Review: Jennifer Lawrence Gives Everything to the Wild, Brutal 'Die My Love' but Gets Left Dangling
This messy Molotov cocktail from indie auteur Lynne Ramsay pairs Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson as struggling new parents who fight, bite, and destroy each other.
Opening and Atmosphere
The first shot of Ramsay’s stubborn and exasperating postpartum nightmare Die My Love could serve as a chilling opening for a horror movie. The camera lingers in a quiet, eerie kitchen of an isolated ranch house. Grace and Jackson (played by Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson) hesitate on their recently inherited property’s front porch, creating a tense, uneasy mood. Their delay suggests they may be making a reckless decision.
“It’s not New York but it’s ours,” Jackson says of the rural home, left to him by his uncle who died violently upstairs in a way that Grace finds hilarious.
Characters and Background
- Jackson grew up nearby, with his parents Pam and Harry (Sissy Spacek and Nick Nolte) still living close.
- Neither Jackson nor Grace discuss their past city lives openly.
- Jackson longs to play drums while Grace once claimed to write, but both appear stuck, their dreams stalled by money, passion, or talent.
Plot Setup
They move into the house, have a baby, and descend into domestic chaos, portrayed with raw intensity and emotional turmoil.
Author’s Summary
Die My Love delivers a wild, gripping portrait of new parenthood's brutal struggles, anchored by Jennifer Lawrence's intense performance but leaves unresolved tension lingering.