'Die My Love' is an exploration of mad love and mental illness

Die My Love: An Exploration of Mad Love and Mental Illness

Starring Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson, director Lynne Ramsay’s latest film is somewhat misleadingly marketed as an issue drama about postpartum depression. However, it is more accurately a morbid comedy illustrating how everyday life can drive anyone to the brink of insanity, according to film critic Sean Burns.

“We all go a little loopy the first year,” a kindly Sissy Spacek tells Jennifer Lawrence’s struggling young mother in Die My Love.

This statement is a mild understatement given the intense blood, fire, and swirling psychosis depicted in Ramsay’s darkly humorous and unsettling film. Known for crafting movies that feel like fugue states, the Glaswegian director often presents psychological breakdowns from the inside out, immersing the audience in the haunted minds of her characters.

Examples include Samantha Morton’s grief-numbed girlfriend in the 2002 film Morvern Callar and Joaquin Phoenix’s PTSD-afflicted vigilante in 2018’s You Were Never Really Here.

Loosely adapted from Ariana Harwicz's 2012 novel, Die My Love stars Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson as Grace and Jackson, a stylish yet troubled couple from New York City who relocate to a dilapidated country house once owned by Jackson’s uncle.

This film combines dark humor with psychological drama, highlighting how ordinary life can unravel the mind.

Summary: Lynne Ramsay’s Die My Love is a darkly comedic, intense exploration of mental illness and chaotic love, painting a vivid portrait of psychological breakdown through captivating performances.

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WBUR WBUR — 2025-11-06

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