“Affection” opens with a startling shot of a car in the center of a rural road, its headlights illuminating the dark. The camera then cuts to a severely injured woman lying motionless on the pavement, bloodied and bruised, her eyes blankly staring as a small tear leaks across the bridge of her nose. Suddenly she gasps, has a violent convulsion, manages to stand, and then frantically walks away, only to be plowed over by a speeding car.

Writer-director BT Meza’s well-conceived and well-shot opening sequence does a good job piquing our interest. The woman is played by Jessica Rothe, a seriously underrated actress whose impressive range has shown from “La La Land” to “Happy Death Day”. The mysterious table-setting and a talented lead gets things started on the right foot. But over time, “Affection” loses its intrigue, not because of premise or performance. But due to its convoluted storytelling which leaves us with too many questions.

Rothe plays Ellie Carter…or does she? That’s a question at the center of “Affection”. Ellie wakes up after a terrible dream. She’s in bed next to a man she doesn’t know, in a house she doesn’t recognize, and with a young daughter she doesn’t remember. In what she believes is self-defense, Ellie attacks the man but stops when she sees the terrified expression from the little girl who calls her “Mommy”. A confused and distraught Ellie crumbles to the ground where she’s embraced by her family(?).

After things calm down, the unctuous man tells Ellie he is her husband, Bruce (Joseph Cross) and the little girl is their daughter, Alice (Julianna Layne). Bruce goes on to describe a horrible accident that left her severely injured. As a side-effect of her trauma, Ellie is suffering from petrifying memory resets – a condition where her mind takes pieces of information from her life and twists them into false memories. Their neuro specialists have prescribed isolation as a part of her recovery leading Bruce to buy a remote farmhouse with no phone, no internet, and no neighbors. There they hope to rebuild the connections to her real memories.

Rothe superbly navigates Ellie’s inner turmoil which alternates between perplexity, frustration, and despondency. Adding to her emotional conflict are vividly detailed memories of a much different past. A past where her name was Sarah Thompson and she had a different husband and a son. She had other parents, other friends, and another childhood. These invasive memories clash with the old pictures, home videos, and passionate testimonies of Bruce and Alice.

But around the 40 minute mark the story takes a sharp turn, revealing what we already know – that things are not as they seem. Unexplainable tremors, nightmarish visions, a strange wound near the base of her neck, and so on. It all points to a mid-movie twist that I don’t dare spoil even though it’s fairly simple to figure out. The problems are with the details. The general idea is easy enough to grasp. But the convolution comes in understanding how it all fits together. Again, I’m keeping it vague, but I found myself left with too many significant questions.

That’s not to say “Affection” doesn’t have its strengths. The three-person cast is more than proficient with Rothe carrying the bulk of the load on her capable shoulders. The movie takes some admirable big swings which opens the door for some delightfully grisly makeup and effects. And to the film’s credit, it makes a poignant and personal statement on grief and isolation – both themes pulled directly from Meza’s own life experience. Sadly, the movie’s second-half incoherence ends up seriously impacting the payoff. It’s unfortunate considering the many things the movie gets right.

VERDICT – 2.5 STARS

“Anniversary” travels a pretty crazy path. It begins as a domestic thriller before flirting with becoming a psychological thriller and ultimately ending as something resembling a dystopian thriller. It’s a movie filled to the brim with clever ideas, some of which sizzle with intrigue and tension while others have a hard time connecting to everything else we see. Ultimately, I love that “Anniversary” takes some wild swings, even if it doesn’t hit everything it swings at.

“Anniversary” comes from director Jan Komasa who’s working from a screenplay written by Lori Rosene-Gambino. The film sports a terrific ensemble that features Diane Lane, Kyle Chandler, Zoey Deutch, Phoebe Dynevor, Dylan O’Brien, McKenna Grace, Madeline Brewer, and Daryl McCormack. All play characters caught up in a whirlwind of family dysfunction. Some stems from buried issues from their pasts. But most come with the introduction of a new person into their lives.

The movie opens with the Taylor family gathering to celebrate the 25th wedding anniversary of Ellen (Lane), a Georgetown University professor, and Paul (Chandler), a restaurant owner. Joining the honored couple are their children, Cynthia (Deutch), a stuffy environmental lawyer who brought her disillusioned husband Rob (McCormack), Anna (Brewer), a provocative stand-up comedian, Josh (O’Brien), a smarmy and angsty struggling writer, and their geeky science-loving youngest, Birdie (Grace).

But it’s an outsider brought into their fold who swiftly turns things upside down. Accompanying Josh is his new girlfriend Liz (Dynevor). Josh is smitten with Liz and from all indications she feels the same way about him. But Liz is nervous about meeting his family. We see why once Josh introduces her to his mother. It turns out Ellen and Liz have some bad history dating back to an incident at the University. The sheepish yet cryptic Liz says it’s all behind them while a skeptical and cautious Ellen believes it’s no coincidence that Liz has attached herself to her son.

