Jennifer Lawrence is extremely selective about which films she works on. Only starring in a couple of films this decade so far, whenever a film of hers comes out, it is bound to be on the audience’s radar. Die My Love marks Lawrence’s first collaboration with director Lynne Ramey as well as being her first time acting alongside Robert Pattinson. Seeing Pattinson interact with Lawrence makes for an endearing moment, as both were huge stars who led young adult franchises in the late 2000s and early 2010s. What is far less endearing is the film itself, delving into heavy subject matter in a bleak yet effective manner.

Die My Love follows Grace and Jackson, played by Lawrence and Pattinson, who have recently moved into an old relative’s house in Montana. After recently having a baby, Grace slowly becomes depressed and begins to exhibit some erratic behavior. With Jackson gone for at least half the week, Grace tries her best to keep herself sane while attempting to once again find the pleasures in life.

Die My Love is a hard film to get through, but it is done purposefully. Far from conventional, the movie tackles extremely heavy subject matter with sincerity, blending moments of realism and insanity to an effective degree. Whether it’s Patrick’s absence from their home or Grace running away with her child, the film purposefully makes the audience frustrated in order to convey what having postpartum depression feels like. The film also uses sound design in an interesting way, with its loud, abrasive elements enhancing the idea of Grace’s descent into insanity. Almost acting as jumpscares at times, the sound design leaves an extremely lasting impression.

The film could be interpreted in many ways. With a nonlinear storyline, the movie is told similarly to The Father; jumping around between different moments in time, with the audience not knowing what is real and what isn’t. The editing is extremely jarring, cutting off sequences at odd moments and jumping through time without warning. A movie that leaves so much to interpretation risks losing its true meaning, but luckily, Die My Love manages to feel cohesive through Ramsey’s focus on the horrors of psychosis.

Although the movie mostly follows Pattinson and Lawrence as they navigate their lives and relationship, it is truly a one-woman show. Lawrence is awe-inspiring as Grace, expertly playing a free-spirited mother with a strong sense of control. Her character is unpredictable, constantly making irrational decisions even if things in her life are going well. Even though she has had numerous great performances in the past, Lawrence’s unhinged work in Die My Love easily ranks among her strongest. Pattinson is solid as her husband, but his character is given far less to work with than Lawrence’s.

Die My Love is easily one of Lynne Ramsey’s best-looking movies. The blue haze that fills the nighttime sequences beautifully captures the melancholy Grace feels. The use of color is generally brilliant, mostly featuring cold hues to capture the film’s dark tone, but at times shifts to warmer colors to portray the character’s happiness. The 4:3 aspect ratio perfectly conveys the claustrophobia Grace feels in the world around her, feeling trapped both physically and mentally. Whether it’s Grace sitting in a hospital bed or the couple crawling in the grass, the cinematography finds beauty in the mundane.

Although there are other ideas, such as parenting and navigating relationships, that the film is attempting to dissect, it is mostly about how postpartum depression can take hold of someone and never let go. While this is an extremely important topic that sadly isn’t discussed enough in society, the film at times leans a little too much into its main themes. Especially in the middle portion, it feels like the film is beating the audience over the head about its perspective on postpartum depression. A subplot involving LaKeith Stanfield is one of the many aspects of the film that serve no purpose other than to make a point about how depression can make people do crazy things. If the film were trimmed down 10-20 minutes, the experience would’ve improved greatly.

Die My Love is possibly the least inviting movie released in 2025, but its loud, grating nature makes it impossible to escape from. Led by an excellent lead actress performance deserving of awards recognition, Lynne Ramsey makes a dark drama feel like an expansive epic, putting the audience in the shoes of the characters to an effective degree. While it isn’t as polished as it wants to be, the film has enough riding for it to make it worth the theatrical experience. This is the kind of film that you need time to recover from.

Die My Love is now playing in theaters nationwide.

Rating: 7/10

Oscar Prospects:

Best Actress