Don't recognize him? You might soon. Daniel Day-Lewis, the three-time Oscar-winning chameleon who retired from acting eight years ago, is quietly staging one of cinema's most anticipated returns. Focus Features just released a second trailer for Anemone, the directorial debut of his son, Ronan Day-Lewis, and while the footage doesn't exactly surpass the first trailer, it brims with hints of complexity, tension, and a few bizarre visual hooks—the explosion, the ghostly white object… intriguing, if slightly cryptic.
Set in Northern England, Anemone explores the fraught bonds between fathers, sons, and estranged brothers. Sean Bean plays a middle-aged man who ventures from his suburban routine into the deep woods, reconnecting with his hermit brother, portrayed by Day-Lewis himself. The men share a tense yet tender dynamic shaped by a decades-old past, a history of political and personal upheaval that both haunts and defines them. Samantha Morton rounds out the cast, and the film is co-written by father and son, with cinematography by Ben Fordesman that promises to render the rugged landscapes as an emotional mirror to the characters' inner worlds.
The second trailer is less about exposition than sensation. There's a quiet intensity in the framing, a sense that every shot is weighted by history. Day-Lewis's presence alone is electric—the way he carries stillness, even in fleeting gestures, is a reminder why his absence from film left a vacuum. Bean complements him with a grounded, world-weary energy; the friction and occasional tenderness between these two feels palpably real.
This isn't just another family drama—it's a father-son creative collaboration. Ronan Day-Lewis makes his feature directorial debut here, having previously directed shorts, and the screenplay is a joint effort with his father. That lineage adds a meta-textural layer: the film is about generational tension, and it's also literally a generational project. There's a weight to that, a subtle commentary on inheritance, legacy, and reconciliation—both on and off screen.
Confirmed Release Information:
- World Premiere: 2025 New York Film Festival, Spotlight Section
- US Theatrical Release: October 3, 2025, Focus Features
Watching the trailer, you catch glimpses of chaos and calm—the woods, the mystery, the human confrontation. It's one of those rare films where the visual palette already hints at the emotional terrain: damp, raw, and intimately detailed. There's a beauty in the tension, the kind that makes you squirm, anticipate, and, yes, feel.
For those following Day-Lewis's career, Anemone is both a homecoming and a departure. He returns not in spectacle, not in blockbuster bravado, but in a quietly devastating human story. The cinematic stakes feel personal, intimate, and slightly untamed—much like the first trailer hinted. And while some will compare it to his past work, the film deserves to be experienced on its own terms, as a meditation on fractured families and the legacies we inherit… or try to escape.
What to Watch For in the Trailer:
- Daniel Day-Lewis's subtlety: Every glance and movement is loaded.
- Sean Bean's gravitas: Grounded, haunted, and fully engaged in the emotional landscape.
- Cinematography: Ben Fordesman captures the Northern England wilderness as an emotional canvas.
- Visual oddities: Explosion sequences, enigmatic white object—moments that provoke curiosity without revealing plot.
- Intergenerational storytelling: Ronan Day-Lewis's perspective complements the fatherly presence of Daniel, adding thematic resonance.
Official Focus Features YouTube trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uS7DHGFXkNY
