Anniversary

I went into Anniversary knowing very little about it. I had only seen the trailer and was curious to see what kind of story it would tell, the tone felt mysterious and unpredictable right from the start.

The performances were strong, as expected from this cast. Diane Lane stood out once again, bringing a calm, grounded presence to her role. There are a few genuinely intense moments that work emotionally, but some of the characters' actions felt a bit unclear to me. The film doesn't always provide enough context to make their decisions feel fully believable, which is a shame because the setup had a lot of potential.

What I really appreciated, though, is that Anniversary proves you don't need big sets or flashy effects to create tension. Most of the story unfolds in a confined environment, almost backyard-like, which gives the film a grounded, realistic tone.

Overall, it's well acted, nicely directed, and worth watching, even if it doesn't fully hit the emotional depth it aims for.

My theory: This is not merely a movie. This is a warning of what is about to happen. I believe that with movie like this can both warn us and by watching our reviews understand how we feel about what's coming. This is one of the more important movies of the decade. Brace yourselves and good luck to us all.

"Anniversary" is an uncomfortable, unsettling viewing - exactly as it's meant to be. It's the first film to truly confront the state of the U. S. in the post-Trump era, exposing how toxic and divisive politics have become. The story plays like a cautionary tale, one that could easily serve as a prequel to The Handmaid's Tale. What makes it terrifying is how grounded it feels in our current reality.

The film is subtle, poignant, and thought-provoking, choosing to focus on a single family rather than on the events happening around them. This perspective makes the impact far more intimate and intense; you feel the consequences directly through the characters, how they change, and how the events twist their lives. It forces you to wonder how you would react if placed in their situation. Making this a must watch.

The cast is a huge part of the film's success, with eveyone delivering an Oscar-worthy performance - especially the always incredible Diane Lane. And everything else, from the direction to the writing to the cinematography, is absolutely top-notch.

Sometimes a movie sneaks up on you. You go in, the movie begins, and you think it is going to be a normal drama about a family. But as the movie goes on you find out that something is brewing that may soon boil over into a whole other thing. That is my experience seeing Anniversary.

Ellen Taylor (Diane Lane) is a university professor who leans to the left. Her husband Paul (Kyle Chandler) runs a restaurant. After introducing these two central characters, we slowly meet their kids as they arrive to celebrate Ellen and Paul's 25th wedding anniversary. Their youngest daughter Birdie (McKenna Grace) rolls into the yard on skates and heads to her bedroom which looks like a lab. Their daughter Anna (Madeline Brewer) comes looking for Birdie. They walk out into the living room, noticing their brother Josh (Dylan O'Brien) and his new girlfriend Elizabeth Nettles (Phoebe Dynevor). Ellen is skeptical of Liz but remains civil.

Last to arrive is their daughter Cynthia (Zoey Deutch) with her boyfriend Rob Thompson (Daryl McCormack). Surrounded by other friends and family the party begins in the backyard. Happy 25th, Ellen and Paul. Ellen has dreams for Josh, hopes that he will one day publish his sci-fi novel. When she finds out that Liz is also an author, she begins to wonder whether Josh is being used by her. The plot thickens when Liz publishes a book that becomes a best-seller.

The movie features the Taylor family as a microcosm of society. Things change in the country and subsequently alter the dynamics of the family. As that political and cultural shift becomes more pronounced, so does the tension among the Taylors. You know those tense family gatherings some of us might be anticipating for the upcoming holidays? Well, this is what happens with the Taylor clan.

How much you like this film will likely depend upon how you perceive our current cultural milieu in America. If you look around or watch the news and think everything is hunky dory, you will see this film differently than if you live under a cloud of concern regarding the direction the country is headed. The movie builds to a climax with plenty of shock, making this film leap from family drama to thriller. Full disclosure, I am living in that cloud of concern, but I will restrain myself and give this one 3.5 stars.

This movie made me angry and sad; at one point it even made me cry. But above all, it scared me to death. It recounts the story of a prosperous middle-aged couple and their four children. He is a restaurateur and she is an academic.

They gather for their 25th anniversary, an occasion on which their only son, Josh, is going to introduce his fiancée, Liz, to the family. She turns out to be Ellen's former student, a radicalized writer with an anti-democratic ideology. Josh, a failed novelist, leans heavily on Liz's cause, contributing to a book she is writing, titled The Change, which establishes the foundations of a new world order.

Through a few time jumps over the next five years, we bear witness to the rapid changes in the family dynamics caused by Liz and Josh's rise to power, catapulted by a mighty corporation.

This is a gripping story. I read a review saying that it has too much on its plate to chew on. I would add that the film also has very good teeth and chews very well. It is not the first time that a film describes the sweeping takeover of fascism through an intimate story. Luchino Visconti did it in the early 70s with "The Dammed". But that was an after-the-fact depiction of nazism. "Anniversary", on the other hand, has one foot firmly set in the present, with references to ideological persecution, civilian surveillance, gaslighting and cult-type politics.

Diane Lane, Kyle Chandler and Dylan O'Brian (never thought he was able to make you hate one of this characters) all give powerful performances. Probably this movie is going to get lost in the shuffle during awards season, but I truly believe it deserves some love. It is that good.