Netflix UK viewers have latched onto a political thriller, since landing on the platform on February 1, has climbed to the top spot of the trending charts. Directed by Polish filmmaker Jan Komasa (making his English-language debut) and written by Lori Rosene-Gambino, Anniversary stars Diane Lane and Kyle Chandler as Ellen and Paul Taylor, whose 25th wedding anniversary party becomes the catalyst for their family’s unraveling when their son Josh (Dylan O’Brien) introduces his new girlfriend Liz (Phoebe Dynevor).
The twist? Liz is Ellen’s former student who left university after Ellen challenged her authoritarian ideas in a paper advocating a one-party state.
The film plays out as a dystopian political thriller, tracking the Taylor family across five years as a controversial movement called “The Change” sweeps across America. It’s an ambitious premise that’s divided critics since its theatrical release last October.
On Rotten Tomatoes, 66% of critics gave it positive reviews. The Hollywood Reporter called it “foreboding”, writing: “The terror plays out on an intimate scale among this collection of characters, all of them vividly drawn in sharp strokes by the writing and by the deliciously watchable and sometimes unnerving performances from an uncommonly charismatic cast.”
The aforementioned cast includes Madeline Brewer, Zoey Deutch, and McKenna Grace. Lane earned a Satellite Award nomination for her performance. However, some critics have taken issue with the film’s reluctance to take a clear political stance.
Lionsgate
Related: Best streaming services
IndieWire said: “Taut and well-acted as this queasy little thriller can be, its unflinching tale of corporate authoritarianism is much too streamlined to reflect the emotional truth of watching totalitarianism in motion.”
Komasa is best known for Corpus Christi and the recently released Good Boy (the one about a teenage criminal, not the dog-vs-ghosts horror film) starring Stephen Graham, Andrea Riseborough, and Anson Boon.
If you’re after a thought-provoking thriller with strong performances and don’t mind some ambiguity in your political allegories Anniversary is worth go. Just don’t expect it to provide easy answers – or to leave you feeling particularly cheerful afterwards.
Anniversary is now streaming on Netflix UK.
The new edition of Living Legends, a 100-page all-colour celebration of Taylor Swift, is here! Buy Taylor in newsagents or online, priced at just £8.99.
You Might Also Like
