Daniel Day-Lewis is a ghost. Or at least, that’s how it felt for the last eight years. After the 2017 release of Phantom Thread, the man basically vanished into the Irish countryside, leaving us with a representative's cold statement that he was done with acting for good. No more Lincoln, no more Daniel Plainview. Just retirement.
But then, late last year, the internet nearly imploded. Photos surfaced of him on a motorbike in Manchester, looking rugged and very much not retired. It turns out the rumors were true. The new film Daniel Day-Lewis stars in, titled Anemone, isn't just a random comeback; it’s a family affair that has completely shifted the narrative around his "final" bow.
What is Anemone actually about?
Forget the period dramas and the high-fashion silk. Anemone is a gritty, psychological dive into the messiness of being a father, a son, and a brother.
Day-Lewis plays Ray Stoker, a former soldier who’s basically checked out of society. He’s living as a hermit in the woods of Northern England, haunted by whatever happened during his time serving in Northern Ireland. His brother Jem—played by the always-reliable Sean Bean—shows up to drag him back to reality because of a family crisis involving Ray’s estranged son, Brian.
It’s intense.
Honestly, the plot feels like a pressure cooker. You’ve got these two brothers who haven't spoken in decades, stuck in a remote cabin, hashing out years of trauma and guilt. It’s not a "fun" movie, but it’s a Daniel Day-Lewis movie, so you know what you're getting into.
The Ronan Day-Lewis connection
Here is the real kicker: the director is Ronan Day-Lewis. Yes, Daniel’s 27-year-old son.
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This isn't just a case of Hollywood nepotism, though. Ronan is a Yale-educated painter and filmmaker, and the visual style of Anemone reflects that. The movie has these surreal, painterly sequences—including a weird, sculptural creature that looks like something out of a fever dream—that were actually inspired by Ronan’s own artwork.
Daniel didn't just act in it; he co-wrote the script with Ronan. Imagine that dinner table conversation. "Hey Dad, want to come out of retirement to write a movie about a traumatized hermit with me?" Apparently, that was enough to light the "furnace" again, as Daniel put it in a recent interview.
Who else is in the cast?
While the Day-Lewis duo is the main draw, the supporting cast is stacked:
- Sean Bean as Jem Stoker (the brother who actually stayed behind).
- Samantha Morton as Nessa (the woman Ray left behind).
- Samuel Bottomley as Brian (the son who's following in his father's dangerous footsteps).
- Safia Oakley-Green as Hattie.
Why did he come back now?
Everyone thought Phantom Thread was the end because he said it was. He told W Magazine back then that the movie left him with a "tremendous sadness" and he wanted to draw a line in the sand.
But as it turns out, "retirement" is a flexible term for the greatest actor of his generation. Speaking to Rolling Stone in late 2025, he called his previous retirement announcement "gradiose gibberish." Basically, he just needed to step away until something actually moved him. Working with his son was clearly that "something."
It’s a different version of the actor we're seeing now. He’s still got that ferocious intensity—critics have pointed out three specific monologues in Anemone that are pure DDL fire—but there’s a vulnerability there that feels new. Maybe it’s because he’s playing a father while being directed by his own son. It’s meta in a way that’s hard to ignore.
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The critical reception: Is it actually good?
The reviews have been... interesting. It’s not a universal home run like There Will Be Blood.
Critics at the New York Film Festival were a bit split. Some loved the visual flair and the performances but felt the script was a bit "thin" or "too long." It currently sits with a mixed score on Metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes—around the mid-50s. But even the people who didn't like the movie itself couldn't stop talking about Day-Lewis.
He’s just that good.
The cinematography by Ben Fordesman is also getting a lot of love. There’s a scene involving an "apocalyptic hailstorm" in a quarry in North Wales that apparently used some wild new VFX techniques to make the ice look both terrifying and beautiful.
Where can you watch the new Daniel Day-Lewis movie?
If you missed it during its limited theatrical run in October 2025, you're in luck. Focus Features didn't wait long to move it to digital.
- Theatrical Release: It hit US theaters on October 3, 2025.
- UK Release: It landed in the UK on November 7, 2025.
- Streaming/VOD: It’s already available on most major VOD platforms (Apple TV, Amazon, etc.).
It didn't exactly set the box office on fire—making only about $1 million—but this was never going to be a Marvel-sized hit. It's a quiet, brooding, $14 million indie drama that exists mostly for the craft of it.
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What this means for his future
Does this mean he’s back for good? Kinda.
Martin Scorsese has already been vocal about wanting to work with him one more time. They did Gangs of New York and The Age of Innocence together, so the history is there. However, Daniel has been pretty clear that he’s going back to his "quiet place" for a while.
He seems to treat acting like a resource he has to let replenish. If you're hoping for a three-movie-a-year schedule, don't hold your breath. But the "permanent retirement" tag is officially gone.
Actionable insights for film fans
If you're planning to watch Anemone, here is how to get the most out of it:
- Look for the symbols: Pay attention to the creature that appears in Ray’s hallucinations. It’s based on Ronan Day-Lewis’s paintings and represents Ray’s internal guilt.
- Watch the brothers: The chemistry between Sean Bean and Daniel Day-Lewis is the heart of the film. Their "moshing" scene is being cited as one of the most human moments in the movie.
- Check out the soundtrack: It features a heavy, pulsating guitar score (including The Jesus and Mary Chain) that sets a very specific, moody tone.
The new film Daniel Day-Lewis has given us is less of a comeback tour and more of a quiet, intense family portrait. Whether it wins him a fourth Oscar or remains a cult curiosity, it’s just good to have the man back on screen.
Start by watching the official trailer from Focus Features to get a sense of the "apocalyptic" atmosphere Ronan was going for. Then, track down a VOD copy if you want to see a masterclass in acting that reminds us why we missed him in the first place.