Daniel Day Lewis Returns From Retirement in First Trailer for Anemone

Co-written by Daniel Day-Lewis and Ronan Day-Lewis, Anemone follows a man who lives in deep isolation in the woods and who is navigating what looks like a difficult relationship with his brother Jem, played by Sean Bean. Interspersed between shots of lonely, desolate backgrounds (one in particular, of Day-Lewis standing on the shore of a very blue-looking beach, stands out) are child-like drawings of war. Even after 20 years in isolation, the war still seems to haunt Day-Lewis—figuratively but maybe also literally, if some of the rapid sequences at the end of the trailer are to be believed. 

Although it’s hard to tell exactly what narrative path Anemone will follow, the trailer suggests a psychological horror enmeshed in the visceral feelings of isolation brought about by a rugged natural world. One memorable shot shows Day-Lewis watching grimly as a surreally giant, bloated, and bloody fish corpse floats past him. But more pressing than the battle between man and nature is the familial tension that simmers without reaching a boiling point. The trailer ends with Day-Lewis ominously uttering the words “family reunion,” a retort to his brother’s suggestion that he’s going to hell. Despite the skepticism that blatant nepotism can inspire, a tense family reunion in a hellish, isolated natural landscape certainly sounds like a winning premise. 

Anemone will have a limited release on Oct. 3rd and a wide release on Oct. 10th. Samantha Morton and Samuel Bottomley also star. Check out the first trailer below.