Review by Sean Dooley.
In an unusual move, the Everyman Cinema in Harrogate hosted the UK Premiere of Anemone, a film set in Yorkshire, with acting leads of Daniel Day-Lewis, Sean Bean and Samantha Morton. It was directed by Ronan Day-Lewis, and was co-written between father and son, Daniel and Ronan.
The opening scenes of Anemone immediately set a sombre tone. Children’s drawings depicting the Northern Ireland conflict appear on-screen before we see Sean Bean’s character kneeling in prayer, a simple image that conveys his deep devotion to faith and foreshadows the film’s exploration of guilt, forgiveness, and moral conflict.
From the outset, the visual language of the film is steeped in darkness. The dusky palette and muted tones evoke an atmosphere of unhappiness and uncertainty, while the haunting score deepens a sense of unease, stripping the audience of any early hope or comfort.
In one of the early scenes, Daniel Day-Lewis’s character stands at his cabin door, gripping an axe tightly behind his back. The image captures a man permanently on guard, hypervigilant and tense, a physical manifestation of post-traumatic stress. When he hears a faint clicking sound in the distance, his stance softens. The sound is familiar, a signal from his brother, and it immediately conveys a shared military past. Later, the same clicker device becomes symbolic of what binds them: the remnants of their father’s service and a fractured family heritage shaped by violence.
As the story unfolds, we witness the grim realities of both men’s lives, each haunted by trauma. Their PTSD is layered, stemming not only from military experiences but also from childhood abuse. Day-Lewis’s character, retreating from society into rural isolation, embodies the long-term effects of unresolved trauma: withdrawal, mistrust, and emotional shutdown. The script’s darker allusions, including a disturbing moment of revenge against his abuser, underscore the lasting damage of both institutional and personal violence, and his rejection of religion becomes an act of rebellion against the faith that once failed him.
Sean Bean stars as Jem and Daniel Day-Lewis stars as Ray in director Ronan Day-Lewis’s ANEMONE, a Focus Features release.
Credit: Courtesy of Focus Features / © 2025 FOCUS FEATURES LLC
For veterans, Anemone resonates deeply. The dialogue, banter, and unspoken codes of behaviour feel authentic, capturing the mix of humour and hardness familiar to those who have served. However, for viewers without a military background, the nuances of language and gesture may feel opaque, making the film more challenging to fully grasp.
In its closing moments, the film offers a subtle shift, both visually and emotionally. The colours brighten, the music softens, and for the first time, there’s a sense of release, even redemption. After so much darkness, this change brings a quiet sense of hope ,fragile but genuine.
