Dylan O'Brien and Phoebe Dynevor star in "Anniversary," a family drama that descends into a bleak fable about the encroaching authoritarianism. The film follows Paul (Kyle Chandler) and Ellen Taylor, who host an annual anniversary party to celebrate 25 years of marriage, but their idyllic life is soon disrupted by the arrival of Josh's new girlfriend, Liz (Dynevor).
Liz, a former professor, has written a book called "The Change," which advocates for a single-party system that supposedly empowers the people. As her book gains traction, the Taylor family begins to experience changes in their lives and in their country. The film follows them over four years as they navigate this new landscape.
The movie features a talented ensemble cast, including Madeline Brewer, Zoey Deutch, and Mckenna Grace. However, the script's tone is inconsistent, veering between satire and bleakness. Lori Rosene-Gambino's screenplay also favors an overly neat narrative construction, which sometimes feels forced.
As the film progresses, it becomes clear that the Taylor family represents a microcosm of America itself. The cast delivers strong performances, with O'Brien bringing smugness to his character Josh, while Dynevor adds depth to her portrayal of Liz.
Despite its timely and urgent message, "Anniversary" struggles to find its footing or focus. Its satire remains obtuse, and its social commentary is often diffused. The film's climax is electrifying but ultimately unsatisfying.
Ultimately, "Anniversary" is a thought-provoking and unsettling film that raises important questions about the dangers of authoritarianism and the erosion of free speech. While it may not fully land its message, its cast and themes are undeniable assets.
Liz, a former professor, has written a book called "The Change," which advocates for a single-party system that supposedly empowers the people. As her book gains traction, the Taylor family begins to experience changes in their lives and in their country. The film follows them over four years as they navigate this new landscape.
The movie features a talented ensemble cast, including Madeline Brewer, Zoey Deutch, and Mckenna Grace. However, the script's tone is inconsistent, veering between satire and bleakness. Lori Rosene-Gambino's screenplay also favors an overly neat narrative construction, which sometimes feels forced.
As the film progresses, it becomes clear that the Taylor family represents a microcosm of America itself. The cast delivers strong performances, with O'Brien bringing smugness to his character Josh, while Dynevor adds depth to her portrayal of Liz.
Despite its timely and urgent message, "Anniversary" struggles to find its footing or focus. Its satire remains obtuse, and its social commentary is often diffused. The film's climax is electrifying but ultimately unsatisfying.
Ultimately, "Anniversary" is a thought-provoking and unsettling film that raises important questions about the dangers of authoritarianism and the erosion of free speech. While it may not fully land its message, its cast and themes are undeniable assets.
This movie's concept is so deep and scary atm, like it's holding up a mirror to our current society and showing us all the messed up parts. But at the same time, I'm like totally confused about what it's trying to say - it feels like it's going in so many directions but never really settling on one vibe.
I recently watched this movie with my friends and we were all talking about how timely it was to be released now 
. The whole premise of a family's life being disrupted by someone who's advocating for authoritarianism really resonated with me 
. But what I didn't like was that the satire in the film felt kinda forced at times, you know? It was like they were trying too hard to make it funny or thought-provoking 
. And yeah, the ending was a bit of a letdown for me - it felt so sudden and convenient 
. But despite all that, I still think the cast did an amazing job bringing these characters to life 
.
. I mean, the cast is talented and all, but the script can be a bit wonky at times. 
. And Phoebe Dynevor brought depth to Liz's character. But man, this satire can be kinda hard to get 
.
[A picture of a person trying to solve a Rubik's Cube, but it just won't fit together] 
The script's tone is like that one aunt at the family reunion - it's all over the place! 
Satire, bleakness, you name it. It's like they're trying too hard to be relevant 
[A GIF of a person shrugging]
. It's like, they're trying to say something big but it's all kinda fuzzy 
. Like, I get what they're trying to do, but sometimes it feels like they're trying too hard 
. Still, it's thought-provoking and stuff 
. Let's hope the creators take note of their own script issues 
.
, and Dynevor brings a depth to her character that makes you wanna keep watching. But overall, it feels like they're trying to send too many messages at once, and it gets lost in the noise. Still, I gotta respect the film's ambition - it's not easy to tackle these heavy topics without alienating audiences. Maybe with some more refinement, "Anniversary" could've been a real game-changer 
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The way they portray this single-party system taking over is super unsettling. It reminds me of that book by George Orwell, "1984", but you know, even more bleak 
, but when you actually see it, it's like they're sending mixed signals 
. The cast is incredible btw, especially O'Brien and Dynevor 
.
. I mean, we get this super bleak warning about authoritarianism, but where's the meat? Where are the concrete details and examples that would make you feel like this is happening right now? 
. It's just... maybe they could've found a way to tie all those threads together better 
. Overall, it's still worth watching for the cast alone, but don't expect a totally coherent message 
, I'm still thinking about this movie's ending... it was like, so intense! 
. And OMG, Dylan O'Brien as Josh was SO on point 
. But yeah, the script could've been better. Interesting how they made the whole country thing a microcosm of America 
... that's some heavy stuff.
. But for me, the film feels like it's missing a beat sometimes? It's trying to tackle some big themes like authoritarianism and free speech, but it doesn't quite nail them down 
. The performances are top-notch, and Kyle Chandler as Paul Taylor is just so relatable 
and gotta say i'm still reeling from the ending... it's like they left me with more questions than answers 
. i mean, the whole concept of a single-party system is super timely but honestly felt kinda forced into the story at times 
- phoebe dynevor and dylan o'brien are absolute stars 
. Like, you're right, it's a commentary on authoritarianism and free speech and all that jazz. It's like, wake up, people! We need to be talking about this stuff now, not 4 years from now 
. And Dylan O'Brien? Same, bruh 
. Still, I'd def watch this again just to see how all these themes come together