BridgertonandThe Handmaid’s Talefans should check out the upcoming family thrillerAnniversaryto see their favorite stars venturing into a fresh drama.This new movie starsBridgerton’s Phoebe Dynevor,The Handmaid’s Tale’s Madeline Brewer and Mckenna Grace, and Diane Lane(ofThe Outsidersfame, but having voiced Riley’s mom inInside Outin recent years).
Anniversaryfollows happy young couple Liz (Dynevor) and Josh (Dylan O’Brien)when he brings her to meet his family at his parents' anniversary party. However, the mother, Ellen (Lane), knows Liz as a former student, and both her presence and the movement known as “The Change” sweeping the country begin to disrupt the family.
The upcoming thriller is directed and co-written by Jan Komasa, and also stars Kyle Chandler, Zoey Deutch, and Daryl McCormack. It is slated for an ambitious theatrical release on Aug 06, 2025. Check out the trailer forAnniversarybelow:
What This Means For Anniversary & Its Cast
The fact thatAnniversaryis hitting theaters right around the time that all the awards season hopefuls will come out,many of which have already had successful festival debuts, means it has an uphill battle ahead. Though the trailer paints a compelling picture of a narrative that explores how personal grudges and politics sow division among a family,Anniversarywill probably see more success on streaming.
On the other hand, this could be a great opportunity for the lead cast. Lane has appeared inFeudand the DCEU in the last several years, and is the perfect star to lead a conventionally structured but thematically potent drama like this.Dynevor is slowly building her repertoire afterBridgerton, while Brewer has just wrapped upThe Handmaid’s Tale.
Meanwhile,there is no stopping Mckenna Grace.While theYoung Sheldonstar also hasRegretting You, based on Colleen Hoover’s novel, coming out this fall, she will be back on the blockbuster scene next year,starring inThe Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping. WhileAnniversary’s reception may be underwhelming, it could be worth it to see what the cast does with the material.
Our Take On Anniversary’s Trailer
Interestingly, Amazon Prime Video is debuting the TV seriesThe Girlfriendnext month, starring Olivia Cooke, Paul Mescal, and Robin Wright.This show will also tell a story that revolves around the conflict that ensues when a young man brings home a girlfriend that his family finds suspicious, particularly focusing on the dynamic between the young woman and the mother.
It is telling that there may be a trend growing in media that is inherently about mistrust. However,The Girlfriendis potentially set up better to succeed with a streaming release and arguably more popular stars. The first trailer forAnniversarymarkets a complex narrative, but not always in the clearest ways, which is how it could fall short of its goals.
