, after which …
Will ‘Anemone’ Put Daniel Day-Lewis Next To Katharine Hepburn In The Oscar History Books? It Might.
Following its World Premiere today at the New York Film Festival, the question must be asked: Will Daniel Day-Lewis in Anemone possibly enter the most rarefied territory at the Oscars an actor has ever gone? Playing a man coming from a violent past and coming to terms with his own life and estranged family relationships, Day-Lewis gets yet another role worthy of consideration, as if the six-time lead actor Academy Award nominee, and three-time…
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