Die My Love is the latest film by Lynne Ramsay, and it had its world premiere in the Cannes Film Festival competition. It is the director’s fifth feature in 26 years, and it arrived in Cannes with huge expectations. It was not among the films presented at the press conference, but was added almost two weeks later. There were speculations that the film wasn’t entirely finished and that it would be screened late in the festival. As it turned out, the screening occurred on the competition’s fourth day. Die My Love is adapted from Argentinian author Ariana Harwicz’s eponymous 2017 novel, which is set in France, whereas the film takes place in a rural part of the United States.

The story of Die My Love

The story follows Grace (Jennifer Lawrence), a writer and new mother, who relocates from New York to her husband Jackson’s (Robert Pattinson) childhood home in search of a quieter life. Grace battles what appears to be postpartum depression and psychosis, plunging into isolation, fury, and reckless desire. Jackson’s job requires him to travel frequently, and it is implied that he beds lots of women. Grace is fascinated by an enigmatic motorcyclist (LaKeith Stanfield). Is she having an affair or merely fantasising about it? Neither of the two seems to take parenthood that seriously. Jackson’s widowed mother, Pam (Sissy Spacek) lives in the vicinity and cares for her husband Harry (Nick Nolte) who suffers from dementia.

A major disappointment

The narration doesn’t follow a strict timeline, and there are other ways to summarise the plot where not everyone mentioned above is alive. Still, however you choose to approach the film, it is mired by several problems. I count myself among the admirers of Ramsay’s oeuvre, with the possible exception of her sophomore feature, Morvern Callar (2002). The late Saturday screening of the film was a major disappointment. This was my reaction straight afterwards.

It brings me no pleasure to report that Die My Love is Lynne Ramsay's least accomplished feature by a wide margin. Repetitive and without nuances, it's a chore to get through. Jennifer Lawrence is better than expected, but nothing can save this. #Cannes2025

— The Disapproving Swede (@ChristerEm) May 17, 2025

In an attempt to gain a fresh perspective on Die My Love, I attended the press conference the subsequent day. Lawrence, who was pregnant with her second child during the shooting, got questions about postpartum depression. Ramsay approached the topic as well. Then, a few days later, talking to Elvis Mitchell she unexpectedly said “This whole postpartum thing is just bullshit. It’s not about that. It’s about a relationship breaking down, it’s about love breaking down, and sex breaking down after having a baby. And it’s also about a creative block.” A confused spectator could easily be forgiven when even the director and star are ambiguous about where the film’s core lies.

The Straight Man

It is not clear what lies behind Grace’s behaviour, even though we see her return from a mental institution at one point. The way she demands sex from her husband is yet another sign of her erratic behaviour, combined with other violent acts. It is a highly demanding role for Jennifer Lawrence, and it is difficult to put into words how brilliant she is. To portray such an unhinged character and get every note right, no matter how extreme, is admirable, and, surprisingly, she was snubbed for Best Actress. Pattinson is almost the straight man to the main act, even though it is not a comedy. He handles his duties well as does Sissy Spacek.

If every element in the film were as perfectly calibrated as the performances, we would have a great film on our hands. However, from a cinematic perspective, things go wrong quickly. As the film begins, we see flashes of a forest on fire. It looks artificial, which is not disqualifying in itself, but more alarmingly, it doesn’t look compelling. Seamus McGarvey shot We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011), but this is a far cry from that film. It is one of several Cannes films this year shot in the Academy ratio. I’m not sure I understand why. Otherwise, Die My Love is characterised by a swiftly moving, handheld camera with shallow focus. The aesthetic quickly wears thin.

118 minutes of this style is not a pleasant, but more importantly, not an interesting watch. The aforementioned enigmas, like LaKeith Stanfield’s character, are more vague than mysterious. Some stylistic techniques are not entirely unlike those of Josephine Decker at her best, but here they are more numbing than anything else. Ramsay’s reaction, as quoted above, makes one think about whether the film is autobiographical to a certain degree. The end credits reinforce this thought, with Joy Division’s Love Will Tear Us Apart being performed by the director herself.

This harsh assessment is admittedly based on a single viewing, but unless Lynne Ramsay makes significant changes to the film, I find it hard to believe that I would rewatch Die My Love. I hope the film was rushed to Cannes and that the artistic team will get more time to complete it properly.