Anniversary

At a sunlit celebration marking their twenty fifth year together, Ellen and Paul seem to have built a steady life. Their grown children, friends, and relatives mingle, sharing toasts and small talk. The mood shifts when their son arrives with a guest who feels at once unfamiliar and familiar. The guest is Liz, a former student of Ellen who once challenged her in class over controversial ideas. As the afternoon unfolds, old tensions flare and secrets surface, testing the couple's marriage and the family's fragile harmony. The gathering becomes a pressure cooker where past actions collide with present loyalties, threatening what they have built. Staging and music heighten the tension, guiding the viewer through the growing unease.

Directed by Jan Komasa, the film presents an original screenplay by Lori Rosene-Gambino. This 2025 release pairs a masterful director with a tight, character driven setup for a modern suspense drama, emphasizing restrained dialogue and layered performances.

Box office details have not been publicly disclosed and no worldwide gross has been widely reported. The film's commercial performance remains undisclosed at this time, with no major distribution numbers available from studios or tracking outlets.

Reception and themes focus on how power dynamics and past actions ripple through a family when a celebratory event takes a dark turn. The film probes control, loyalty, and the consequences of confronting ideological baggage within intimate relationships, while letting silences and glances carry weight. The cast delivers restrained performances that reveal character without shouting.

Cultural impact may unfold slowly, but early chatter suggests the movie prompts discussion about mentorship, ideological conflict and how past confrontations reshape the way families interact. If it finds a wider audience, it could influence conversations about power in the classroom and in the home. It may also spark debates about the ethics of teachers in the age of social media and cancel culture.