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Anemone

Anemone

All is not forgiven.

2025125 minRMidcredits score: 27th percentile of all films
Director
Ronan Day-Lewis
Starring
Daniel Day-Lewis, Sean Bean, Samantha Morton, Samuel Bottomley

Middle-aged Jem sets out from his suburban home on a journey into the woods, where he reconnects with his estranged hermit brother Ray. 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.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Anemone?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Anemone streaming on Netflix and to rent or buy on Prime Video.

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Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Anemone?

Anemone earns 5 badges, led by Standout acting and Visual feast.

  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is Anemone worth watching?

Anemone's Midcredits score is the 27th percentile of all films, from 42K ratings across 6 sources. 32% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

27th percentile

Better received than 27% of films

23rd percentile among Drama29th percentile among 2020s
Acclaim (how much people like it)31st
Approval (how many liked it)26th

56 /100

31st percentile of all films

28th percentile among Drama34th percentile among 2020s

Critics 53 · Audience 56

Critics and audiences broadly agree.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 5.9 — solid but not unanimous.

32% liked it

26th percentile of all films

21st percentile among Drama27th percentile among 2020s
32% rated it 7–1068% rated it 1–6

Critics 52% · Audience 56%

On Rotten Tomatoes, critics and audiences approve at similar rates.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 1 wins / 8 noms overall

94th percentile

42K ratings across platforms

95th percentile among Drama95th percentile among 2020s
TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Up 14% in 30 days

Box office

Opening weekend$682K
Domestic gross$1.2M
Worldwide gross$1.6M

67th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps agree it is an ambitious, visually stylish family drama driven by Daniel Day-Lewis's powerful performances.

Fans praised

  • haunting and exquisite meditation on grief and family fracture
  • Daniel Day-Lewis's triumphant return with two showstopping monologues
  • visually stunning cinematography and emotive atmospheric score

Detractors panned

  • obtuse, meandering script that fails to deliver emotional punches
  • pretentious symbolism and surrealism that blocks audience connection
  • undercooked characters and shallow personas with thin dialogue

What stands out

Acting85

Daniel Day-Lewis delivers transcendent return, commanding monologues

Cinematography85

stylistically stunning, expressive visual painting

Atmosphere80

enigmatic atmosphere, visually sublime prison of trauma

DialogueDivisive50

two showstopping monologues but overall paucity of informative lines

CharactersDivisive40

shallow undercooked personas, little informative dialogue

PacingDivisive40

slow-burning and plodding; some find it effective, others tedious

Plot and storyDivisive35

obtuse script with narrative meandering, puzzle never clarified

Emotional impactDivisive35

fails to make audience feel weight of pain, emotional punches don't land

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 3 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 4 points apart
  • Critics vs users 8 points apart
  • US vs non-US 7 points apart

Watch experience

What is Anemone like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

No single mood: browse every movie of this kindNo one kind of watch fits it, so it is described by how heavy it is.

Watch this when you are ready to pay close attention and feel heavy feelings, and you want something dark.

It takes its time and leaves you haunted. Skip it when you want an easy night or you can only half-watch.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Your full attention, room for heavy feelings, patience and a taste for open questions.

What it feels like

Moods
MelancholicTenseContemplative
Heaviest: late
Dark humor
Register
Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.Dreamlike · 2% of films: Logic gives way to atmosphere and association.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film handles its heavy themes with a somber, earnest gravity, employing surreal visual flourishes to underscore emotional isolation.
The rideThe film sustains a melancholic, brooding register with tense confrontations, and reviews note the final act is especially heavy and unresolved.
StructureThe story unfolds through a series of personal confessions and interactions in a straightforward chronological order.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Haunted.

Haunting · 14% of filmsBittersweet
Why it leaves you this wayThe film's lingering, somber atmosphere and meditative reflection on loss leave a haunting emotional imprint.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22% (this title)

No archetype fits — true of 22% of films: ensemble pieces, satire, slice-of-life.

Why this archetypeThe film is an ensemble character study focused on family relationships and internal conflicts, lacking a single overarching plot archetype.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfFamilybonds
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27% (this title): Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% (this title) · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% (this title) · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% (this title) · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Bonds

Family bondsGrief · 6% of filmsGuilt · 3% of films
Mourns its theme: Grieves its theme, or what has been lost of it.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe film explores the fractured ties between fathers, sons, and brothers as they confront absence, regret, and the possibility of reconciliation.
StanceThe film mourns the fractures within a family—what has been lost and what cannot be repaired—without celebrating or satirising those bonds.

The world

ContemporaryRuralDomesticRealistic
Orchestral modernAmbientSupportive music · original score
Settinga rural British family home and surrounding landscape

Content guide

Is Anemone okay for kids?

R

Anemone is rated R: “Rated R for language throughout” (MPAA). As of August 19, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at mild (33/100), sexual content at moderate (43/100), language at severe (86/100), drug and alcohol content at intense (64/100) and frightening material at moderate (48/100). Overall it is heavier than 47% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 9 other countries
  • UK15
  • AustraliaM
  • Germany18
  • Brazil16
  • Israel16
  • PRR
  • RO15
  • Spain18
  • VIR
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 68% of all filmsHeavier than 47% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Mild
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 13%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 41%
Profanity
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 84%
Alcohol & Drugs
Intense
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 81%
Frightening / Intense
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 31%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is language and drug and alcohol content. Everything else sits at or below what R-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Anemone have?

MovieCove's classifier found 3 depicted content warnings in Anemone, all withheld here because they would spoil the plot. 3 more are mentioned only, in dialogue or backstory (behind the spoiler gate). Each is backed by a verbatim quote from the parents' guide notes; a missing warning is not a guarantee of absence.

Mentioned: referenced in dialogue or backstory, not shown in the story’s present.

Cast and crew

Who is in Anemone?

Cast

3 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Daniel Day-Lewis
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Sean Bean
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Samantha Morton
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Samuel Bottomley
Safia Oakley-Green
Adam Fogerty
as Des

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Anemone?

Movies like Anemone include Distant Voices, Still Lives (1988), The Ballad of Jack and Rose (2005) and The Eternal Daughter (2022). Of the 5 closest matches, all are films set in a single location, and most are stories about siblings.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

All 5 share its story type: chamber drama. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Anemone?

3K other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: chamber drama. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.