Is ‘Anniversary’ Anti-Trump … or Just Confused?

“Anniversary” is an MSNBC (MS NOW?) screed that leaves out the bogeyman, presumably on purpose.

The dystopian drama imagines a political movement that shreds democracy in short order.

It’s superficially compelling but silly, a rant that refuses to acknowledge hard truths while revealing a mite too much about the modern Left.

Diane Lane and Kyle Chandler play Ellen and Paul, a couple celebrating 25 years of wedded bliss. They have four beautiful, adult children who have gathered for the big day, along with their son’s new squeeze.

That’s Phoebe Dynevor as Liz, who is a mite too familiar to Ellen. The matriarch is a Georgetown University professor of some note who had a negative experience with Phoebe, a former student.

The young woman’s anti-Democratic leanings scared Ellen at the time, and Phoebe has only grown more authoritarian since then.

Liz pens a best-selling book dubbed “The Change,” which argues for a one-party government to replace our current model. How would that work? Why is that superior to the current two-party system?

The film takes a, “don’t ask, don’t tell” approach to Phoebe’s handiwork. “Anniversary” is either too cowardly to share more, or we’re meant to assume it’s some far Right plan.

Wink-wink? Orange Man Bad? The Change does love a tweaked version of the American flag and tradition.

Nudge-nudge?

Either way, “The Change” swiftly engulfs the culture, and the film captures what happens over the next few years. It’s like someone attended the No Kings rally and wrote a screenplay based on its most unhinged marchers.

At the very least, the story should share what’s so compelling about The Change, right? Mafia movies depict incredibly evil souls, but they also illustrate why someone would be seduced by the criminal lifestyle.

The Left/Right comparisons appear inevitable. Ellen swears she’s neither liberal nor conservative, a line meant to send a message to the audience. Your stand-in is not a partisan, so swallow the rest of the story accordingly.

Yet the early scenes scream the opposite. Ellen argues with a colleague that today’s university culture isn’t radically far Left.

Sure, Jan.

ScreenRant presents an exclusive clip from #Anniversary, a provocative and timely thriller starring Diane Lane, Kyle Chandler, Phoebe Dynevor, and Dylan O’Brien. The movie arrives in theaters on October 29! pic.twitter.com/9KTECRT8C1

— Screen Rant (@screenrant) October 22, 2025

The family’s children appear uniformly progressive. Zoey Deutch’s character is a lawyer battling Big Oil over Climate Change fears.

Sibling Anna (Madeline Brewer) is like an even less funny Chelsea Handler, screeching progressive talking points without a hint of humor. If the film didn’t label Anna as a comedian, we’d never know that’s her gig.

Liz soon marries Josh (Dylan O’Brien), the family’s ne’er-do-well son, who finds purpose with her political movement. His evolution highlights the film’s Big Message, and to his credit, O’Brien shifts from befuddled to cruel in slick fashion.

The film’s hair and makeup team also captures the small physical changes that occur to the characters over time. Too many films can’t bother with such production details, and this is a welcome exception.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The creators behind “Anniversary” are either mocking the modern Left or don’t realize their story often does just that. Several family members are seen attacking US flags or taking down “Change” placards as if they were the heroes, not free speech deniers.

A Thanksgiving dinner sequence comes the closest to our current political divide. It’s just what you expect, loving family members who can’t put politics aside for the sake of, well, family.

“Anniversary” never comes close to decoding Liz. Is she a monster, plain and simple? A misguided soul who stumbled upon the latest dictatorial plan to make the world a better place? It’s nearly as frustrating as the vagaries surrounding The Change.

Other issues plague the story. Why doesn’t the family leave the country, in the grand Rosie O’Donnell tradition? The screenplay leaves plenty of questions unanswered, just as it fumbles the family’s descent into chaos.

The film’s trailer and promotional material hide the film’s bigger purpose. In a way, “Anniversary” does as well, a far bigger problem.

HiT or Miss: “Anniversary” offers a cautionary tale, but we’re left in the dark about what we’re supposed to fear.