“Captivating” political thriller that “will pin you to your chair” has just landed on Netflix
Anniversary, the “captivating” political thriller that “will pin you to your chair”, has just landed on Netflix. Featuring Bridgerton star Phoebe Dynevor in the lead role, the film was added to the streamer today, just months after its release in cinemas.
Directed by Jan Komasa, the thriller follows the close-knit Taylor family whose lives fall apart when they are caught in the turmoil of a rising political movement called “The Change”.
Tensions rise when Josh Taylor (Dylan O’Brien) introduces his new girlfriend Liz (Dynevor) to his family, though it’s hardly a happy meeting as they all become suspicious of her true motives.
The logline for the film, which is written by Lori Rosene-Gambino, reads: “After meeting their son’s aloof, ambitious new girlfriend, a couple watches their family fall apart as her extreme political project sweeps the nation.”
Diane Lane and Kyle Chandler play Josh’s parents, Ellen and Paul. They are joined in the cast by Zoey Deutch, Madeline Brewer, Mckenna Grace, Daryl McCormack, Sky Yang and Rebecca O’Mara.
Lionsgate
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Despite its underperformance at the box office, Anniversary received a positive response from critics, and currently holds a solid 66% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 64 reviews.
“Director Jan Komasa has delivered a film that is timely, daring, and painfully human. Simply put, Anniversary is one of the most captivating and thought-provoking films of the year,” said The Hollywood Outsider.
“I bought every second of it… If you just roll with it, this film will pin you to your chair,” wrote FilmWeek, while Awards Radar opined: “Anniversary is a chilling and timely thriller about where we may well be headed.”
Lionsgate
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“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,” penned The Hollywood Reporter.
IndieWire was also full of praise, writing: “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.”
Anniversary is now streaming on Netflix.
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Reporter, Digital Spy
Harriet is a freelance news writer specialising in TV and movies at Digital Spy.
A horror enthusiast, she joined Digital Spy after working on her own horror website, reviewing films and focusing largely on feminism in the genre.
In her spare time, Harriet paints and produces mixed-media art. She graduated from the University of Kingston with a BA in fine art, where she specialised in painting. She also has an MA in journalism from Birkbeck University.
