November 6, 2025
FILM: DIE MY LOVE
DIRECTED BY: LYNNE RAMSAY
STARRING: JENNIFER LAWRENCE, ROBERT PATTINSON, SISSY SPACEK
RATING: 2 ½ out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal
Tis the season of films featuring distraught mothers. I already reviewed Rose Byrne in If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, now comes Jennifer Lawrence in Die My Love. It’s a somber story of Grace, a woman who struggles after the birth of her son. The film implies that she might be experiencing postpartum depression and she very well may be. She’s definitely feeling empty and frustrated and she’s lost interest in her former passion: writing. But Grace also exhibits some other erratic behaviors that suggest an overall dissatisfaction with her life. Is this due to the birth of the baby or has she always been unable to make herself fulfilled?
The first shot of the film features a rundown house where Grace and Jackson, played by Robert Pattinson, are first arriving. Jackson’s uncle lived there before he committed suicide. This long establishing shot is then contrasted with the fast-paced, handheld, highly frenetic, series of scenes that follow as the couple begins their life in the home. Their energy is palpable as they playfully enjoy each other physically. During the montage, we also see Grace become pregnant and soon after have the baby. It is after this time when inner darkness seems to overtake Grace’s day to day life. We see her crawling in and around the house. She becomes extremely bored and her sex life with Jackson grinds to a halt. We don’t really have a sense as to how long they’ve been together before this but they come across as young and irresponsible in their decision-making. If all they want are the thrills associated with a new relationship it makes sense that life would make a stand still once they’ve reached a certain point of stability. They clearly didn’t plan for this next phase.
The world around them becomes pretty chaotic. Jackson buys a dog that barks incessantly. His mother Pam, played by Sissy Spacek, lives nearby and sleep walks with a gun in her hand. There’s also blaring music being played everywhere in their world, as well as in the film’s soundtrack, making for a particularly unpleasant sonic experience for all.
Director Lynne Ramsay has made a career out of pushing the limits in her films about women and the struggles they endure from Morvern Callar to We Need to Talk About Kevin. Her 2017 film, You Were Never Really Here, starred Joaquin Phoenix as a traumatized veteran whose job spins out of control. None of these works are particularly pleasant to watch as they tackle the dark side of human behavior and extreme restlessness. Die My Love doesn’t change any of this. It’s interesting how focused Ramsey is on depicting difficult inner lives. She’s very experimental in her approach and often employs some stunning visual imagery. However, these don’t always make for the most accessible films. Sure, there are movies to be made about postpartum depression as it is experienced by many women. I’m just not sure going to the extremes she does in this one offers any favors to viewers.
Jennifer Lawrence is playing the role of Grace and it is unlike any other parts I’ve seen her play before. She’s not particularly likeable or sympathetic. Grace makes rash decisions that potentially cause harm to the living world around her. Robert Pattinson plays the more subdued character that is ineffective in dealing with his wife. He either doesn’t know what to do or doesn’t care, again a sign of the immaturity and recklessness that is a part of both characters. Pattinson goes a little over the top at times and feels subsumed by the sheer dominance of Lawrence as Grace. Sissy Spacek is a bit more grounded as Pam although one of her nights out walking leads to a rather intense howl that suggests Pam may also have her own inner demons to deal with.
There’s also a character played by LaKeith Stanfield that serves as a source of fantasy for Grace. It’s not clear whether there is some previous association between him and Grace as the part is sorely underdeveloped. Is he only in her head? One can only assume additional scenes with him and also Nick Nolte as Jackson’s ill father were cut from the film. Both are Oscar-nominated actors who deserve more than what they’re given here.
Die My Love is a difficult psychological and family drama that is hard to recommend based on the bleakness of the storytelling. Perhaps I need to hear from more mothers about postpartum depression and if the film is relatable to them.
Die My Love opens in theaters today.
FILM: DIE MY LOVE
DIRECTED BY: LYNNE RAMSAY
STARRING: JENNIFER LAWRENCE, ROBERT PATTINSON, SISSY SPACEK
RATING: 2 ½ out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal
Tis the season of films featuring distraught mothers. I already reviewed Rose Byrne in If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, now comes Jennifer Lawrence in Die My Love. It’s a somber story of Grace, a woman who struggles after the birth of her son. The film implies that she might be experiencing postpartum depression and she very well may be. She’s definitely feeling empty and frustrated and she’s lost interest in her former passion: writing. But Grace also exhibits some other erratic behaviors that suggest an overall dissatisfaction with her life. Is this due to the birth of the baby or has she always been unable to make herself fulfilled?
The first shot of the film features a rundown house where Grace and Jackson, played by Robert Pattinson, are first arriving. Jackson’s uncle lived there before he committed suicide. This long establishing shot is then contrasted with the fast-paced, handheld, highly frenetic, series of scenes that follow as the couple begins their life in the home. Their energy is palpable as they playfully enjoy each other physically. During the montage, we also see Grace become pregnant and soon after have the baby. It is after this time when inner darkness seems to overtake Grace’s day to day life. We see her crawling in and around the house. She becomes extremely bored and her sex life with Jackson grinds to a halt. We don’t really have a sense as to how long they’ve been together before this but they come across as young and irresponsible in their decision-making. If all they want are the thrills associated with a new relationship it makes sense that life would make a stand still once they’ve reached a certain point of stability. They clearly didn’t plan for this next phase.
The world around them becomes pretty chaotic. Jackson buys a dog that barks incessantly. His mother Pam, played by Sissy Spacek, lives nearby and sleep walks with a gun in her hand. There’s also blaring music being played everywhere in their world, as well as in the film’s soundtrack, making for a particularly unpleasant sonic experience for all.
Director Lynne Ramsay has made a career out of pushing the limits in her films about women and the struggles they endure from Morvern Callar to We Need to Talk About Kevin. Her 2017 film, You Were Never Really Here, starred Joaquin Phoenix as a traumatized veteran whose job spins out of control. None of these works are particularly pleasant to watch as they tackle the dark side of human behavior and extreme restlessness. Die My Love doesn’t change any of this. It’s interesting how focused Ramsey is on depicting difficult inner lives. She’s very experimental in her approach and often employs some stunning visual imagery. However, these don’t always make for the most accessible films. Sure, there are movies to be made about postpartum depression as it is experienced by many women. I’m just not sure going to the extremes she does in this one offers any favors to viewers.
Jennifer Lawrence is playing the role of Grace and it is unlike any other parts I’ve seen her play before. She’s not particularly likeable or sympathetic. Grace makes rash decisions that potentially cause harm to the living world around her. Robert Pattinson plays the more subdued character that is ineffective in dealing with his wife. He either doesn’t know what to do or doesn’t care, again a sign of the immaturity and recklessness that is a part of both characters. Pattinson goes a little over the top at times and feels subsumed by the sheer dominance of Lawrence as Grace. Sissy Spacek is a bit more grounded as Pam although one of her nights out walking leads to a rather intense howl that suggests Pam may also have her own inner demons to deal with.
There’s also a character played by LaKeith Stanfield that serves as a source of fantasy for Grace. It’s not clear whether there is some previous association between him and Grace as the part is sorely underdeveloped. Is he only in her head? One can only assume additional scenes with him and also Nick Nolte as Jackson’s ill father were cut from the film. Both are Oscar-nominated actors who deserve more than what they’re given here.
Die My Love is a difficult psychological and family drama that is hard to recommend based on the bleakness of the storytelling. Perhaps I need to hear from more mothers about postpartum depression and if the film is relatable to them.
Die My Love opens in theaters today.