Jennifer Lawrence premiered Die My Love at the Cannes Film Festival on May 18, earning a six-minute ovation.
Oscar-winner Jennifer Lawrence made a powerful return to the spotlight at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival with the world premiere of Die My Love, directed by acclaimed Scottish filmmaker Lynne Ramsay. The film debuted to a six-minute standing ovation, electrifying the festival crowd with its intense portrayal of mental illness, motherhood, and marital collapse.
The emotional reception took its toll on Ramsay, who cut her own ovation short, visibly overwhelmed by the moment.
A Harrowing Story of Motherhood and Madness
Die My Love is based on Ariana Harwicz’s 2017 novel of the same name and follows a woman spiraling into psychosis after experiencing postpartum depression. Lawrence stars as the mother, with Robert Pattinson portraying her emotionally adrift husband. The story unravels the couple’s marriage as the wife’s mental health deteriorates.
The film marks a bold return to the director’s chair for Ramsay, who has not released a feature in eight years. The supporting cast includes LaKeith Stanfield, Sissy Spacek, and Nick Nolte.
Cannes audiences responded viscerally to Lawrence’s physical, gut-wrenching performance, which includes scenes of self-harm—smashing mirrors, crawling across floors, and scratching at walls until bleeding. The role demanded both emotional intensity and physical commitment.
Lawrence on Postpartum Depression and Filming While Pregnant
During a Cannes press conference, Lawrence spoke candidly about her own experience with postpartum depression and motherhood, saying the film’s subject matter hit close to home.
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“As a mother, it was really hard to separate what I would do as opposed to what she would do,” she said. “I had just had my firstborn, and there’s not really anything like postpartum. It’s extremely isolating.”
@varietymagazine Jennifer Lawrence gets candid about motherhood at the #Cannes press conference for DieMyLove.
Lawrence also revealed she was five months pregnant with her second child during filming. “Having children changes everything,” she said. “They’ve changed me creatively. I highly recommend having kids if you want to be an actor.”
Pattinson Reflects on Fatherhood and Character Struggles
Pattinson, who became a father last year, shared his thoughts on portraying a partner unequipped to handle the emotional gravity of postpartum depression.
“He doesn’t have the vernacular,” Pattinson said. “He’s just hoping the relationship will go back to what it was.”
Robert Pattinson looks dapper on the #Cannes red carpet for “Die, My Love.” pic.twitter.com/M05NxtTIau
— Variety (@Variety) May 17, 2025
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The actor added with a laugh that the film’s emotional depth left him feeling like he couldn’t answer parenting questions “correctly” in front of the press. “This question is impossible for a guy to answer correctly,” he joked, as Lawrence and the room broke into laughter.
A Bold Opening and Strong Festival Reception
The cast dove headfirst into the project—literally. Lawrence recounted her first day on set involved an intense sex scene inspired by the 1968 film If…. “Lynne showed Rob and I a scene and said, ‘You’ll do it naked, yeah?’” she said. “And that was the first day on set.”
Die My Love is in competition for the Palme d’Or and is already generating buzz for both its raw performances and thematic boldness. While it has yet to land a U.S. distributor, the film is expected to be one of Cannes’ hottest sales titles.
Ramsay, a Cannes veteran, has now premiered all five of her features at the festival, including We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011) and You Were Never Really Here (2017), which earned screenplay and actor awards.
For Lawrence, Die My Love marks her first official competition film at Cannes, following past premieres at Venice (mother!) and Toronto (Silver Linings Playbook), the latter of which earned her an Academy Award for Best Actress.
@indiewire Jdfo-0fC73BagTxiJennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson star in the first clip from Lynne Ramsay’s “Die, My Love,” set to premiere at Cannes tomorrow. indiewire