This first segment sees Komasa planting several narrative seeds as he sets up this complicated family dynamic. From there he jumps ahead eight years, and then two years, and so on. At each stop on the timeline we revisit the Taylors and witness another phase of their deterioration. Ellen’s frustrations with Liz festers, Cynthia battles depression as her relationship with Rob sours. Anna has a violent encounter at one of her shows. And the observant Birdie quietly soaks it all in.

But what about Josh and Liz? The couple marry and soon have twins. Later, Liz writes a controversial book called “The Change” which becomes a cultural phenomenon. The radically political manifesto sells over 10 million copies, making Liz and Josh a wealthy and powerful couple. The success of Liz’s book not only tightens the tension within the Taylor household. It lays the groundwork for an authoritarian dystopia which ends up affecting the story in ways we never see coming.

From the very start there’s no denying the movie’s mammoth ambition. It’s melding of domestic and sociopolitical chaos is bold, but it’s a bit too much for it to handle. Still, the steady screw-tightening creates the kind of ever-intensifying, anxiety-riddled drama that keeps you glued to every harsh word and hateful stare. Meanwhile Komasa opens up a wealth of themes which he examines with the subtlety of a sledgehammer. He doesn’t hide his provocative prodding or his blunt-force messaging which overall works for and against his film.

As the film zips from point to point, certain family troubles escalate too quickly and without much explanation. Others feel oddly disconnected from the bigger story. But Komasa steadily propels his story forward, leaving us with little time to dwell on the negatives. He also lets his cast go for the jugular leading to some savory performances. Lane gets one of her meatiest roles in years. Chandler is a stabilizing force. O’Brien exudes detestability. Dynevor is a mystery who never tips her hand. They are all crucial ingredients that make this enthralling, swing-for-the-fences effort work.

VERDICT – 3 STARS

Danial Day-Lewis makes his triumphal return to acting after an eight year retirement in “Anemone”, delivering what should be one of the most talked about performances of the year. It’s yet another richly complex character for Day-Lewis to dissect and explore, and he does so with the kind of intensity and precision that has marked the three-time Oscar winner’s career.

This isn’t just a case of Day-Lewis simply returning to a craft he loves. “Anemone” is a true passion project which he co-wrote with his son, Ronan Day-Lewis. Also, the younger Day-Lewis directs his father in what is the 27-year-old’s feature film debut. Their intimate connection beyond the camera finds its way onto the screen, adding a compelling perspective on fathers and sons and the ties that bind them.

“Anemone” is a dark family drama with a piercing psychological edge that delves into some heavy and uncomfortable subject matter including childhood trauma, PTSD, strained family bonds, isolation, and self-condemnation versus self-forgiveness. It’s a visually captivating film where the camera is as essential as the pen when it comes to storytelling. Narratively it’s a methodical slow-burn, patiently and quite brilliantly unwinding its characters and the conflicts that have defined them.

The elder Day-Lewis plays Ray Stoker, a damaged soul who has condemned himself to a life of isolation for reasons that painfully become clear as the story unfolds. Ray lives in a secluded one-room stone cabin, deep in the forest on a tiny patch of land that’s unreachable by vehicle. Ronan Day-Lewis and his DP, Ben Fordesman use the haunting beauty of nature to set the tone and to ground us in the setting. The churning clouds in the overcast skies. The thick forest canopy swaying in the heavy winds. The steady patter of rain on Ray’s tin roof. It’s a stunning bit of visual table-setting.

One afternoon Ray’s self-imposed disconnection from society is interrupted by an unannounced visit from his brother, Jem (Sean Bean). The tension between the two is obvious from first glance and the root of it is patiently revealed over the course of Jem’s stay. We watch as the two brothers spend the next few days together, revisiting ghosts of their pasts, picking at scabs from old wounds, and slowly piecing together their family history, ultimately arriving at the real reason for Jem’s visit.

The differences between Ray and Jem are striking, yet the bond of brotherhood is still real and present. We learn that they’re both men of violence, with pasts that have shaped who they have become. The key difference is one was able to find a measure of peace through faith while the other has built a wall around himself and his demons. Shades of bitterness, resentment, and contempt boil to the surface during their time together. But we also see moments of authentic connection.

Their time together is broken up with swings back to civilization where Jem’s wife Nessa (Samantha Morton) is having a hard time with her son Brian (Samuel Bottomley). He has found himself in trouble after nearly beating someone to death during military training. He’s been sent home where he struggles to understand his actions while Nessa worries that he’s following in some troubling footsteps. The connections between these scenes and Jem’s visit to Ray are better left unspoiled, but they add significant layers to the story that pay off in a powerful way.

