This kind of move is rare, but not entirely unexpected. Lynne Ramsay’s “Die, My Love,” still slated for a November 7 release, is holding a test screening this week. Most likely, this is a different cut than the one shown at Cannes back in May.
After its Cannes premiere—where it drew polarized reviews—Ramsay returned to the editing room to reshape the film. That decision meant skipping Telluride, TIFF, and NYFF. Ramsay is clearly committed to refining the film’s tone and narrative clarity, which some critics flagged as problems. The upside is that audiences and critics may end up seeing a noticeably superior version when it opens in November.
It’s déjà vu for Ramsay. Her last feature, “You Were Never Really Here,” was warmly received at Cannes in 2017 but also underwent post-festival re-editing. The version released theatrically differed slightly from the one screened on the Croisette.
In “Die, My Love,” Lawrence plays Grace, who gives birth to a baby boy and quickly spirals. With little help, support, or intimacy from her husband (Robert Pattinson), her postpartum depression escalates into full-blown psychosis.
The film did receive some positive notices, but left many puzzled at Cannes. Messy in tone but compelling overall, the film is driven by Jennifer Lawrence’s extraordinary, Oscar-worthy lead performance.
Adapted from Ariana Harwicz’s 2017 novel, 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 $24M, the biggest deal to come out of Cannes this year.