Anniversary Film Review: The Perils of Centrism

Jan Komasa’s thriller Anniversary is a thought-provoking, if sometimes uneven, dissection of political centrism, filled with dynamic performances.

The Taylors are throwing a big party to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. Paul (Kyle Chandler, of Back in Action) and Ellen (Diane Lane, of Inside Out 2) have all of their children there. Their son, Josh (Dylan O’Brien, of Twinless), brings home a new girlfriend, Liz Nettles (Phoebe Dynevor, of Fair Play). Ellen is cordial but expresses some concerns to both Paul and Josh, remembering that Liz had been a former student who had expressed a number of controversial ideas in her writing. Josh’s sisters Anna (Madeline Brewer, of Hustlers), Cynthia (Zoey Deutch, of Nouvelle Vague), and Birdie (Mckenna Grace, of Regretting You) all find Liz to be odd, but harmless. As Liz and Josh leave, she gifts Ellen with a copy of her book, “The Change,” an expansion of her ideas about a single-party system. 

Anniversary uses time skips to advance the plot, with each visit to the Taylor family home showing how “The Change” is being implemented by a seemingly innocuous organization called The Cumberland Group. As time passes, we see how various family members are impacted by the changes taking place in the country. We watch marriages face pressure, jobs be lost, and even family members go missing because of Liz’s ideas being implemented.

The jumps in time vary in their efficacy. Because each visit with the Taylors is confined to a brief amount of time, the audience is never given a clear idea of precisely what is going on in the country. The lack of specificity can be helpful because it allows Anniversary to avoid getting tangled up too much in American politics, but it can also be a source of frustration as you try to piece together what has happened in the intervening time. Those looking for a clear message from the film will likely be disappointed, as this movie seems more interested in allowing the audience to bring their imagination and experience to the film and shaping aspects of the narrative that way.

Performances in Anniversary also feel impacted by the gaps in time, most notably Kyle Chandler’s, as the character who seems most changed by the events. He goes from a dad who just wants to have a nice birthday party and is loath even to read Liz’s book because then he’ll have to have an opinion about it, to being someone who defies the authorities by the end. The change makes sense given what we see, but it can feel disjointed at times. Diane Lane has an easier time with this, as her character follows a reverse course, from vandalizing a neighbor’s center flag to quiet resignation when being interrogated by two bubbly census takers searching for her missing family member.

Despite some potential downsides, I found the film’s structure overwhelmingly positive, as it allows us to imagine what might happen during the times we are not with the Taylors. The choice to center a wealthy, educated, white family might be somewhat controversial, as they are often shielded from authoritarian regimes, but it is a reminder that dissent is still a potential liability that could result in the loss of safety provided by that privilege. 

What this film does exceptionally well is create a sense of dread each time the “1 year later” card appears on screen. Even just a few years ago, I would have said the shift from democracy to authoritarianism would be slower, but watching what has happened in America in less than a year, I am less inclined to think it is that far-fetched. This isn’t to say that there is a direct parallel between the world in the film and the real world, only that when well-meaning people are unwilling to take sides, those with ill intent can and will take advantage. Finding common ground is a worthy goal, but Anniversary shows that it should never be at the expense of standing up for your values.

Anniversary will be released in US theatres on October 29, 2025.