Daniel Day-Lewis delivers a formidable performance in a new film that explores the heavy burden of a troubled past. His commanding presence anchors a story filled with intense moments and powerful imagery, providing a steadying force throughout.
The narrative centers on Ray, a former soldier living in self-imposed exile in a remote coastal woodland during the late 1990s. He leads a solitary, austere life, tending to the anemones his father once cultivated, all while grappling with a deep-seated anger and a rigid sense of independence.
His isolated existence is abruptly interrupted by the arrival of his brother, who urges him to return to the family he abandoned years before. This plea opens old wounds, revealing a complex web of fractured relationships. Ray must confront not only the pain he caused his wife and teenage son but also the reasons behind his abrupt departure from military service, an event tied to a traumatic deployment from his past.
The film, co-written and directed by the actor’s son, is a portrait of a man wrestling with internal demons and the corrosive effects of unresolved trauma. While the drama occasionally leans into grand, theatrical gestures, Day-Lewis’s masterful control and captivating screen presence make his character’s journey compelling. He portrays Ray with a raw intensity, embodying a figure of immense, almost regal, gravitas, even in his character’s most broken state.
Ultimately, it is a story about the difficult path toward reconciliation—with family, with history, and with oneself.
