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Die My Love (2025) Film Review: Electrifying psycho-drama elevated by phenomenal Jennifer Lawrence performance

  • Writer: reeltalkin'
    reeltalkin'
  • 3 minutes ago
  • 3 min read

Silhouette of a person walking towards large flames in a forest at night. Text: "Die My Love," actors' names, release date, film festival.

Grace (Jennifer Lawrence), a writer and young mother, develops postpartum depression in the ensuing months of new motherhood and slowly begins to slip into madness.


Isolated in an old, rural house belonging to her partner, Jackson's (Robert Pattinson) family, her sanity begins to crumble as she begins acting more agitated and erratic, with Jackson becoming increasingly worried and helpless.


Die My Love (2025) is a black comedy/psychological drama, based on the 2012 novel Die, My Love by Ariana Harwicz.


It is directed by the Scottish-born Lynne Ramsay, whose most well-known titles include We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011) and You Were Never Really Here (2017).


Playwright Enda Walsh and Alice Birch also had a hand in adapting the film's screenplay, after star Jennifer Lawrence was previously gifted the novel from legendary director Martin Scorsese.


Woman with long hair leans on car, wearing a white shirt with a cat print. Background shows blurred trees and a colorful wall, mood tense.
Academy Award-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence stars in the film's lead role as Grace, a young mother who develops postpartum depression shortly following the birth of her son

This is an emotional rollercoaster of a movie which paints a raw, honest portrait of a young couple's turbulent, toxic relationship as they navigate parenthood and their own complicated feelings for each other.


Ramsay directs with fearless confidence and flair, presenting a highly stylised viewing experience which admirably examines an often overlooked issue affecting hundreds to thousands of women in the early months following the birth of their first child.


The film is visually striking from the very first frame, with Ramsay opting for an unconventional small aspect ratio, which greatly enhances all of the shot compositions and draws attention to Seamus McGarvey's gorgeous cinematography. A warm colour palette for hot sunny days spent in and around the couple's home smoothly contrasts with the many beautiful nighttime set pieces, which exhibit a serene, cool blue tinge to the picture.


Grace's steady decline in her mental health is very well realised by the film's setting in the quiet town of Montana, which offers miles of picturesque woodland and wide, open fields surrounding the area, providing both a blessing and a curse for the struggling writer and young mother.


The ease of accessibility to natural beauty gives her much-needed opportunities to reconnect with herself; however, this separation from the bustling New York City life she is more accustomed to causes her a lot of stress and anxiety.


A woman and man in a patterned dance bizarrely, hands raised. She's in a floral top; he's in a plaid shirt.
The film is ripe with quirky, crazed imagery as a free-spirited couple experiences the highs and lows of living the seemingly idyllic rural life

Ramsay creates a visceral sense of Grace's experiences with her depression, orchestrating a gripping blend of manic energy with slower, hallucinogenic sequences which highlight the emotional and mental disconnect those with depression live through. There is a hazy, surreal mood to many of the movie's quieter moments, when Grace is seen playing the part of a stay-at-home mum as her partner works long hours.


However, much of the film's run time also displays a magnificent intensity and explosive frenzy, which is perfectly embodied by the incredible Jennifer Lawrence in the leading role. This is, without question, an Oscar-worthy performance from a completely committed actress who throws herself into the deep end and demonstrates a remarkable physical prowess, as her character becomes increasingly destructive to herself and her surroundings.


She is a true force of nature here, evoking an almost animalistic, feral energy during heated arguments with boyfriend Jackson, whilst also managing to convey a deep sense of sadness and disillusionment with her situation.


A couple shares a tender embrace, gazing into each other's eyes. Soft lighting creates an intimate mood, with blurred background.
Grace and Jackson (Pattinson) are in the midst of a complicated relationship, where the couple face many challenges when Grace's mental health begins to rapidly deteriorate following the birth of their son

Both leads are like dynamite together, and although this is definitely Lawrence's time in the spotlight, Pattinson makes for a magnetic co-lead to effortlessly match her ferocious, unhinged energy. The two share solid, believable chemistry with a tangible sense of lived history together, and they achieve a touching sense of physical and emotional intimacy.


An arresting, unrelenting viewing experience which will likely leave audiences in a state of exhaustion by the end, Die My Love is a provocative film which achieves a delicate balance between emotional devastation and absurdist comedy. One can never quite judge whether to laugh or cry at the often bonkers display of a young mother's psyche unravelling in such an extreme fashion.


Led by an exceptional performance by Jennifer Lawrence, the film vividly captures the very personal, subjective experience of depression, which will hopefully deeply resonate with viewers who can easily identify with and relate to Grace's troubled mental state. This is a fantastic film which is a must-see for Lawrence, Pattinson and Ramsay fans.


Check out the trailer for Die My Love (2025) below, and please let me know your thoughts in the comments!



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