‘Die, My Love’ Gets D+ CinemaScore

Much like Darren Aronofsky’s “mother!,” which also starred Jennifer Lawrence, Lynne Ramsay’s “Die My Love” tackles a woman who loses her mind in the most abstract of fashions.

There are obvious parallels to John Cassavetes’ “A Woman Under the Influence,” which had Gena Rowlands — in an all-timer of a performance — as its main protagonist, unraveling under the strain of societal pressure, loneliness, and mental instability.

Ramsay and Aronofsky’s films don’t come close to hitting the landmark brilliance of Cassavetes’ masterpiece, but they are certainly works that challenge and provoke in ways that might be too isolating for the token moviegoer.

“mother!” infamously received an “F” from CinemaScore, which polls audience members on a film’s opening night to measure their immediate reaction, assigning each movie a letter grade (from A+ to F). “Die My Love” only fared slightly better. Hitting 1500+ screens this weekend, Ramsay’s film has earned a dismal D+ CinemaScore. For context, the weekend’s other wide releases fared far better: “Predator: Badlands” (A-), “Christy” (B+), and “Sarah’s Oil” (A+).

I get it, “Die My Love” is not conformist. It’s raw, jagged, and emotionally unrelenting — a film that refuses to offer comfort or catharsis. It’s the kind of experience that leaves you uneasy rather than uplifted, which is precisely why it has alienated mainstream audiences, and some critics. Ramsay isn’t chasing approval or accessibility; she’s dissecting the terror and beauty of female unraveling with a precision that feels almost invasive.

After screening at Cannes, where it received wildly polarizing reactions, Ramsay went back to the editing room on “Die My Love,” reshaping it into a new cut that’s now been screening around the country. Although messy in tone, I found the film to be quite good, led by an incredible, Oscar-worthy lead performance by Jennifer Lawrence.

In “Die My Love,” Lawrence’s Grace gives birth to a baby boy, and the spiral begins. Barely getting any help, support, or affection from her husband (Robert Pattinson), a sort of depression transforms into full-blown psychosis. Based on Ariana Harwicz’s 2017 novel of the same name, the film also stars LaKeith Stanfield, Sissy Spacek, and Nick Nolte. Ramsay directed from a script she co-wrote with Enda Walsh and Alice Birch.

MUBI acquired the film for $24 million — the biggest deal out of Cannes this year — which has only further puzzled people as to why it’s been a no-show in all of these fall festival lineup announcements.