Review: ‘Die My Love’ is a primal scream of maternal rage

Jennifer Lawrence takes on the role of a new mother teetering on the edge of sanity, her emotions unpredictable and fierce. Scottish filmmaker Lynne Ramsay delivers her long-anticipated fifth feature, Die My Love, exploring a haunting question through a story framed by mental turmoil: can a wild woman truly be tamed?

From the beginning, Ramsay subtly suggests her answer, though the audience remains unaware until the narrative unfolds. We meet Grace (Jennifer Lawrence) and Jackson (Robert Pattinson) as they move into a new house and attempt to build a domestic life. What follows spirals into chaos and intensity, yet feels inevitable — as if destiny was always guiding them here.

The Creative Collaboration

Die My Love stands as the union of three fearless women: Jennifer Lawrence — both star and producer; novelist Ariana Harwicz, author of the 2012 work Matate, amor that inspired this film; and Lynne Ramsay, known for her charged visual storytelling and unwavering emotional depth. Together, they transform Harwicz’s raw narrative into cinematic ferocity.

Ramsay co-wrote the screenplay with Enda Walsh and Alice Birch, shaping the story into a film that feels like a guttural expression of motherhood pushed to its limits — not a plea for rescue, but, as one reviewer aptly put it,

“a ragged primal scream of a film — not a cry for help, but rather, a bellow of maternal rage.”

Inside the Story

In the house once belonging to Jackson’s late Uncle Frank, the couple tries to build a life. Jackson dreams of recording an album, while he encourages Grace to write “the great American novel.” The possibilities seem boundless within the decaying walls of their secluded home, now filled with the tender chaos of early parenthood and baby Harry’s presence.

Author’s Summary

This film channels the raw ferocity of motherhood into a visceral exploration of identity and survival, with Ramsay and Lawrence merging artistry and fury into a single, unforgettable howl.

Chicago Tribune — 2025-11-06