Three-time Oscar winner Daniel Day-Lewis roars back to the screen for his first role in eight years in this absorbing family drama directed by Ronan Day-Lewis about lives undone by seemingly irreconcilable legacies of political and personal violence. Co-written by father and son, the Northern England–set “Anemone” begins as a middle-aged man (Sean Bean) sets out from his suburban home on a journey into the woods, where he reconnects with his estranged hermit brother (Day-Lewis). Bonded by a mysterious, complicated past, the men share a fraught, if occasionally tender relationship – one that was forever altered by shattering events decades earlier. An emotional powerhouse, this directorial debut is assured in both small details and grand gestures as it charts the path toward familial redemption against all odds.

In addition to its unflinching lead performances, “Anemone” features standout supporting work from Samantha Morton and Samuel Bottomley, and sensationally expressive widescreen cinematography by Ben Fordesman.