Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson star in Lynne Ramsay’s psychodrama Die My Love, a film that delves into a woman’s descent into psychosis following the birth of her child, with Pattinson portraying her increasingly unhelpful husband. Lawrence, who has garnered universal acclaim and early Oscar buzz for her performance, recently shared insights into the film’s production and themes.

During her Die My Love press tour, Lawrence appeared on the Las Culturistas podcast, where she revealed that she did not feel the need for an intimacy coordinator during the movie’s sex scenes with Robert Pattinson. She explained that she felt entirely safe and comfortable with him, praising his respectful demeanor and strong relationship with Suki Waterhouse. According to Lawrence, their on-set conversations often revolved around their children and relationships, which helped create an atmosphere free from awkwardness or romantic tension. She explicitly noted that Pattinson was not among the male actors who “get offended if you don’t want to fuck them,” a quality she said she deeply appreciated.

Lawrence also addressed her decision to appear nude in the film, a choice she made while pregnant with her second child. She explained that pregnancy had significantly reduced her “vanity anxiety,” allowing her to embrace nudity without worrying about her appearance. This marked a notable shift from her preparation for previous roles, such as the R-rated comedy No Hard Feelings, where she had adhered to a strict diet and workout regimen. For Die My Love, however, while working 15-hour days and pregnant, she quipped, “What was I gonna do? Not eat?” She emphasized her desire for Ramsay to have full artistic freedom, even insisting that the post-production team refrain from digitally retouching her body in close-ups, saying bluntly, “No. That’s an ass.”

The film offers a haunting portrait of Grace (Lawrence), a woman grappling with acute mental trauma that the story presents as postpartum depression, though some viewers interpret it as something deeper. Set in a remote Montana fixer-upper inherited by her partner Jackson (Pattinson), their lives begin to spiral after the birth of their son. The narrative follows Grace’s increasingly erratic, violent, and inexplicable behavior, contrasted against Jackson’s emotional detachment and passivity. In one especially intense scene, Grace demands that Jackson shoot their incessantly barking dog, when he refuses, she does it herself.

Critics have observed that Die My Love portrays Grace’s alienation from motherhood as flamboyantly external rather than quietly internal, diverging from traditional depictions of postpartum depression. Adapted from Ariana Harwicz’s 2017 novel, the film has been described as a “showy yet strange, in many ways baffling, hyperbolic projection” of the struggles women can face in early motherhood. Ramsay, renowned for her visceral storytelling, mood-driven cinematography, and sharp use of music, infuses the film with an “art-house showbiz instinct,” heightening the shock value of Grace’s actions, from licking a windowpane to crashing through it as Toni Basil’s “Mickey” plays in the background.

Despite Ramsay’s undeniable directorial skill, some critics argue that the film feels more like a “thesis movie” than an authentic exploration of the maternal experience. As a result, while Lawrence’s performance is ferocious and commanding, it can at times feel “emotionally reined in.” The film offers no clear explanation for Grace’s breakdown, leaving audiences uncertain about what is truly real. Following a stay in a mental institution, Grace appears “better,” but her seemingly perfect domestic recovery feels like parody, suggesting an underlying, unresolved psychological condition, possibly borderline personality disorder.

Die My Love opens in theaters on November 7, distributed by Mubi. The film invites audiences into a visceral and unsettling exploration of mental health, motherhood, and the unraveling of intimacy, anchored by Lawrence’s fearless performance and Ramsay’s striking directorial vision.