Anniversary

Baron Nathan Rothschild has been quoted as saying "When there's blood in the streets, buy real estate." This sentiment, beyond the obvious reference to financial opportunities, also expresses the idea that division and chaos create opportunities for political revision. And as history has so often demonstrated that revision can manifest in negative ways.

A single, close-knit family celebrates an anniversary, every toast invokes love, but over the course of five years the story moves inextricably toward the antithesis. The close-knit weave is unravelled. A political evolution is occurring, sparked by a book written by the girlfriend of the young son in the family. The result is a family divided and increasing at odds and edgy.

Diane Lane, Kyle Chandler, Zoey Deutch and the rest of the cast excel. The screenplay itself attempts to be a cautionary tale, a psychological thriller, and a study in the corrupting nature of power. It only partially succeeds, because it touches too lightly on the subject matter--we never learn anything about political movement itself, the ideology behind it. The story should have been told through a limited series of three episodes.

It does however remind us quite clearly how what often appears as a simple grassroots movement, and appeals to the masses, can be saturated with malfeasance. We need to be cautious, and history should be studied. Prevent those who want to control it.

Seriously, you need to watch this movie. It's a horrific realisation of what will happen if people don't stand up for themselves and their belief.

Common dystopian trajectory, where misinformation replaces shared reality and disinformation rewards emotional reaction over evidence. Identity hardens into ideology, ideology justifies aggression and personal self-interest is reframed as moral certainty.

When truth becomes optional, power shifts to whoever controls the narrative momentum, not the facts. Political and fundamental doctrines then stop being belief systems and become tools for dominance. Chaos isn't accidental in that environment.

The horror isn't the future itself, but how little imagination it takes to see it happening already.

"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.

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" quietly shows up on new release rentals barely a month after it played in theaters, and that already tells you something about it. The synopsis sounded provocative, which is exactly what pulls me in when I am picking something to watch, and the moment I hit play it felt like the movie's ideas were already playing out in real time, not just on screen but in the way the movie itself had been handled. Right from the start it is walking a tightrope, trying to say something meaningful while also being affected by the very thing it is commenting on, especially with the studio barely promoting it at all, which weirdly only makes it more interesting. That quiet rollout becomes part of the experience whether it meant to or not. The dialogue feels natural and sharp, delivered by a group of very strong actors led by Diane Lane, and honestly the casting does a lot of the heavy lifting. Just the choice of actresses for the three sisters is enough to make you want to stick around and see where it all goes.