Die My Love – Movie Review (3/5)

DIE MY LOVE is the latest film from Lynne Ramsay, and it’s out now on MUBI and digital platforms. This is an intense drama with a psychological thriller engine that grows wilder and more violent as the story unfolds. Jennifer Lawrence stars and has very deservedly received an avalanche of praise for her performance. Read our full Die My Love review below.

Die My Love is out on VOD now, and if you are a fan of filmmaker Lynne Ramsay (we will circle back to her), then you already have an idea of what awaits you. This is in no way a feel-good movie, but it is a story many will recognize themselves in. Yes, even if very few women experience the early days of motherhood quite this violently.

With a runtime just shy of two hours, the film carries a distinct slow-burn quality, paired with a brutal escalation for our main character, portrayed to perfection by Jennifer Lawrence. Personally, I am not in love with the fragmented, non-chronological structure, but that is more a matter of taste than an actual flaw.

Read on for our full Die My Love movie review below.

A violent assault on the senses

In Die My Love, we meet the writer Grace (Jennifer Lawrence) as she moves into a slightly run-down house far out in the countryside. She arrives with Jackson (Robert Pattinson), while her mother-in-law (Sissy Spacek) lives nearby, though still a healthy walk away.

Grace and Jackson are expecting a child, and while Grace is supposed to be working on her book, it simply never happens.

Life as a new mother quickly turns into a full-blown nightmare. Not because there is anything wrong with her son, whom she loves and fiercely protects, but because she feels trapped and cut off from the world. Or rather, she doesn’t just feel this, she absolutely is.

Jackson is helpless in his own way. He clearly has dreams that fit neatly into this life, and he cannot see how deeply she is suffering.

Watching Die My Love is a physical experience. Especially for your ears, and very deliberately so.

This is a film designed to push its audience, to make us feel at least a fraction of the pressure Grace is under. It is an uncomfortably intense experience that at times becomes genuinely unpleasant.

That is not unusual for a Lynne Ramsay film, but I have rarely felt it this strongly before.

Humans and animals trapped in this nightmare

Unsurprisingly, I was quite nervous about the animal cruelty I had heard rumors would be in Die My Love. In that regard, I was thankfully positively surprised. Yes, there is an incident involving a horse and a dog, but nothing is driven by outright malicious intent.

At least not as animal abuse, quite the opposite, really.

That said, the dog’s role in the story is a huge stress factor. Again, both for Grace and for us in the audience. There is constant barking, growling, and whining. All while Jackson, who forced this poor dog upon the household, seems completely deaf to it all. Once again, it is Grace who has to deal with it.

Jennifer Lawrence at full throttle

Thankfully, very few women are pushed quite as far to the edge as Grace (Jennifer Lawrence). Still, she is subjected to relentless pressure and receives very little real support from her husband (Robert Pattinson), who is more confused than helpful. To be fair, he has absolutely no idea what she is going through.

Her mother-in-law, Pam (Sissy Spacek), does understand. She may be the only person who can truly reach Grace when she starts to lose her grip on reality. It is a wonderful role for Sissy Spacek, who had her big breakthrough in the iconic adaptation of Stephen King’s Carrie. Here, she is the voice of reason throughout, never patronizing, always caring.

As for Jennifer Lawrence, it is honestly surprising that this performance did not result in an Oscar nomination. It would have been more than deserved. The circumstances and escalation surrounding her character reminded me strongly of Mother!, while Grace herself feels closer to Jennifer Lawrence’s Oscar-winning character in Silver Linings Playbook.

Hopefully, this gives you a fairly clear picture, without drifting into spoiler territory.

Watch Die My Love now on MUBI and digital

Die My Love is directed by Lynne Ramsay, who previously gave us We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011) and You Were Never Really Here (2017). She does not make comfortable films, and her stories usually push our understanding of human nature to its limits.

That is very much the case here as well. One of the things I genuinely love is how all the women around Grace try to encourage her. They speak with empathy and care, explaining that they, too, found the first year of motherhood unbearable. But Grace is not looking for comfort. She simply wants to live life on her own terms, and that is not something the world is very willing to accept.

The film is based on Ariana Harwicz’s acclaimed novel, which tackles heavy themes like relationships, motherhood, and identity. And, naturally, just how much pressure a human being can endure when all of these collide.

Die My Love was selected for the main competition at Cannes 2025 and received well-deserved attention for its powerful performances.

Die My Love is out on VOD now.

Details

Director: Lynne Ramsay
Script: Enda Walsh, Lynne Ramsay, Alice Birch
Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Robert Pattinson, Sissy Spacek, Nick Nolte, LaKeith Stanfield, Gabrielle Rose