Anniversary imagines a United States that has been remade in the image of a manifesto for an authoritarian single-party system of government.

In this provocative thriller, a close-knit family is torn apart as a radical political movement upends their world. Paul and Ellen Taylor (Kyle Chandler and Diane Lane) enjoy a privileged life in suburban Virginia. He’s a chef and restaurant owner; she’s a Georgetown professor. Their four children—rebellious comedian Anna (Madeline Brewer), environmental attorney Cynthia (Zoey Deutch), insecure writer Josh (Dylan O’Brien), and teenage science prodigy Birdie (Mckenna Grace)—have each gone their own way.

During the couple’s 25th wedding anniversary party, Josh introduces his new girlfriend, Elizabeth “Liz” Nettles (Phoebe Dynevor), a former student of Ellen’s who once wrote a disturbing paper about dismantling democracy. Their uneasy reunion deepens when Ellen learns that Liz’s new book, The Change, is a manifesto for an authoritarian single-party state, published by the secretive Cumberland Company.

Two years later, The Change has become a nationwide phenomenon, reshaping the political and cultural landscape. Liz and Josh, now wealthy and expecting twins, enjoy newfound status while Ellen grows increasingly uneasy about the world around her. Cynthia’s husband, Rob (Daryl McCormack), sympathizes with Liz’s ideology, deepening the divide within the family. During a volatile Thanksgiving gathering, Ellen’s public condemnation of The Change turns her into a viral target. Birdie finds comfort in her friend Moses (Sky Yang), who encourages her to stand up to the movement, while Anna faces violent repercussions for her outspoken criticism of its growing power.

As the years pass, The Change becomes an unstoppable force, and the Taylors’ once-idyllic lives spiral into paranoia, grief, and moral compromise. Surveillance, betrayal, and fear take hold as the family struggles to hold onto one another—and their sense of truth—in a society that no longer tolerates dissent.

I’m not sure Anniversary fully accomplishes what it sets out to do, but my G-d, it’s terrifying. Yes, it’s classified as a political thriller, but anything that reimagines the United States as an authoritarian country—without even commenting on the current administration—is horror. The political element initially piqued my interest, but I wasn’t expecting the extremes the film reaches. That escalation is what makes it so unsettling. As director Jan Komasa describes it, we’re witnessing a “social apocalypse” through the lens of one family.

The dynamic between Ellen and Liz recalls All About Eve. Their struggle over Josh even shows in their wardrobe choices: Ellen begins in red, Liz in blue, and by the end, those colors have reversed, signaling shifts in power and control. The tone is Hitchcockian to some extent throughout the nearly two-hour runtime.

Though set in Virginia, Anniversary was filmed in Dublin. The Taylors’ home is practically a character, and much of the action unfolds there. It’s meant to have a boat and dockhouse along the Potomac River, but the filmmakers built those sets near a lake—sometimes making it hard to suspend disbelief about the body of water.

Politically, the film avoids defining The Change as left or right. The movement even alters the American flag, centering the stars on the stripes, but the point isn’t partisanship—it’s the danger of authoritarianism, which can arise anywhere. Authoritarian impulses aren’t confined to one ideology; in real life, I’ve seen self-described progressives—and even some transgender Americans—excuse or defend authoritarian behavior when it aligns with their views. Lately, we’re seeing something similar: left-leaning voters shrug off a Democratic Senate candidate with a Nazi tattoo instead of calling for them to drop out. Anniversary reminds us that ideological loyalty can sometimes blind people to the threat of extremism, regardless of political label.

If you go in expecting Anniversary to take sides, prepare to be disappointed. Thanksgiving becomes a nightmare, yes—but that’s what happens when extremist views clash with a family clearly opposed to them. Liz’s motives—whether personal revenge against Ellen or a broader plan, and whether Josh is complicit—remain open to interpretation. I’ll leave it there.

DIRECTOR: Jan Komasa
SCREENWRITER: Lori Rosene-Gambino
CAST: Diane Lane, Kyle Chandler, Madeline Brewer, Zoey Deutch, Phoebe Dynevor, Mckenna Grace, Daryl McCormack, Dylan O’Brien

Lionsgate released Anniversary in theaters on October 29, 2025. Grade: 3.5/5

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