Anemone (2025)
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2025-09 to 2026-08
A troubled recluse and his estranged brother must confront their shared past and the scars of war.
The story
Jem Stoker, a retired veteran, travels to a remote forest to find his estranged brother, Ray, who has lived as a recluse since the events of the Troubles in Northern Ireland. Ray is a former soldier haunted by his past. Jem brings a letter from their sister, Nessa, who wants Ray to return home to reconcile with their son, Brian. The film follows the brothers as they navigate their fractured relationship and the heavy burden of their shared history while deciding whether to face the family they left behind.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Jem Stoker, a retired veteran, travels to a remote forest to find his estranged brother, Ray, who has lived as a recluse since the events of the Troubles in Northern Ireland. Ray was married to Nessa and had left her when she was pregnant with Brian; Jem married her instead and raised Brian as his own. Jem finds a collection of letters from Nessa and a painting by Brian. He convinces Ray to return home. During the journey, Ray reveals the trauma of a failed mission where he was declared a war criminal after a bomb exploded, leading to his self-imposed exile. After a hailstorm strikes, the brothers engage in a brawl before Ray eventually drives to the Stoker home. There, Nessa explains Ray's past to a skeptical Brian. The film concludes with Ray approaching the porch of the family home.
- First release year
- 2025
- Runtime (minutes)
- 126
- Production countries
- United Kingdom; United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Ronan Day-Lewis
- Writers
- Ronan Day-Lewis · writer; Daniel Day-Lewis · writer
- Cast and characters
- Daniel Day-Lewis · Ray Stoker; Sean Bean · Jem Stoker; Samantha Morton · Nessa Stoker; Samuel Bottomley · Brian Stoker; Safia Oakley-Green · Hattie
- Genres
- psychological drama
- Themes
- war trauma; family reconciliation; brotherhood
- Tone and mood
- somber; dramatic
- Setting
- A remote forest and the city of Sheffield.
- Premise and plot tags
- veterans; reconciliation
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics, who criticized the screenplay but praised the cinematography and the performances, particularly that of Daniel Day-Lewis.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 53 · scale: 100 · review count: 41
- Production trivia
- The film features a score by Bobby Krlic.; Production was briefly disrupted by parking tickets for prop vehicles in Chester.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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