The film’s script is an impressive display of audacity, peculiarity, and incisiveness. It tells a mostly contained and character-centric story with an equal reliance on dialogue, performance, and visual language. While the dialogue is rich and Day-Lewis delivers some mesmerizing monologues, the moments of silence are just as captivating, especially between the brothers who sometimes seem as if they’re communicating telepathically.

As for the performances, Daniel Day-Lewis once again disappears within another enigmatic and complicated character. He burrows deep into Ray’s psychology, relaying his inner turmoil with a simmering rage and even slivers of sharp-edged humor that cut right to the bone. Yet Day-Lewis never loses sight of Ray’s humanity. Bean makes for a brilliant foil. He’s quiet but possesses a strong presence while remaining sharply focused and ever observant. He’s a crucial part of the film and a fixture in its very best scenes.

“Anemone” won’t be for everyone. Its dark themes and brooding tone can be a challenge. And it isn’t a movie driven by spoon-fed, by the book plotting. Its storytelling bucks nearly every convention, shrewdly oscillating between expressionistic and raw gritty realism. Yet it’s a movie bursting with artistic vision from a daring first-time director and anchored by a sublime return performance from a generation’s best actor. When you consider it altogether, “Anemone” is one of the year’s best films.

VERDICT – 4.5 STARS

It has been over two years since writer-director Tony Tost’s “Americana” had its world premiere at the 2023 South By Southwest film festival. Now this rural genre smorgasbord is finally set for its official release on August 15th. But before it does, “Americana” recently kicked off Filmland 2025, an Arkansas based celebration of cinema presented by the Jeff Nichols led Arkansas Cinema Society.

“Americana” is a movie that can’t be summarized by a single label. Tost throws a little bit of everything at the screen. His film could rightly be called many things including a crime thriller, a heist comedy, a Western deconstruction, a stylish neo-noir, a trashy (although relatively tame) exploitation flick, and more. It unquestionably borrows (perhaps too heavily) from its obvious inspirations, most notably Quentin Tarantino and the Coen brothers. Yet it’s a surprisingly assured first feature from a filmmaker drawing from several of his own life experiences.

Set along the border of South Dakota and Wyoming but mostly shot in New Mexico, “Americana” leans into its unique setting both visually and narratively. The sparse, sunbaked territory adds a certain character that richly benefits the story. As for that story, it’s a non-linear yarn that Tost unfolds through a series of chapters. It features a wide array of colorful characters who function like puzzle pieces, each connecting together in unexpected ways.

Much of the story revolves around an ancient ghost shirt traced to the indigenous Lakota people. The movie begins with it in the possession of a wealthy collector played briefly but comically by Toby Huss. With a worth of around half a million dollars, the ghost shirt attracts the attention of a lot of people. Among them is a sleazy antiquities dealer named Roy Lee Dean (Simon Rex). Dean hires a local thug, Dillon MacIntosh (Eric Dane) to steal the shirt. But once Dillon discovers its worth, he considers selling it himself.

Elsewhere, Sydney Sweeney plays Penny Jo Poplin, bashful waitress with strawberry blonde hair, a noticeable stammer, and big dreams of moving to Nashville and becoming a country music singer. Paul Walter Hauser plays Lefty Ledbetter, a lonely lovelorn cowboy who frequents her diner. Over time the two development a amusingly sweet relationship. And after Penny Jo overhears Roy Lee making the deal with Dillon, they decide that getting the shirt first could be the answer to their dreams.

And elsewhere (again), a battered single mother named Mandy (played by pop star Halsey) flees an abusive relationship with Dillon, seeing the shirt as her ticket to a better life. In the process, she leaves behind her stubborn 11-year-old son Cal (Gavin Maddox Bergman) who is obsessed with Native American culture (the television version), so much so that he believes himself to be the reincarnation of Sitting Bull. Young Cal eventually crosses paths with Ghost Eye (Zahn McClarnon), the leader of an area Native American resistance group who soon find themselves hot on the shirt’s trail.

As you can tell, “Americana” has numerous parts moving in the same general direction. Yet to Tost’s credit, he maintains mostly unpredictable character arcs. Despite how familiar the movie sometimes feels, the characters take enough surprising turns to keep us guessing. As for the offbeat cast, Sweeney and Hauser are highlights with each giving solid low-key performances in a movie that cranks so much up to 10. Halsey also shines despite having the hardest to read character in the movie.

As Tost maneuvers his way towards the story’s inevitably violent finish, he lightly explores several themes. The most glaring features yet another patriarchy takedown that gets more obvious with every white male Tost kills off. But frankly no one should watch “Americana” in search of some deep sociopolitical insight. It’s best viewed as a routinely funny, fittingly violent, and stylishly made caper that’s cinematically seasoned with 70s, 80s, and even a touch of early 90s flavor. It’s a well-acted romp and an accomplished first feature from a filmmaker to keep your eye on.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS